NSS News Convention collage online for your viewing pleasure

[Dave Bunnell]

Hello all,

After spending all day producing this year's convention collage for the November Convention Issue, I thought people might be interested in having it available as a PDF file. So I've placed it on the NSS News web site on the NSS site:

http://caves.org/pub/nssnews/

Go to the very bottom and click the link to the PDF there. It's 2 mb in size, pretty decent resolution even when zoomed in though not as good as the 18 mb PDF for high quality printing.

At least a few of you reading this are in it, for sure. Check for incriminating photos before we go to press!

Incidentally, this issue will have the most color of any News yet, since we've recently gotten a better deal on printing from our current printer's technology upgrades.

Cheers,
Dave

[Cheryl Jones]

Great idea! Thanks Dave. Rather a rogues gallery , but makes the convention look as fun as it was!

Thanks, too, in advance for the extra color. And for all you do to continue to improve News.

Cheryl

[Teresa]

I'm rather curious...I've attended most conventions since 1992 and have NEVER gotten my pic in the News, (shades of 'the cover of the Rolling Stone') whereas certain BNCs always seem to appear in the collages.

I am not a BNC. Maybe next year the roving photographer should take pictures of people they don't know (and the bookstore could give prizes to people who can identify us).

No sour grapes intended. Just an idea.
Teresa

[NZcaver]

I am not a BNC. Maybe next year the roving photographer should take pictures of people they don't know (and the bookstore could give prizes to people who can identify us).

No sour grapes intended. Just an idea.

Hmmm, you have a point there Teresa.

Dave's collage looks great, but I did notice a conspicuous absence of some subject material... like the convention staff and volunteers, the bands, the huge convention banner, etc. I was pleased to see some local caving shots included, though.

No sour grapes from me either - keep up the good work!

[Dave Bunnell]

I'm rather curious...I've attended most conventions since 1992 and have NEVER gotten my pic in the News, (shades of 'the cover of the Rolling Stone') whereas certain BNCs always seem to appear in the collages.

I am not a BNC. Maybe next year the roving photographer should take pictures of people they don't know (and the bookstore could give prizes to people who can identify us).

Teresa,

This seems to be a theme with you, judging from your earlier posts about how "the little guys" never win photo salon awards.

I will agree there are some people that end up in the collages a lot because they are the ones out there dancing at the Howdy Parties, up at podiums a lot, in the band, etc. And hence they get photographed a lot. But it is an unsupportable contention to suggest that people the photographers don't know aren't included. This year we had photos from the usual four people (I only shot a few myself) and when I select them I try to deliberately pick a lot of photos of people I don't know myself.

Have you ever submitted convention photos, or have your friends? Anyone is free to do so, though the same four people have submitted the bulk of them for many years.

Jansen's point about the staff not being well represented might be true of this collage as I used several of them (and the bands) in the wrap-up article. where there are captions. There just weren't many to choose from, especially of those security types...

By contrast, last year I got lots of staff photos from one of the staffers and used quite a few. I think including shots of staff is a worthy goal for all the hard work they do.

BTW, there's two color pages devoted to just convention caving as well. You're seeing just a part of the coverage here.

Cheers,
Dave

[Teresa]

Well, I guess it is a theme, Dave, to the extent that this is the first that I've heard that the NEWS solicits convention photos from others than the people running around with official looking cameras. Somewhere in my brain (mostly because other conferences I attend do so) the newsletter people have their own photogs out there, and aren't really soliciting freelance material. If this isn't the case, it's pretty much been a secret from me until now. Thanks for clarification.

Of course, I'm rarely taking pictures of people, because film is still expensive, and I cannot yet afford a whizbang digital camera, so most of my field trip or convention photos are of the scenery I may never get to see again, not of humans. And I don't mug for other's cameras, either, but tend to run from them. As I said before, it's not sour grapes, but just wondering why the same faces seem to crop up.

Maybe I should take a roll of the quiet, non-descript people next year and submit them. But then, I'd be worrying about getting model releases or something.

Sometimes I seriously wonder if I don't have the wrong mindset to be in the NSS--I'm just not the rah-rah, everything is wonderful type, and never have been. Even when I'm being complimentary to neutral, some people seem to think it is a put-down. Can't help it--that's how my brain is wired. I'm glad people let me hang around, anyway.

[Realms]

Send me your address and I'll send you a whizbang digital camera

[Mike Cato]

Send me your address and I'll send you a whizbang digital camera

Wow! Free cameras!!??? How can you afford this?

I don't care! Just send it to:

Mike Cato
69 All The Live Long Day Trail
Remlap AL 30069

Hope I don't miss out!

[Realms]

Lol Mike that was intended for Teresa

[Mike Cato]

So I'm not getting a camera?