Home From Con

Arrived last night approximately 22:30 after a six-hour drive from the South End of Baja Jorja. Attended the F3C annual meeting and seminar. Highlights:

- Added to knowledge on Photoshop, Lighting, Self-publishing
- Added to Studio supplies at sale prices
- Trialed a nice lens for free (contemplate pricing later, and is 'trialed' a word?)
- Met some photographers from other parts of the state
- Lots of photographs from PhotoWalk, and around the campus, and other things
- Popper is too damned popular
- Met Clyde Butcher!!!!! < /end fanboisquee >

Got sat upon by Houdini upon arrival home. He still won't let me out of his sight. Slept oh seven hours before he woke me back up.

Photo Con Report

Friday saw a mildly later start than original plans called for, not to be confused with a late start. Originally, based on potential meetings with a couple people, I'd figured to be on the road around 08:30 - 09:00 on Friday. Meetings fell through and I helped out with several things on the Ranch (small things, nothing big). Hit the road around 11:30 - 11:45. Six hours later, arrived in Naples.

( And the Rest Is History... )

( Saturday Morning. And Afternoon. And Evening. )

Daylight Stupid Time Change came into play during the night.

( Sunday, Day Of Meeting, Morning Thereof )

( Then it was time for lunch. )

( Time for Fan Boi Squee... )

It was, really, a great session.

After the Final Panel, a group discussion about Which Is It, Photography or Graphic Art (with the premise being with the advent of digital photography, what is it - ) in which the Panel and Audience appeared to reach an answer ... 'Yes' ... I was able to get my copy of his book signed by Mr. Butcher. I gave him one of my business cards, one with a photo on it made by my local lab (it's a nice way to provide a sample of ones work).

( It's this one, actually. Not Hardly Work Safe if one isn't an artist... )

Mr. Butcher looked at it, looked back at me with a big smile and said, 'I like that one.'

...

Mr. Butcher likes my work.

I hit the road shortly after that, basically retracing my course South in the Northern direction. Darkness fell by the time I got to the Sunshine Skyway again, and I still stopped for much the same reasons on the way down, as well as to eat the last of my purchased provisions. These photos... are more Impressionistic I suppose. Chilly, Windy, and I didn't bother to bring out my tripod, trying to brace the camera on some solid objects. Worth the experiment. Back on the road and across the Bay Mouth and on to home. No pauses by pedestrians trying to walk across major US highways without benefit of traffic signals this time.

Got in around 22:15, and got forced to sit on the couch for about a half hour just petting Houdini. He didn't even want to let me up to give Herself a hug.

Good thing she can be understanding sometimes.