Questions for those of you who've been to a POTN meet before

[rudgej]

With the fabled Scottish POTN meet (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=164882) actually looking like it might happen, I'm curious as to people's experiences of their own POTN meetings. Does anyone have any words of wisdom or experiences of what happens when several people get together to take photos? For instance how to balance the needs of a photographer who might wait for hours to take one shot with another photographer who will take their shots within minutes and want to move on?

[BottomBracket]

John, for me the primary reason for meeting POTN members is the social aspect. I think it is great to meet other people who share the same passion as you do. Everything else will fall into place rather easily - the equipment show and tell and the inevitable picture taking. In our NYC Chinatown Parade meet, we got separated due to the sheer number of parade gawkers. We tried to wait for each other when taking pictures, but people do tend to get so engrossed in picture taking that they tend to wander away from their friends .... well ok, that was me. In my defense, there were really a lot of people and if you don't keep tight rein on each other you will will surely be separated.

The Washington DC meet was great too - a meeting of previously virtual friends just having a great time, sharing a great event, the Cherry Blossom festival. Now there's talk of a barbecue meet sometime this summer, I hope I can be in the area for that :)

Just have fun, and be yourself. Don't pass up these POTN meets, they are great opportunities to enhance the passion of photography.

[rudgej]

Thanks for the comments BB. I've no idea yet on the number of people attending, but it is reassuring to know that we could lose some along the way! :lol:

[greg20d]

I have only met with potn people once so far ..it was more chat than photo shooting for me ...I have to admit the people I met were some of the nicest people I have ever met ...maureen, Skip ,Belmondo ,26thi ,Dante ,thomaskanty,Did I mss anyone ...my brain is still mush after my accident it seems my opinion they were all classy people and I look forward to meeting them again as well as many more in my travels..Any one left out is
by accident .WE did have lots of laughs .

[rudgej]

Thanks Greg. I must admit that the people interested in the Scottish POTN meet have great online personalities, so I'm looking forward to meeting them in person.

[lakiluno]

I'm sure you won't lose anyone - what would happen in edinburgh? All you could do is accidentally wander down a close, or into Cockburn street, but that might be more of a "Never seen again" rather than simply losing them :D

[rudgej]

Thanks Leo. When do you think that you'll be able to afford your camera?

[Citizensmith]

Only met a couple of other POTN folks as a guy from Italy was travelling and in the area.

Oh, and it wasn't an issue for us but its probably a good idea to avoid crop factors, PC vs mac, or anything related to the 50 1.8. :)

[Carzee]

Only met a couple of other POTN folks as a guy from Italy was travelling and in the area.

Oh, and it wasn't an issue for us but its probably a good idea to avoid crop factors, PC vs mac, or anything related to the 50 1.8. :)

Just have fun and don't miss out on getting some chimping pix!

[rudgej]

Oh, and it wasn't an issue for us but its probably a good idea to avoid crop factors, PC vs mac, or anything related to the 50 1.8. :)
Very wise! :lol:
Just have fun and don't miss out on getting some chimping pix!
Good idea. In fact the last time I was at the zoo with someone and we chimped it was right in front of the chimpanzee enclosure - so that would have been a great photo. ;)

[Jon]

At the Cherry Blossom meet-up, we hung together, passed lenses around some, but didn't really have any situations where someone wanted to hang back and wait for a shot. We just sort of wove around the area, coming together and separating as it occurred to each of us, but all going in the same general direction. Of course there was basically a single theme for the event. In Baltimore, we had a more random scene; between the Aquarium, the B&O RR Museum, and the other Inner Harbor attractions, there was less incentive to stay together. If there's something like that, with a wealth of diverse opportunities, you will probably want to set meeting places and/or times, or at least exchange cell phone numbers, to facilitate periodic regroupings.

[rudgej]

That's useful information, Jon, Thanks. :)

[BottomBracket]

Yeah, that cell phone number swapping is a great idea. had we done that in the first NYC meet, we would have regrouped and had dinner together. :) Don't forget the group shot, by the way.

[rudgej]

The group shot is a good idea - except if a dozen people want to get a shot on their own camera, in which case that'll be all we do that day. ;) :lol: