Strobist Meetup: Asheville, NC October 6th, 2007

If you're a Strobist (or are a photographer who wants to learn how to light) and feel like driving to Asheville, NC on Saturday October 6th to hang out with other like minded folks, please shoot me an email using the contact form on my site.

Goal:
My goal for this activity is to give us an excuse to actually meet other people who we see on a daily basis but have never met in person. It's a chance to bolster and talk and share and 'gel' as a group (pardon the pun). I want this to be a learning/sharing experience for all involved. We've got a healthy mix of pro photogs and amateurs alike who are intent on coming down and sharing in the Strobist brew ha ha. There are no expectations of your skill level! All you need is a strong desire to have better photos and learn in a fun and courteous environment. I personally believe that the second fundamental characteristic of the Strobist community is sharing (the first being great photos through smart light). I encourage you to invite shooting friends/family who have never set eyes on Strobist. Introduce something amazing into their lives!

Invitation/Coodination:
I am coordinating the event using a mix of Google's Calendar and this Flickr thread. If you haven't received an invitation from me yet, please PM me with your email address and I'll add you quite promptly.

Organization:
Taking a successful tip from Nick Haskins, we will break up into small groups of 3-4 shooters to go off and be creative. We'll reconvene for lunch and discuss. We'll then break off again into different groups for more shooting. Finally, we'll get together at the end of the day for dinner/drinks/getting to know you type activities. For those who are there late enough, we may get a chance to do some fun night strobe/ambient balancing activities!

Models:
This will be the trickiest of all... Worse case scenario is that we will take turns modeling for each other. I am bringing my girlfriend who will be modeling for us. I encourage you to help find some models. Get me their email addresses so I can keep them on the mailing list. I'm sure as a group we would at the very least happily provide them with food for their services. Remember guys, a burger and beverage is a small price to pay to remain firmly planted BEHIND the camera :) Also remember that spouses/significant others/children make wonderful models, if they're willing to play along.

Hosting:
A few of you have suggested that I contact IRIS Photography in A'ville about hosting us. I will be contacting Ralph this weekend to see what services we can provide each other. Being hosted will become VITAL if we are forced to remain indoors due to rain.

Equipment:
BYOCaSG
(Bring Your Own Camera and Strobist Gear), though I'm sure this will be a great opportunity to see how other setups work (I rely on the Canon EOS Wireless, myself and am anxious to see how the PW/Ebay trigger/Skyports work).