Fursuit parade photo up!
...at least in its simple form. I had to pick the one with the least number of paws outside the frame. 
Pretty impressive to see from up there! Here's the thumbnail...
Thanks to everyone in the parade!
Waitasec... the Fursuit Parade photo wasn't taken out on the DLCC balcony this year? Did I miss something?
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iSKUNK!
No, it wasn't, and yes, you did.
They decided that instead of standing outside in [insert weather here], they'd put the A/C on full blast and let them stand in slightly cooler, dryer air while they take photos.
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I am not an atomic playboy.
Actually, our original plan was just to usher the fursuiters in, take their picture, and let them leave. Seemed simple enough, and didn't seem that there was a need for turning on the AC. Unfortuantely, that whole thing took a lot longer than expected, and heat became an issue.
Lesson learned, and next year, we'll make sure the AC is turned on before sending the fursuiters in there.
a couple air movers (carpet dryers) would be more the welcome too 
We would not be able to get enough of them to have the air moving in that room. Once three people clustered in front of one, they'd be the only three getting any air.
"...but where are we gonna get a duck and a hose at this hour?"
yeah, i guess that's true...
could always just get a biiig cooler of ice and a bucket, and dump the ice into fursuits as they pass! just kidding, seriously don't do that! lol
...aren't you supposed to be on vacation? *glare*
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I am not an atomic playboy.
Incredible as this may seem: Those huge, giant, immense balconies on two levels...
are too small to contain all the fursuiters in the parade.
Aww, nuts. I just loved scrolling through the balcony photos... it was like looking at one of those Where's Waldo? pics. Every fursuiter was doing something different.
This one's cool too, but a lot of the suiters ended up as a "colorful jumble," especially toward the left-rear corner. Just taking a single shot of a group this big has become quite a challenge in itself! Especially since the only option that allows the camera to be far away is no longer available.
(Well, I suppose you could have all the suiters fill up the DLCC's roof deck, and then take the shot from a helicopter, but... 
)
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iSKUNK!
If 640+ suiters in full costume stood out on the balcony all at once...they'd probably collapse.
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I am not an atomic playboy.
brings back so very many memories... and thoughts...
the most prominent being my philosophy on fat fursuiters. if you've got a jelly belly, it will look 10 times bigger in a fursuit, i garauntee it.
"the first person to throw an insult instead of a rock was the founder of modern civilization!" -Mark Twain.
The background's not quite in focus. Any other shots taken where that part looked better? You could composite them.
The focal length of the AC photo parade is something like the width of Rhode Island.
Dude this pic is really cool i cant believe that there was that many fursuits
*Wolf's never hunt alone*
er...i'm assuming that if i knew what a focal length was, i'd be impressed...
i'm going to go ahead and guess it's the length between the camera and the target neccesary to fit the entire target into the frame.
"the first person to throw an insult instead of a rock was the founder of modern civilization!" -Mark Twain.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depth_of_field
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focal_length
..I rather more meant Depth of Field, but it applies to either.
Bear in mind that is just a thumbnail. I suspect the detailed one is yet to come.
That's a nice photo, although a bit grainy/blurry.
I spotted myself fairly quickly though. I'm right next to the guy with the sign...
I just lost the game.
-The two saddest words in the English language are "Good bye"
Look at all the pretty fursuiters... so many... so colorful. This is great! ^^
The picture does look a bit grainy and blurry though. Indeed, on the left side as you look further back, they almost don't even look like fursuiters but rather drops of paint.
I live in Texas, the home state of George W. Bush. I apologize.
near the japanese flag in the back, is that marvin the martian?
I was able to find myself in the photo, unfortunately I am toward the left rear of the photo where it is a bit more blurry. I'm hoping that area is a little more in focus in another picture.
By the way, did anyone else notice the one guy in the photo who is not in a fursuit at all. Looks like he is just wearing a pair of bunny ears or something. No head or paws or anything else.
That's one thing that I'm not pleased about the photo. The front and to the right are perfectly fine, but the area to the left and back is not focused. If things were a little more orderly with getting us all in there the photo would have turned out much better. I know things were done to help position us but the megaphone that the photographer used wasn't very loud enough. I could barely hear it.
We apologize for that. Here's what we're working on for next year:
1) Putting tape down in rows, not just in a big square, and having the suiters line up upon it. This will let us pre-test to be certain that everyone will be both in the shot, and in focus.
2) Hooking in the hall's PA system, since the megaphone didn't cut it.
3) Turning on the air conditioning earlier to cool the room down further.
1) Putting tape down in rows, not just in a big square, and having the suiters line up upon it. This will let us pre-test to be certain that everyone will be both in the shot, and in focus.
Bingo. It would also ensure a margin of spacing between each fursuiter, so that they don't end up all scrunched together into an incoherent (albeit colorful!) mess.
Think it might be possible to lay down a pattern that would have all the fursuiters form some kind of cool word or shape?
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iSKUNK!
Considering the photographer is restricted to one corner of the room, perhaps putting the tape in concentric circles (arcs)radiating from from the photographers POV would be more advantageous.
one photo with everyone lined up on the tape
one photo with everyone lined up on the tape but facing away from the photographer
one photo with everyone crowded up against the first line
just a thought
rech
Upon consideration of the photographer's elevation, height of fursuiters, etc. the diagram should have eliptical rather than circular lines. I hope to have an updated diagram more fully describing the line placement and how to place the lines, (a string, a yardstick and a broom handle are required), sometime next week.
This is where someone with computer modeling experience would have the advantage. (Diagrams and dimensions of the David Lawrence convention center are available online.)
Now you know how simple photography can be - Just click a shutter
rech
Keep in mind that you need a way to actually lay these lines out on site. It's easy to lay out a grid, for example, because putting down long, parallel lengths of tape is trivial. Circular arcs are doable too, because you could tie a string down somewhere and sweep out an arc or radius as needed. You may even be able to do elliptic curves, if you mark the two foci and the length of string needed between them. Anything more complicated, however, will need a similarly more inventive strategy.
Yes, modeling all this in a computer would help. I wonder if Triggur might be up for a technical challenge along these lines...
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iSKUNK!
Well I understand you are looking to add the cost of air conditioning and a pa system to next year's parade photo. Also you are looking for an easier way to line everyone up for the photograph. Might I recommend a room that already has these features plus lighting as well.
Looking around the web for large group photo ideas, I came across
http://www.takegreatpictures.com/Articles/Details/params/object/9601/default.aspx
If its good enough for Tony Award winners . . .
And thanks to today's photo editing software, if the crowd exceeds the expected 750 - 1,000 suiters, they can always be placed in the balcony.
.
.
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May not be perfect, but it's sure to be cheaper and easier.
rech
Are you suggesting that the picture be taken in the SoP Ballroom?
Because yeah, that's nice and big---but you don't get any natural lighting at all, which is part of what makes the Hall C setting work so well. Not to mention, getting a camera at a high enough angle is a lot more tricky, since you don't have a handy-dandy balcony for the photographer to stand on.
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iSKUNK!
Actually, If you study they photograph, you will see both blue tape and red tape on the floor. Were the handlers available and able to direct the fursuiters, the front line of the group would be straight with relationship to the photograph and that tail end, leading out the door would be moved from the left side and fill in the empty spaces on the right. Obviously better.
Were the handlers available and able to direct the fursuiters,
You just volunteered.
I can barely see enough from inside my suit to avoid falling over the person in front of me and you want me to herd others! Wouldn't someone in a border collie suit be more appropriate?
border collie indeed. as opposed to a...*squints at picture* erm, yes, what that is. no idea. particularly short tail, from my perspective.
and while we're in the market for volunteering, i'll most likely try to contribute my two cents in about 7 years, if i can remember that long. at my age i'll be lucky to get there, nonetheless organise any sort of event.
er...not to intrude on anything, but boredom has a unique way of targeting those who are checking their emails.
"the first person to throw an insult instead of a rock was the founder of modern civilization!" -Mark Twain.
Actually if the line from the parade marches coherently into the hall and follows along the lines on the ground, I think the photograph can be taken quickly enough to forsake the air conditioning. I think it'd be silly to waste such money on ten minutes within Hall A for that.
Besides, for the parade lineup in the SOP ballroom, it was around 120^C in there. If you can survive the lineup, you can survive the photo shoot.
-The two saddest words in the English language are "Good bye"
The parade lasts a lot longer than ten minutes; remember that you need to start measuring time from the entry of the first person, who has already travelled a fair distance in their suit. The parade will additionally contain more people next year, furthering the heat issues.
Obviously budgetary concerns over Air Conditioning exist, but unless they're outrageous we will flip it on, as well as the other planned changes to make it better for the fursuiters and the photgrapher.
--Chi
Well, I found my suit in the photo:
any chance of releasing any other photos from the shoot?
Eee! Thanks for posting! I found myself right away, though I'm a bit blurry.
One of the biggest issues I was noticing this year was suiter height. Even though there were people constantly trying to us shorter furs out in front, there wasn't a lot of cooperation amongst the other suiters in the parade. I myself was having a hard time maneuvering around. (I'm barely 5 feet tall!) Perhaps something can be done about this for next year? If we are doing the same thing next year, maybe we could have the shorter suits get in the front of the parade? Just a suggestion of course.
"Okay class, line up by height!"
We'll make notes to try and ensure the shortest of folks get better positioned next year.
--Chi
While this was a fun mangled mesh of furry goodness, there were a few problems:
1. This was very chaotic. I know people tried their best to organize us, but for me, this poor lion couldn't hear anything.
2. We're all VERY HOT.
3. Despite being 6'6" in fursuit, there were furs still taller than me. I felt a bit drowned out.
4. There are only so many ways you can take pictures of Hall C and get everything in the picture.
5. We were all VERY HOT!
6. I agree with Chiaroscuro. There is a lack of depth of field. You can clearly see the suiters in the lower right, but I'm but a 3/4 head which is blurry.
Let us have a plan as to what we're going to do next year. We (I believe) once again destroyed the World Record in fursuiter count.
You guys rock.
Promoted to the front page.
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