Hug/photo area?
This is sort of a odd thought but I figured I'd throw it out there any ways. Is there a designated area for suiters to go and meet up with folks looking to take pictures and/or pose with suiters? I know a lot of folks end up by the glass wall there near the headless lounge but might be nice to have a well lit place set up which doesn't have a glass background. I'm not suggesting reserving a room or any thing, just a spot in the hall way that's photo friendly where suiters can pose without people constantly walking in front of the camera. Another nice thing about this could be in a set of hours are given/posted some where, folks looking to get pics with lots of suiters could hang around there and get a bunch of pics instead of stopping them one at a time as they walk around the con. Not sure how to better describe what I was thinking or if some thing like this is already there. I know a lot of folks come in for pics after the suit parade (though all the suiters are tired and sweaty by then).
Ya, I know about the photo area, I got some shots of me last year. I guess what I'm talking about would be a petting zoo. In the old hotels we all used to hang out in the halls or near the entrances until we were told to move else where. Then they set up "The zoo" for people to just hang out and do what ever. Perhaps some where in the zoo we keep a space clear and hang up a white sheet (yes I know that $5 sheet will cost us $200 for the union to hang up for us) so that suiters who stop by the zoo can pose with people hanging out there for photos (non pro type ones) and hugs and what not so they aren't blocking the hall ways trying to pose for pics or having con goers walking in front of those trying to take pictures because they chose to do so in the heavily traffic-ed hall ways. Suiters often end up goofing around by that glass wall by the headless lounge, this is fun but every one is walking through there, specially when there's a show or a dance there so having suiters on all fours or rolling around or throwing balls back and forth is a hazard. Having a 'petting zoo' set up out of the way would solve that problem.
Not sure how helpful this would be but any suggestion can help so I'm offering it up.
Hang up a white sheet? Perish the thought. We would consider setting up proper photographic backdrops on a stand, perhaps- similar to what our photography unit uses. This year Anthrocon's budget is a little tight but we are pondering potential purchases for the future, and perhaps an additional stand and backdrop set up for amateur shots, or a second photography team, perhaps.
We have nearly all areas of the convention center available to us, and most of those spaces are unused and don't see heavy traffic (if any at all). Also (from a photographer's view), the lighting is much better in the DLCC, whereas the lighting in the Westin is somewhat dim. Using a clear, well-lit space in the DLCC is probably the best way to get and take photos without interference.
I hope we get some good weather during the convention... pleasant, non-harsh sunlight and blue skies with light or moderate cloud cover for daytime, and a colorful sunset. I'd like to get some good photos of our avian suiters outside, on the balconies of the DLCC.
Even if otherwise unused, any space we attempt to use in the convention center costs big money. Not just for the space, but for the union costs in setting up that space.
When did Anthrocon get charged for allowing its attendees to take photos in the halls of the DLCC?
I'm not talking about setting up anything in the convention center (or anywhere else). Of course we can't just do that without being charged for it; that's obvious. We have a ton of well-lit, low- or no-traffic hallway space in the DLCC that can be used for getting and taking photos. The ballroom/headless lounge area is one. The balcony (and the hall in front of it) is another. And if you go downstairs, to the dealer's den/registration area, then you'll have even more (though with a little more traffic at some times).
Which is why I suggested making use of a space which we already have set up/paid for, namely the zoo. The zoo, if its in the same place as always, is very large and people tend to move the tables around any ways so having some one put a sheet or a background on a stand there wouldn't be a major undertaking unless the union was involved. Honestly the convention center isn't the most photo-friendly place with all the glass walls, poor lighting and dark walls. Another nice spot which we already use which also would provide what is needed without additional set up is the hall right before the bridge which goes over the huge hangers. You know, the one which they have the projectors in the roof constantly running to put barely visible images on the walls? Those are light/white walls and that hall way is very wide with the benches in the middle. Perhaps we could talk them into leaving one of those projectors off for a couple days and stand there? Or even just stand between the projected images. Due to the size of the hall the suiters shouldn't be in any ones way this way and hopefully less folks won't be walking in front of those with cameras. Since they'd be out in the open (instead of in a corner in the zoo) more people might see them and stop to take pics or pose with them. I know every year there's a fem-suiter photo shoot that often takes place near the escalators by the glass walls and again, that area isn't very photo friendly.
On a semi-unrelated note about photographers, do we have one of the "pro's" taking photos during the parade? The past couple years or more there always seems to be some guy with a large camera who refuses to stand off to the sides like the rest of us for photos of those in the parade and instead simply walks in front of every one else out into the parade area to take photos despite the number of people yelling at him to move. I've always assumed he was one of the pro photographers because security never told him to "Get in line" like they tell the rest of us when clearing the parade route. If he is a "pro" then I sort of understand the need to be in every one else's way to get the good shots but if not, then security needs to move him as they do every one else.
The projectors are contractually obligated for the Convention center to run; they may not be turned off.
We'll see about something for 2011; it's rather late to set up things now. And between our professionally taken pictures via the Dragonscales team, and the thousands of pictures that somehow end up on Flickr each year, I think we are doing all right photo-taking wise at Anthrocon.
That's not to say we can't do better next year! We constantly seek improvement. Only that I think we're doing rather satisfactory right now, and it's gaaah ten days left to the con!
This is the most depressing thing I've seen all day.
Thanks for ruining it. :[
AGH the face on that little Okapi/Oryx thing. Makes me want to cry. ;_;
There are a number of things that we need to keep in mind about such requests.
1. Are we providing something new, or duplicating something that we are already doing elsewhere in the convention? In ths case, there are many photo op spots that people use, plus the pro photo spot...so we'd need for such an area to offer something extra to the convention.
2. What will the facility think of what we are doing? We're not allowed to tack or stick anything to the hotel's walls. So we would need to provide a self standing support with the covering. Putting up something that resembles a sheet isn't going to look very good to the hotel...so we would want to put up some kind of specific backdrop.
3. What is the gain versus what are we losing? Is the loss of space in the Zoo going to be offset by weekend long gains? If such a space is being used hour after hour, it would make perfect sense to have it. But if it's going to be sparsely used, it's essentially taking up space in the Zoo that might be better used as a social zone for the 3000+ people in attendance. Remember, we have to be smart about space usage.
4. Maintenance: Who going to look after this thing all weekend? Remember that the photo shoot area is manned a good part of the day. Would a free standing backdrop sitting in one of the heaviest trafficked area of the convention be maintenance free or will someone have to babysit it? If it's constantly being toyed with, it could become a problem or liability. If it falls, scratches one of the wood panels, or breaks one of the mirrors in the ballroom, we have to pay for it. We have to think about issues like this when setting things up.
Keep in mind that we are always looking for input on things to make the convention better. But we have to be realistic about what we want to focus energy on. If a secondary photo op area is a benefit, we can pursue it. But if it would be barely used all weekend, it doesn't make sense to take up that space when we could use it more effectively.
I love how you called it a HUG/Photo area. I just went around and hugged as many Fursuiters as inhumanly possible. I am very surprised that I only got denied three hugs, and one of those denials was remedied with the ruffling of my hair!
We have a designated fursuit photography staff each year, who takes professional-grade fursuit photographs and posts them, free of charge, on their website. Now, they are not limited to just suiters, you are welcome to get a "And this is me, hugging FreddyLion" picture. if you can arrange it with FreddyLion. Their hours are also generally posted on their signage.
--Chi