Susan Day- NANPA Executive Director
A few years ago, NANPA adopted the tagline, “Connecting the Nature Photography Community,” and as I drafted this month’s article I thought about the many “connection” opportunities available within NANPA. Here are just a few:
Based on feedback from surveys and comments from you, NANPA developed a new meeting format for off-summit years. You asked for less time in meeting rooms and more time outside to photograph and hang out with fellow photographers. You asked for a less expensive venue in a gorgeous location with economical lodging options. NANPA listened — and registration opened recently for our 2018 Jackson Nature Photography Celebration. Instead of being in a giant hotel/convention center, you’ll pick your own lodging (we negotiated some great rates in several hotels—plus you’ll find plenty of campgrounds nearby.) We will meet from May 20-22, 2018 at the Center for the Arts in Jackson, Wyoming to learn, share, connect, and celebrate! Each day will follow a different theme—the State and Future of Photography and Yellowstone’s Ecosystem—and we’ll celebrate nature and photography at keynote presentations, educational sessions, Lightning Talks, a Photo Gallery Crawl, and a new vendor format where you can check out and test equipment outside. Our keynote speakers are Rick Sammon, Henry Holdsworth, Dan Cox, and Geoff York who will inspire us to stretch our creativity.
We’re using a new registration system, so you’ll see a few changes when you sign up—such as needing your NANPA membership ID # to get the nice member discount. (If you don’t know your NANPA ID # , please login to the members’ area of the NANPA website, and your membership number appears at the top of the page.)
Another nifty new tool for the Jackson Celebration is Sched. As soon as you pay your registration fee, you’ll automatically receive an email from Sched that guides you through setting up an account which gives you access to up-to-the minute updates on the schedule and other activities. You’ll be able to communicate (connect!) with other attendees on Sched, and we’ll use it to announce popup meetings and any changes onsite. We won’t be using paper programs or handouts at the Celebration because everything you’ll need to know will be on your phone on Sched.
Besides the 2018 Jackson Celebration, NANPA also has several Regional Events coming up:
Bosque del Apache with Lisa Langell and Cathy Illg on December 1-3 (Registration closes November 20 and we have a few spots left!)
Southern California—San Diego, Escondido and Lake Hodges Areas with Krisztina Scheeff and Ryan Rubino on January 11-14, 2018. Registration deadline is December 28.
West Yellowstone Snowcoach Tour with Jeff Vanuga and Trent Sizemore on January 19-21, 2018, We sold out of two snowcoaches already and have added a third. Registration deadline is December 1.
Our free Webinar program continues to be popular and we’ve got some interesting topics and speakers in the lineup. Remember, all webinars are recorded, so if you can’t listen in live, you can always login to the Members’ area of the NANPA website and tune in to any you missed or want to see again.
Every other year, at our Nature Photography Summits, NANPA recognizes the best of the best in nature photography during our awards ceremonies. Our hard-working Awards Committee, chaired by Ted Moreno, reviews and evaluates nominations from the board, committees, an Advisory Panel, and our membership. They are working on 2019 awards now which will be presented in Las Vegas in February 2019. In the coming months, you’ll be asked to nominate people for various awards. Please think about those who are deserving of NANPA’s highest honors and fill out those nomination forms. Login to the members’ area of the NANPA website, and under Recognition, select “Nominate Members for Awards.”
On a final note, I am sorry to announce that Rebecca Spriggs, NANPA’s Communications and Marketing Director, will be leaving us. She was offered a marketing opportunity in her home town that was too good to pass up. For the last two years, Rebecca was the major connecting point for our organization as she directed NANPA’s website updates, blog, social media, marketing strategies, and overall communications. Thank you, Rebecca, for sharing your vision and expertise with NANPA. We wish you the very best in your new position.
Susan Day
NANPA Executive Director
susanday@nanpa.org
