I know there were a few of you who had showed some interest in this and I would just like to get started planning. The meetup would be in Burlington, Iowa. It is a beautiful little riverfront city with lots of places to shoot. Because Wendi and I are both in the area we can get models together for just about anything. I hope we can gain enough interest to make this happen.

http://www.visit.burlington.ia.us

Let me know if you may be interested, possible dates, what you'd be interested in learning, etc. Thanks! 

ohhhh, that one is within drivnig distance for me, i am so new here tell me what i have to do to come....would this be weekends or weekdays?  weekdays are BEST for me, but can do a weekend if i plan WAY ahead and don't have the little step kids that weekend....

Come on, people! :)

August is totally out.  :)  I have a few weddings in September and October, I'll find the dates later.  My vote is either September or November.  November, as long as it doesn't get too chilly, is BEAUTIFUL in this town!

I'm there!!!!  Don't have a preference for when..

early sept sounds great to me (after that is hunting season, lol)

All right, we have a start. I may ask around on ILP as well since we have such a small group in the area if that is ok with you guys. 

Depends on weekend but I think it sounds fun.  I have never been and am pretty new to the mpix forums so this would be a great way to meet you all. 

 The meetups are so awesome...I hope you can make it. I'll keep everyone updated on plans.

I might want to come up to this too.  I lived in Iowa a million years ago and still love to come "home" when I can.  I really wanted to come up this spring but couldn't get a weekend that worked.  As soon as you have a date, let me know.  I do have a few things in early Oct already that I can think of.

yeah Lynda's coming!!!!! 

We might have a meetup.. if we don't get washed away first!  What's up with all the rain???????????????????

I was really hoping I could go to an Iowa meetup... but it's nearly 600 miles for me to drive! Which would cost, like, $7,000 in gas.

Really though, I'm bummed.

ShaLee:

Don't put it off because of gas... the word is carpool...lol

That's true! Are you going? If you are.... hmm... maybe I could swing it!

 No idea on the rain thing!!! It's nice and overcast for my shoot today though.

As soon as I catch up on my editing (end of the week) I will start working on the details of this. For those of you who are interested, is there anything in particular that you are interested in doing, learning? Like I said before, I can get any kind of models we need together.

As far as date, the weekend of either the 18th or 25th are available. I have weddings both the 4th (out of town) and 11th. Wendi, what do your weddings look like for October? 

I would really love to practice on Seniors and bridals.  

Well, are we still on for sometime in October?  and have you picked a for sure date yet?

Sorry, I totally forget about this board.

October weddings so far:

11th & 18th

I have my nephew's birthday party on the 25th and it is out of town, so I won't be around.

Depending how many people we have, if anyone is interested in wedding photography, and we wanted to have it on either of those dates, I know my couples would be fine with having a couple extra people tag along.  The couple on the 18th is the more exciteable of the two, and would be up for anything we threw at them.

Otherwise, the first weekend of November is open, or the last weekend of September.

Do we want to make this a shooting weekend, a socializing weekend, or a learning weekend, primarily?  Of course, it will include all, but what do we want to focus on most?  Besides my baby, that is.  :)

Ding.

Ok, lets pin down either the 18th or the 25th.  Like I said I have a wedding on the 18th but if anyone wants to see how I shoot and get some port images, they are welcome to tag along.  The 25th, we would have to leave around 3 or so in the afternoon for the nephew's bday party, and would be back Sunday morning, so I'd be around some.

I had planned on going to Colorado to visit a friend on the 25th, but nothing is in stone yet, so that can be rearranged.

What works for everyone else?

We need to start pinning down what we want to shoot, and locations for everything.  I have an extra bedroom if someone needs a place to stay (and isn't allergic to dogs).  If we don't have a lot of people, we can meet up at my house instead of renting a room somewhere.  We can comfortably fit a dozen or two.  We'll also need to figure out who wants to lead what in terms fo what you all want to talk about.

Let's go people! :)

Not from Iowa, not near Iowa.....BUT.....I have a business meeting in Chicago starting Monday, Oct. 27 and I was planning to come up that weekend before (i.e., October 25-26), rent a car and drive over to visit my nephew, who will be attending Cornell College, which IS in Iowa.  If you have something that weekend and you are in the vicinity of Cornell College (and, honestly, I'm not sure exactly where it is in Iowa), I'll see if I can't swing by for at least part of it.  I was definitely hoping to meet up with Wendi and whoever else was around.  My nephew is definitely getting into photography as well....now that he's totally hooked up with an XTi, 50 mm and 70-300 mm lenses and a tripod.  Maybe I can entice him to come be a "senior" model or something or maybe he could learn to be a 2nd shooter for someone and earn a little dough on a part time basis.

I have to say, while I haven't made any formal "meet ups this past month, I've had my own person meet ups with DGrits and Connie in Valdosta (while visiting in-laws) and spent an evening last weekend bumming around the French Quarter in New Orleans and then having dinner with Suitefiore (Debra) - a blast both times!  So, I'd love to meet some of you guys that I feel like I know already.

 so the 25th?

Sorry I hadn't gotten back to this either.   I can round up any kind of models that we need and arrange for lunches etc.

25th is working for me!  I am game for anything but do want to shoot some think it would be great if we can have some informal type classes.  (you know share what works for each of us and what doesn't)

wendiandtravis:

Ding.

Ok, lets pin down either the 18th or the 25th.  Like I said I have a wedding on the 18th but if anyone wants to see how I shoot and get some port images, they are welcome to tag along.  The 25th, we would have to leave around 3 or so in the afternoon for the nephew's bday party, and would be back Sunday morning, so I'd be around some.

I had planned on going to Colorado to visit a friend on the 25th, but nothing is in stone yet, so that can be rearranged.

What works for everyone else?

We need to start pinning down what we want to shoot, and locations for everything.  I have an extra bedroom if someone needs a place to stay (and isn't allergic to dogs).  If we don't have a lot of people, we can meet up at my house instead of renting a room somewhere.  We can comfortably fit a dozen or two.  We'll also need to figure out who wants to lead what in terms fo what you all want to talk about.

Let's go people! :)

Personally, I don't care which day we choose, but I'd love to tag along to a wedding with you Wendi...