May 2010
Meet the Member: Simon Fitall
ISnAP Comments from the Chair: ISAP IX!
ISAP-IX held in Las Vegas at the Hampton Inn Tropicana on March 4, 5, 6, was a successful venture for all concerned. If you were there, I don’t have to explain - and if you weren’t, well you missed one hell of a get-together. The guest speaker list was arguably one of the best we have ever had in the ten years the symposiums have been on- going; the field trip to Nellis AFB during one of their famous Red Flag exercises provided some superb photo ops; and the camaraderie was typical of all ISAP functions with many old friendships refreshed and many new ones started. Nothing is perfect, however, and ISAP-IX is no exception. There were some bumps in the road and a few complaints, and it is one of those that I’d like to address here - for the membership to contemplate and hopefully to discuss via this ISnAP and the ISAP web site. There was some kvetching about the field trip and the decision to divvy-up the 150-plus participating attendees into three separate groups when it came time to go to the Nellis AFB runways. That decision, made solely by the Nellis AFB public affairs office, was understandable, but unfortunate. The PAO personnel had a mind set that 150 people was too large a crowd to manage as one group, and there was no changing their minds. ISAP had nothing to do with the decision and no control over it. And as a result, some photographers were short-changed and did not have the photo ops many of the others were given. That was simply the luck of the draw. More importantly, to me, however, was the fact that the complainers lost site of ISAP’s raison d’etre. Though the field trip is an inarguably fun part of our annual get-togethers, it is not - by any vague stretch of the imagination - the main focal point of the symposium. Anyone who questions that needs to read and then re-read our mission statement - which can be found on the first page of every program we have ever printed (and can also be found elsewhere on the ISAP web site): “Our mission is to provide a major international forum for the art and science of aviation photography; to provide a means for the exchange of aviation photography ideas, technique, philosophy, and equipment; and perhaps most importantly, to provide a mechanism for communication, education, and friendship among those who have a professional stake in, interest in, or simple love of aviation photography.” Please note that, no where does it say anything about having an opportunity during the symposiums to take photos at Nellis AFB - or anywhere else for that matter. Anyone who places higher priority on taking photos during the symposium than learning from the presenters and developing new friendships while refreshing old, has lost the point. They also, in my opinion, need to reevaluate why they joined ISAP in the first place. We’re there to have fun and enjoy each other’s company and hopefully learn something new - but if we step out of the annual gathering without ever having tripped a camera shutter even once, that should not be any kind of justification for declaring the symposium a failure. That’s not fair to ISAP and perhaps most importantly, it’s most certainly not fair to the complainer and other attendees.
Jay