Before we start with these fall conference pictures, I'd like to make the observation that I took all of them with The Good Camera. The Good Camera has it's own issues (like it gets cranky with the autofocus) but the major advantage is that it gets the colors and contrast right (that whole automatic light metering setup == good.) So I can get 4 pictures ready for my web page in the time it takes me to do 1 picture with the crappy camera. I just thought I'd share.

• Quiet time at Fall Conference (22k): Shane Empie having his Quiet Time at Fall Conference. (Yes, I asked his permission (without words!) before I took his picture.)
• Quiet time at Fall Conference II (27k): My friend Caleb (who I met at SLT in 2000) having his quiet time at Fall Conference.
• Me, and my shaaaa-dow. . . (10k): This was my attempt at taking a picture of my own shadow so you can see the foofy spike-shadow that my hat made. It. . . didn't really work out very well, which isn't surprising since I couldn't see what the camera was actually pointing at. (I had to aim it in a bizarre way behind my back so that the shadow profile wasn't disturbed.)
• Therkildsen gets tackled (86k): Aaron Batts and Aaron Green work to tackle Eric Therkildsen, as Jon Doane, Greg Gambill and Ryan Texer (unsuccessfully) try to stop them.
• Okay, now what? (45k): Starting at Lindsay Bussell, going clockwise: Lindsay Bussell, Eric Therkildsen, Dan Panik, Jon Doane, Ryan Texer, Greg Gambill and Shawn Covert regroup and come up with a strategy for the next play.
• The Opposition (43k): Jason "Borde" Bordewyk poses for the camera while Joe Derk, Tim Paasche, Aaron Batts, Aaron Green, Dave Bosscher and Andy Knitt get ready for the next play. Note: Over the whole course of the hour or two that I was taking pictures, these teams all changed a lot as people dropped out, dropped in, switched sides to even things up, etc. If I can figure out who's on what team, I'll say so, otherwise I'm just going to guess.
• Getting ready (50k): Aaron Green counts down on the play, as Dave Bosscher and Andy Knitt wonder what the heck the camera man is doing. Tim Paasche and Joe Derk (background) get ready for the next play. In order to get shots like this with my "zoom" lens, I literally had to be standing on the field, ready to leap back as soon as play began. Generally, the guys (and Lindsay) skillfully wove their way around the clumsy cameraman.
• Mega blocking action (33k): Greg Gambill and Shane Empie block for Jon Doane.
• "Oh yeah! Well *your* mom probably wears army issue footwear suitable for moving through muddy terrain and/or moderately high water!" (38k): Jason Bordewyk looks on while Joe Derk trash talks the other team, as Dave Bosscher enjoys Joe's performance. Okay. Maybe that's not what's really going on here, but it's fun to imagine! (Also, I highly doubt Joe ever said that about anyone's mother.)
• What the heck is going on here? (57k): I have looked at this picture at least ten to fifteen times. I *still* can't figure out where the ball is going, or where it came from. Presumably, Joe Derk is getting ready to slap it down, but who threw it? Jon? Doesn't look like the right trajectory. Anyway, Andy Knitt (far left) gets ready for the next play, Joe Derk and Jon Doane are doing. . . something with the magic football; (going from farthest away from the camera to closest) Ryan Texer, Eric Therkildsen, Shane Empie, Shawn Covert and Lindsay Bussell start moving toward their places for the next play.
• Dan and Carolyn look at Marsabit pictures (25k): While the football game was going on, all of the Africa trip people (including the folks who went to Africa who go to the Wisconsin schools) sat around and looked at everyone else's pictures. (Notice the fun foofy lens flare! And I didn't even have to pay for a 4728978971289 dollar program to get it either!)
• Andy and Jarret socialize (25k): This is Andy Kress and Jarret Gill, who were in the same family group in Marsabit. In the background, Elijah Moreland takes a picture of the ongoing football game (far background).
• Everyone playing football (395k): Okay, so maybe this isn't everyone. I left this picture full sized because I wanted to retain the impact of the trees in the background. So I didn't crop them out, but it probably means that only those of us with 19 inch monitors or better are going to see the picture all at once. Go to the labs if you don't have the big monitor. The people in the picture (from left to right): Greg Gambill, Ryan Texer, Shane Empie, Shawn Covert, Eric Anderson, Jon Doane, Lindsay Bussell, Eric Therkildsen, Joe Derk (background), Andy Knitt (next to Joe), someone I can't identify (Craig? Yep, that's Craig Van Someren, actually) in front of Therkildsen, Jason Bordewyk, Aaron Green, Tim Paasche, Aaron Batts, Dave Bosscher and Doug Moore.
• Mike Kolassa enters the game (33k): Mike Kolassa (one "s" or two?) gets ready to quarterback, as Jason Bordewyk points out the pretty trees. Tim Paasche, Doug Moore, Dave Bosscher and Aaron Batts all get ready for the next play.
• Mike discusses plays with Borde. (33k): "Actually, I think that Arthur Miller's play The Crucible has some significant themes which are not accounted for in the traditional "denunciation of McCarthyism" explanation of the play's message. For example. . . ." Okay, maybe not those kinds of plays. Doug Moore and Tim Paasche (closer to the camera) get ready for the next play while Mike Kolassa discusses plays with Jason Bordewyk.
• Okay, stand back! The watch is comin' off! (38k): Jon Stone finally decides to enter the game. (To be more precise: Jon Stone finally gets out of the afternoon staff meetings and gets to have some fun for a change.) Eric Therkildsen, Craig Van Someren, Shane Empie, and probably Shawn Covert also appear in this picture.
• Jon Stone gets the short end of the "Looking funny while throwing a football" stick (17k): You know, photography is a funny thing. You take a picture, but what shows up in your viewfinder is sometimes different than what actually shows up on the picture when you get it back. I think that's what happened here; I actually started to take the picture when Jon Stone was in graceful, flowing pass mode, but that's. . . not exactly what shows up in the picture. Also, I think I'm at all the wrong angle for this shot.
• Dave breaking free (48k): This is the shot I think I'm happiest with from the football game; this kind of thing is what I was trying to capture the whole time. I'm not even going to attempt to enumerate who's on what team at this point, because I really can't remember. Dave Bosscher (with the football) shoves Ryan Texer out of the way while Andy Knitt, Aaron Green, Shawn Covert, Aaron Batts, Jon Doane, Tim Paasche and Craig Van Someren attempt to either tackle Dave or keep Dave from being tackled. (Dave does make it about another 5-10 yards before he's taken down.)
• Mike Kolassa, Super Quarterback (36k): Okay, I have no idea if he's a super quarterback or not. In fact, I don't even know if anyone caught this pass or what. But, in case you wondering, this is what the other end of the "Looking funny while throwing a football" stick looks like. (Sorry Jon.) Although, I guess he does have kind of a goofy expression on his face. (Observant folks will note that the camera man isn't in any of these pictures, so that you don't get to see how ridiculous he looks when playing football. "Like a girl with a beard" pretty much sums it up, I think.)
• Doug's goin' deep! (59k): I think the play has just started here, but some of the guys seem remarkably disconnected from the game if that's so. Anyway, Dave Bosscher and Doug Moore get ready to blast by the defenders and catch the long pass, Mike Kolassa (with the football) takes a couple of steps back to pass while Aaron Green, Aaron Batts, Jason Bordewyk, Elijah Moreland, Andy Knitt and Joe Derk seem content to sit back and watch. (Maybe they're all blocking for Mike.)
• Smile for the camera, Mike! (39k): Aaron Green, Mike Kolassa, Elijah Moreland, Dave Bosscher, Jason Bordewyk, Aaron Batts and Andy Knitt all get ready for playing on defense. (Note the color saturation on this one -- this is why we all love The Good Camera! (with the Good Film!))
• What was THAT? (29k): Jon Stone is incredulous as the other team got away with something heinous. I don't remember what it was, but it was heinous. Or at least pretty funny.
• Um, no Dave, I'm NOT free next Saturday. . .*hide* (29k): Jon Doane, Aaron Batts and Shane Empie all get ready for the next play, while Dave Bosscher puts the moves on the camera man (who is beginning to regret the "girl with a beard" comment above). Either that or Dave just has to sneeze.
• Run, Doug, Run!!!! (64k): Well, I *think* the pass was supposed to go to Doug Moore. But I don't think *anyone* is catching that pass, actually. Lindsay Bussell, Jason Bordewyk, Elijah Moreland, Doug Moore, Joe Derk and Jon Doane all go after the wayward pass -- some more enthusiastically than others.

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