Conference: 2011 PSA Annual Conference
 The 73rd PSA Conference had an exciting lineup of photo tours, classes,workshops, programs, featured speakers, and social activities. The conference was held at the Doubletree Hotel Colorado Springs – World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, beginning Sunday, September 18 and running through Saturday, September 24, 2011. The following provides a general description of Colorado Springs, the conference hotel, the photo tours, and the conference classes and programs.
PSA member’s photographs have been used to prepare a video review of the 2011 Conference and two videos of the Photo Tours in and around Colorado Springs. These videos are a nice remembrance for those who attended and provide a good overview to help plan attendance at a future PSA Conference.
|
Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs is located in El Paso County in the South Central area of Central Colorado. It is approximately 60 miles south of Denver, the Capitol of Colorado. Colorado Springs is known as a popular travel destination because of its high altitude and dry climate. The city is over one mile high, at 6,035 feet above sea level. Some of the famous landmarks and attractions of Colorado Springs are the 14,110 foot Pike’s Peak; the Royal Gorge and its bridge over the Arkansas River; the Garden of the Gods park with its natural geological formations of red, white, blue, and purple sandstone that are a photographer’s joy; the clay and stone “hoodoos” at Paint Mine park; the US Air Force Academy and magnificent architectural Chapel with amazing stained glass; the quaint town of Manitou Springs; the US Olympic training facility; the Cliff Dwellings; Glen Eyrie Castle; and numerous other landmarks and landscapes in the wonderful Rocky Mountains. Colorado Springs is the second most populous city of Colorado and the city has the largest area of any city in Colorado. The temperatures for September are average highs of 74 and average lows of 45.
Colorado Springs was founded by General Palmer in 1871 as a destination for those seeking healthy environments. In the late 19th century, the city became one of the most popular locations of travellers from around the world. The city was settled by many of those who made their fortunes during the “gold rush.” Several years later, General Palmer started the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad. Just a short way from Colorado Springs, in 1891, near the cities of Cripple Creek and Victor, Winfield Scott Stratton developed one of the richest gold mines. He contributed to the development of Cripple Creek, Victor, and Colorado Springs while he lived a frugal life. Another benefactor, Spencer Penrose is responsible for the financing of the Broadmoor Hotel, the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, and the Will Rogers Shrine.
After the gold and health booms, Colorado Springs, during the 1940’s, entered a military boom. The Army and Air Force continue to train forces in the city. In 1963, on Cheyenne Mountain the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s (NORAD) main facility was built, securing a military influence in Colorado Springs.
Doubletree Hotel Colorado Springs – World Arena
The Doubletree Hotel located in Colorado Springs is about a 10 minute drive from the Colorado Springs Airport and there is a free shuttle to the hotel from the Colorado Springs Airport. The hotel is within walking distance of the World Arena and a shopping center, and the hotel has its own conference facilities where the PSA Conference was held.
Photo Tours
The Conference photo tours in and around the Colorado Springs area were held on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, September 18 through the 20. Three tours left from the hotel on Sunday. There were two morning tours, one to Pike’s Peak on the Cog Railway and the second was on the Royal Gorge Lunch Train. A third Sunday trip was a self-guided walking tour of Manitou Springs followed by a trip to the Garden of the Gods for Sunset. On Monday, there were three tours and an evening Fun Night. The first trip on Monday was a Sunrise tour to the Garden of the Gods and this tour continued on to the Air Force Academy and Air Force Chapel. The second Monday tour was to the Paint Mines Park where the photographers honed their skills on the geological formations. The third Monday tour visited the Manitou Springs Cliff Dwellings and Glen Eyrie Castle. The Monday FUN NIGHT was at the Flying W Ranch where participants enjoyed a dinner in the Steakhouse and a Western Music Show put on by the Flying W Wranglers. There were four tours on Tuesday, a Sunrise tour to the Garden of the Gods and the Air Force Academy and Chapel; another tour to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Will Rogers Shrine, and Helen Hunt Falls; a third tour to Pike’s Peak aboard the Cog Railway; and a fourth trip to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, Will Rogers Shrine, and Seven Falls.
Classes, Programs, Workshops, Featured Speakers and Exhibits
There were classes on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, September 18-20 for an additional fee. These classes covered Photoshop Elements®, Intermediate Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom®, and using ProShow® Gold to assemble digital image shows. A High Dynamic Range (HDR) class using Nik Software was conducted on Monday and Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 21 through the 24, 2011, the conference presenters offered a wide variety of programs, workshops, and photo exhibits. There was a model photo shoot and workshops on how to use your digital camera and Macro photography. The photo exhibits included the various sections of the PSA International Exhibition of Photography. The first showing of the projected image sections were held Tuesday evening with the print exhibition opening after the projected exhibitions. The Conference Opening Meeting and Award Ceremonies was held Wednesday afternoon. On Saturday the conference concluded with the Honors Banquet.
The evening keynote speakers were: Wednesday, Tyler Stabelford, Canon Explorer of Light; Thursday George Lepp, Canon Explorer of Light; and Friday, Joe LeFevre, Staff Instructor at Adirondack Photography Institute. Julieanne Kost from Adobe presented the latest updates regarding Photoshop and Lightroom on Saturday morning.
