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Shutter speed depends largely on what subject your shutting... size matters!Let's start this little primer with a disclaimer; There are many ways to skin this cat. While there are technical theories and logic to be applied, opinions, styles and technique will vary. What is written here is my take on the situation based on my personal experience and philosophies. So, use at your own risk.

It seems any discussion of motorsports photography will ultimately make its way back to the pan shot. While it might be a "staple" shot in a shooter's repertoire, it can also find its way of becoming a crown jewel in your portfolio.

In reality, or at least to my mind, the pan shot is almost a genre unto itself. There are so many variations and "looks." In fact, the panning motion creeps in to many types of shots. It's simply a means of keeping energy and putting movement into your photos. It maybe a short quick pan tracking a tire changer or following a car coming off a corner almost directly toward you. It is for that reason, it's a required skill if you plan on calling yourself a "motorsports shooter."

Again, what I'm going to share is what works for me. Others may argue some of the points, but I think I've broken it down in a manner that will take some of the mystery out of the technique and give you a basis to build your skills.

Basic side pan at 1/80th produces good sharp results.

Let's start with the fact that there are no basic camera "settings." I see this question all the time on internet Forums... as if you can just dial in the settings and it will all work out. Like any shot, the settings can cover the spectrum depending on what you want from the shot. Even different vehicles will change the approach. I use much higher shutter speeds shooting bikes than I do with cars. Not because they're faster... but because they are smaller. Of course, your ability to adapt to each situation is what separates the good shooter from the average shooter.

And that brings up another myth... panning is NOT necessarily about the speed of the car... it is the motion of the camera. So, the trick is controlling that motion to create the effect and get the results you want.

The swing's the thing.

With a long lens, you can still get nice blur at a higher shutter speed. This is with a 500mm at 1/320 sec.

Panning is about YOUR swing. It is no different than a good golf swing, tennis swing... or any other activity where you "swing." It is all about developing a consistent swing. Sure, a golfer may swing a little harder or softer from one shot to the next... but for the most part he's choosing a club that fits his swing in order to accomplish the distance and shot he needs. The clubs are the tools that extend and generate the required results from his swing.

You need to do the same thing. Find a comfort zone. Swinging too fast will produce a jerky erratic movement. To slow will produce a wobbly shaky movement. You want a nice smooth movement. A rhythm... and follow through. And not necessarily across an entire 180 degree arc. But... it should be smooth, steady and COMFORTABLE.

A similar shot with a 200mm shot at 1/100 sec.

So, how do you keep up with the car's speed while controlling your swing? Once you've developed a constant smooth COMFORTABLE swing, you then shift your location and alter your lens (club?) choice to make the speed of the object your photographing fit YOUR swing. Get closer or move back... choose a longer lens... or shorter. But make the combination work so that you are in your COMFORT zone. In theory.... if you are in your zone... smooth swing... right lens, right distance, I should be able to reach over your shoulder and adjust the camera's shutter speed without affecting you... within reason, of course.

The further away the car is, the slower it appears to be traveling. Think about it... if a car came by just 12 inches from you and doing only 30 miles an hour, it's flying. It would scare the living daylights out of you. But, the same car could go by at 150mph 300 feet away and look like it's doing 55mph. You'd think nothing of it.

So, by positioning yourself properly and choosing the right lens, you can track the car while pretty much having the same swing rate most of the time. Of course you'll learn to adjust your swing speed up a bit or down as needed and as you improve. But ultimately you'll find that sweet spot where it just feels good... smooth and in control.

Hold the lens under the barrel... tuck your elbows in... breath...pick up the car... track it... then squeeze off a few frames while you are tracking the car... and follow through. It's all about rhythm. Once you find it, you'll get comfortable and start dragging that shutter slower and slower.

Don't look for fixed settings. It's different with every lens and every set of circumstances. Good panning is all about understanding the geometry. You can successfully pan with a 500mm lens at a higher shutter speed than you might with 100mm lens. Remember, it's the movement of the camera... so a little movement with a 500mm reflects a lot of movement when you extend the angle all the way out to your subject. A pan at 1/320 on a 500mm is probably going to give you similar background blur to a pan with a 200mm at 1/160.

So now, with the situation in our control, we can make creative choices that help tell the story we want to convey to our audience.

The Side Pan

This is the standard pan shot and probably the best place to start honing your panning skills. It's also the perfect shot to demonstrate what changes with different shutter speeds. Remember, your aperture setting is fairly inconsequential when panning. Other than stopping way down to handle the amount of light a really, really slow shutter allows, the aperture is not going to change much in the outcome of a pan shot.

Find a nice gentle corner where you can shoot from the inside of the turn. This is nearly the perfect scenario since your movement (which is an arc) has a better chance of syncing up with the cars movement (also an arc). If you're on the outside of the turn, your panning arc will be directly opposing the cars arc, so choose the inside. All we want to do at this point is get some success under your belt and work on developing your swing.

If you're in a corner where the cars pass through at a good constant rate of speed, start with your shutter at 1/250th. Use a single sensor in your cameras focal point settings. Put that point right on the car's side panel... follow... shoot... follow. Burst two or three frames. Take a look at the preview... magnify it and see if any of the frames look sharp. Look at the seams on the body work or decal edges. Shoot some more and start dropping down the shutter. Don't go crazy... but as the frames improve in sharpness see if you can get down to 1/100th or 1/80th.

Now download those images and study them. Depending on how tight in the frame you have the car, the "corner-to-corner" sharpness should be pretty good at 1/250th. And, it will soften if you got down to 1/80th. Any lag in your swing and tracking of the car will be reflected in the softness of the image. It will be more exaggerated at 1/80 than at 1/250th. Put aside your best shot at 1/250th... assuming it's sharp. Now practice until your arms are sore and see if you can make a 1/125th (or even 1/80th) shot as sharp as that 1/250th shot you put aside. That will show you your progress in improving your swing and your marksmanship. Believe me, it takes practice.

The 3/4 Pan

This 3/4 pan was shot a 1/160 sec.The 3/4 pan is a shot that's somewhat more "stylized" ... it's a pan where the car is coming at you.. as opposed to coming past you. Keep in mind, in order for everything to be in focus, the subject would need to be traveling on a plane perfectly parallel to the lens face. In a pan where the car is coming at you at an angle, only part of the car will be parallel to the face of the lens at some point of your swing. Try to picture a point where the car is intersecting with an imaginary line that is parallel to the face of your lens. The intersection is where things will be most in focus. Creatively, that's where you'll want to make your shot. Most shooters go for the nose, or in open cockpit cars, the helmet.

It's also important to note, as the lens sees it, the front of the car is traveling across the lens face faster than the rear... because (as mentioned above) the rear of the car is further away. So, we know only a specific portion of the car will be in focus. By really dragging the shutter.. 1/30 sec. in this case, we'll really get a lot of blur but we'll also give up a lot of "in focus" area. Ideally, if we manage to get the nose the sharpest point, we give our viewer the sense of a what a bullet this race car really is. The viewer has a visual sense of the speed and energy.

Same location at 1/30 sec. You'll see I was able to hang onto the nose, but the rest of the car shows much more blur than the image above shot at 1/160 sec.

These are just two types of pan shots... I'll write more on other types and other styles at a later date. What's important at this point is getting YOUR SWING consistent. Your swing should "feel" nearly the same with both of these shots... maybe a little more travel or a little less, but the motion and rhythm should feel the same. Like my original analogy... it's similar to golf... you develop your swing... then based on where your standing and the speed of the car, you choose a lens (club) that will put you in your comfort zone and get the job done. You only adjust your swing... you don't drastically change it.

Keeper Rate:

Once you're feeling kind of lucky, put your focus on manual, drop the shutter to 1/15 sec. and point a 200mm through the trees. See what happens?

Forget that. If you're looking for great shots, there is no such thing as keeper rate. Sure, you're not going to be swinging for the fences when you first start out. Understandably, you'll start at a higher shutter rate. But, seriously, who cares about HOW MANY you get? The only thing that matters is the shot that makes you go
WOW. Get the shot. I'd rather have one mind blowing shot at 1/15th or 1/30th of a second than 100 nice pans at 1/125th. Unless it's an historic moment in time, no one will ever remember the shots at 1/125th.

Obviously, if you need things for a client or something specific... sure, get the safe stuff done. But then, go swing for the fences... go nuts. If you're getting too many keepers, you're not trying hard enough. That's why you have a delete key.

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Conservation and Managed Habitats

Through our Conservation and Managed Habitats program, PPI collaborates with local experts, cooperatives and communities to develop management protocols for plant resources of subsistence or commercial importance. Protocols of this program are designed around local knowledge and ecological sciences and are calibrated to satisfy conservation interests and local livelihood needs.

Below is information on PPI's Conservation and Managed Habitats activities in Mexico, Southern Africa, India, Indonesia and China.

Mexico

PPI works in two regions in Mexico:  the Selva Maya area of the Yucatan Peninsula and the Guerrero region of southwestern Mexico.  The Selva Maya  (the Mayan Forest) is a biologically and culturally rich forest located in an area comprised of southeastern Mexico and northern Belize and Guatemala; it is the largest tract of rainforest in the Americas second only to the Amazon.

In the Selva Maya, PPI's Conservation and Habitats program is working with local communities to identify and produce products made from local species and thereby create economic alternatives to deforestation.  In Guerrero, PPI is working with local communities to define and develop standards for the sustainable harvesting of a regionally important nontimber forest product, wild maguey (Agave spp), used in creating fermented beverages such as pulque and mescal.

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Community Events Calendar

This calendar lists community events related to each of the Understanding Vermont (UV) trends and issues. To find events related to a specific trend, please use the navigation bar to the left.

This events list is updated several times each week, so we encourage you to check back frequently.

Finally, please note that old events are removed periodically. Multi-day events (denoted by ** multi-day event **) will not be removed until the event has finished. 

Jump to a month: August | September | October | November | December | 2009 Events

August 2008 Events

Community Design/Build
August 3-15, 2008 ** multi-day event **
Yestermorrow Design/Build School, Warren, VT
Cost: $1,400 Contact: (888)496-5541

Guided by Jersey Devil co-founder Steve Badanes, students will engage in a hands-on process of designing and building a full-scale public project. Past projects have included public playground structures, village green bandshells, park pavilions, and bus stops. The class will meet with the client, establish the program, work within a budget, propose and develop the design, schedule the work, and construct the project. Each phase is explored as a means of making the architecture more expressive, and sustainable building practices are emphasized throughout the process. Students will explore how this community-based, consensus approach to a project can build a sense of community as it creates a work of architecture. Evening lectures will focus on examples of individual and team processes as illustrated by Jersey Devil projects.

Breaking Bread
August 15 - 17, 2008
Cow Island, 40 Commercial St., Portland, ME 04101
Cost: $525
Contact: emilia@rippleffect.net http://rippleffect.net/fort_lyon_adult_programs/theme_weekends/breaking_bread_815/

Investigate the cultivation, creation, and culture of local food as you focus on hands-on workshops with nationally known chefs and local vendors and enjoy a keynote address by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon, authors of "Plenty" and creators of the 100-Mile-Diet.

New England Regional Heating Oil Crisis Response Meeting
August 18, 2008, 9:30 AM-4:30 PM
Sheraton Harborside, Portsmouth, NH
Contact: Dan Feltes at dfeltes@nhla.org or John Howat at jhowat@nclc.org

Solar Electric Design 101 Workshop
August 23, 2008, 10 AM - 3 PM
Alternative Energy Store, Hudson, MA
Contact: (877) 878-4060
http://workshops.altenergystore.com/

This is a half-day course with academic lectures and technology demonstrations interspersed throughout giving participants some understanding of actual system components. Participants will learn about the basics of Photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy systems, the importance of energy efficiency and how to determine the feasibility and system size requirements of a PV installation. Attendees will learn the nuts and bolts of photovoltaic technology and the variety of ways to use solar electricity to power their home or business. No prior knowledge of PV is needed, the workshop is designed to deliver first-tier knowledge of practical solar power. Lecture topics include: basics of electricity and photovoltaics, equipment selection and system components, site analysis, system sizing, and energy efficiency.

Council on the Future of Vermont
August 21, 2008
St. Albans
Cost: Free
Contact: Sarah Waring at (802)223-6098 or CFV@sover.net

September 2008 Events

2008 NNECAPA Conference – Planning for the NET Generation
September 4-5, 2008; 8 AM ** multi-day event **
Woodstock Inn, Woodstock, VT
Cost: TBA
Contact: Tara Bamford at Tara@NNEPlanning.us
http://nnecapa.org/calendar

In twenty years, the last of the baby-boomers will be eligible for retirement, and the Net Generation will be middle-aged. What will their world look like? What will “community” mean in a society influenced by the internet and cell phones? What effect will global warming and the energy situation have on the way people live and get around? How do we engage the Net Generation in identifying and planning for their needs? What can we learn from educators to help us better engage today’s youth in planning for their future?

Nature Contemplated, Beauty Released: Bamboo and Blossom, Landscape and Legend in 13th to 17th Century Chinese Painting
Friday, September 12, 2008, 4:30 PM
Mahaney Center for the Arts, Middlebury College Museum of Art
Cost: Free

John Berninghausen, Trustcott Professor of Chinese, analyzes individual works of landscape and flower painting in the exhibition Artists and Ancestors, exploring the stylistic trends they embody and their broader cultural context. Cosponsored by the Friends of the Art Museum and the Middlebury College Museum of Art.

Moving Forward 2008: Tobacco Control Partners Conference
September 24, 2008; 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Stoweflake Inn, Stowe
Contact: tobaccovt@vdh.state.vt.us or (802) 863-7514

Sponsored by Dept of Education, Dept of Health & Tobacco Evaluation & Review Board

Women & Work: Gender Responsivity & Workforce Development
September 24-25, 2008 ** multi-day event **
Contact: www.nicic.gov or ewolahan@bop.gov

Sponsored by the National Institute of Corrections, LIVE 8 hour interactive training via satellite TV.

3rd ANNUAL GREENING UP YOUR BOTTOM LINE CONFERENCE
September 26, 2008
Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center, Burlington

This conference, hosted by the Vermont Small Business Development Center, includes sessions on Green Business Opportunities, Calculating your Carbon Footprint, Alternative Heating systems, and more.

Walk a Mile in My Shoes – Bridging Peer Support & Treatment Services
September 26, 2008; 9 AM -4 PM
Cortina Inn, Killington
Cost: Free
Contact: Patty Breneman at (802)652-2033 or pbreneman@vdh.state.vt.us

Sponsored by Friends of Recovery VT, VT Psychiatric Survivors, VT Vet to Vet, VT Recovery Network, VT Harm Reduction Coalition.

Building Blocks for Literacy
September 27, 2008; 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Capitol Plaza, Montpelier
Cost: $25
Contact: Brenda at bbuzzell@sterncenter.org or 1-800-544-4863

Sponsored by the Stern Center for Language & Learning. Nancy Clements & Brenda Buzzell will be the presenters.

October 2008 Events

Annual Vermont Governor's Conference on Recreation
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Lake Morey Resort and Conference Center, Fairlee,Vermont

From its beginning in 1943, the Vermont Governor's Conference on Recreation has been designed to bring together Vermonters who share an interest in parks, trails, recreation, open space & leisure opportunities. Each year, the Conference Committee strives to plan a schedule of educational programs of interest to the diverse group of professionals, board & commission members, volunteers, students & other interested citizens who come to gain new knowledge & skills.

Symbols of Eternity or Mirrors of Changing Values? Ritual Bronzes and the Painting of Nature in Chinese Culture
Thursday, October 2, 2008, 4:30 PM
Mahaney Center for the Arts, Middlebury College Museum of Art, Robert F. Reiff Gallery of Asian Art
Cost: Free
Colin Mackenzie, Robert P. Youngman Curator of Asian Art, discusses the political, moral, and aesthetic values embodied in Chinese bronzes and painting.

"A BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION PRIMER: Dispelling the Myths and Promoting the Realities"
Friday October 3, 2008; 7 PM
Contois Auditorium, Burlington City Hall, Burlington

New England Environmental Education Alliance Annual Conference -- A Journey Home: Fostering Ecologically Centered Communities
October 3-8, 2008
Boston University Sargent Center, Hancock, New Hampshire
Contact: (207)283-9951 or www.neeea.org

The NEEEA 2008 conference will take a close look at strategies for coming home to a community built around basic ecological principles and will explore approaches for creating and nurturing communities through systems thinking.

Vermont's Civic Culture: Reflecting Center for Rural Studies work with issues of local government
October 4, 2008, 9 AM -11:30 AM
UVM Davis Center, Mt Mansfield Room

Moderated by Deborah Markowitz, Vermont Secretary of State.

Topics of discussion will include: "Rural, Why Bother?" with Fred Schmidt, Founder and Co-Director of the Center for Rural Studies and "Changing community structure and demographics in Vermont" with Chip Sawyer, CRS Outreach Professional. The panel discussion will examine the "Implications of change for local community institutions in Vermont."

Value-Added Components of Vermont's Food System
October 4, 2008, 1- 4 PM
UVM Davis Center, Mt Mansfield Room

Moderated by Roger Allbee, Vermont Commissioner of Agriculture

Keynote: "New themes in Vermont agriculture: Branding, labeling, marketing, and consumer concerns- the educational response" by Jane Kolodinsky, Co-Director of the Center for Rural Studies and Chair of UVM's Community Development and Applied Economics Department

Panel Discussion: The diversified agricultural scene in Vermont today

12th Annual Rural TeleCon Conference: Broadband – Local Gateway to Global Opportunity
October 5-8, 2008
Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont
http://www.rtcconference.org/ruraltelcon08/site/default.asp

The Rural Telecommunications Congress (RTC), in partnership with the Economic Development Council of Northern Vermont, will host the 12th annual Rural TeleCon Conference in. The conference will showcase innovative approaches to building local capacity to improve the quality of life for people in rural communities.

Holistic Solutions to Global Environmental Problems: Integrating Technological Approaches with Political, Social, and Economic Realities
Wednesday, October 15, 2008; 6 PM
Ira Allen Chapel, University of Vermont

Keynote address by Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland, the former Prime Minister of Norway, and former Director-General of the World Health Organization.

7th ANNUAL RENEWABLE ENERGY CONFERENCE
October 15, 2008
Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center, Burlington

This year's conference, hosted by Renwable Energy Vermont,will feature workshop sessions on wind, solar, biomass, climate change, and energy policy.

Collecting Antiquities in the Age of Cultural Repatriation
Thursday, October 16, 2008, 4:30 PM
Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 221, Middlebury College Museum of Art
Cost: Free

Pieter Broucke, Associate Professor of History of Art and Architecture and Associate Curator of Ancient Art, will highlight the Museum’s recently purchased early Cycladic figurine as he discusses issues of illegal excavation, forgeries, and the diligence museums must exercise in scrutinizing provenance and authenticity when acquiring antiquities. Cosponsored by the Department of History of Art and Architecture, the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs, International Studies, Brainerd Commons, and the Middlebury College Museum of Art.

The Art of Mentoring: Creating a Living Culture of Awareness
October 18-25, 2008
Brattleboro, Vermont
Cost: Adults, $725 including meals and lodging
http://vermontwildernessschool.org/school/?q=node/2

Concepts of good mentoring are crucial as we rediscover effective, natural ways of helping people develop deep connections to nature and their communities. If, like most of us, you didn't grow up surrounded by a natural mentoring culture, this is an opportunity to experience it firsthand, to develop a "felt sense" of how it works. The Art of Mentoring is a week-long immersion into this culture of awareness. Participants come together for storytelling, lectures, ceremonies, celebrations, singing, adventures, and time to wander alone and reflect. Whether it is your first time or your tenth, be ready for an intense week of adventure in The Art of Mentoring.

Doing Education Down on the Farm
October 19-20, 2008 ** multi-day event **
Shelburne Farms, Shelburne, VT
Cost: $200
Contact: Erica Curry at (802)985-8686 ext. 25 or ecurry@shelburnefarms.org

Have you been to a Project Seasons farmer’s workshop? Do you already do agriculture education on your farm but would like more ideas from other farmers like you, who teach on their farms? This workshop will bring you fresh ideas and the opportunity to share successes and challenges of teaching on your farm with fellow agriculture educators.

11^th Annual New England Conference on Child Sexual Abuse
October 20-21, 2008
Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, Burlington
Contact: (802) 476-8825

The Contemporary Portrait in American Society
Thursday, October 23, 2008, 4:30 PM
Starr Axinn Center, Reading Room 229, Middlebury College Museum of Art
Cost: Free

Richard Saunders, Director of the Middlebury College Museum of Art and Walter Cerf Distinguished College Professor, will speak about one aspect of his current book project, The American Face: Portraiture and Identity in American Culture. Cosponsored by the Friends of the Art Museum and the Middlebury College Museum of Art.

Vermont Afterschool Conference
October 24, 2008
Killington Grand Resort Hotel, Killington, VT
www.VTafterschool.org

The conference is a new partnership of the Vermont Department of Education’s 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) programs, the Vermont Out-of-School Time Network (VOOST), and the Vermont School-age Care Network (VSACN). The conference will include over 300 participants representing afterschool programs from all over Vermont. The purpose of the conference is to pull together leaders and practioners in afterschool for a day of learning, sharing, networking, and professional development. 45 workshop options will be offered during the day plus an Afterschool Café format in the afternoon for open-space sharing, conversation, individual learning, self-care options, and refreshment.

Vermont Housing Managers Association Tri-state Conference
October 27-29, 2008
Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT
Contact: Liz Mineo at (802)476-4493

Understanding Organics Conference
October 28-30, 2008
Auburn, NY
http://www.nofavt.org/upcoming-event-details.php?e_id=1311

20th Annual Traumatic Brain Injury Conference
October 29, 2008
Hilton Conference Center, Burlington
Contact: Trevor Squirrell at tsquirre@sover.net
www.biavt.org

11th Annual Breast Cancer Conference
Friday, October 31, 2008
http://vtbreastcancerconference.org/

This event is designed to meet the broad needs of survivors, caregivers, health care professionals, and the general public concerned about complex issues related to breast health and women's health, and provide opportunities to network with other survivors, caregivers, nurses, physical therapists, psychologists, and cancer researchers.

November 2008 Events

Image and Meaning: The Art of Xu Bing
November 6, 2008, 4:30 PM
Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall, Middlebury College Museum of Art
Cost: Free

Celebrated Chinese artist and MacArthur award winner Xu Bing talks about his art and in particular his exploration of language and signs. Calligraphy by Xu Bing will be on display in the Robert F. Reiff Gallery from September 12 to December 7. Cosponsored by the Department of History of Art and Architecture, the Robert P. Youngman ’64 Fund for Asian Art, the Academic Enrichment Fund, the Program in Studio Art, the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs, the English and American Literatures Department, the Chinese Department, the Teacher Education Program, the History Department, and the Middlebury College Museum of Art.

Building the Future - Connecting student service, activism, and policy work in the wake of the 2008 elections
November 8, 2008
http://www.vtcampuscompact.org/studentconference.php

Keynote speaker is Douglas O'Brien, Chief Executive Officer of the Vermont Foodbank. Many Vermont students are trying to create a better world, addressing issues such as climate change and poverty, through a variety of means: activism, community service, advocacy, and more. Join with students, community organizers, and elected officials to build meaningful collaborations that will create the future we all seek.

2008 Vermont Statewide Housing Conference
November 18, 2008
Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, Williston Road, South Burlington, VT
Contact: John Fairbanks from the VHFA at (802)652-3424 or http://www.vhfa.org/conference

Build Boston
November 18-20, 2008
http://www.buildboston.com/home.asp

24th annual Build Boston convention and tradeshow for design, building, and management professionals.

Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
November 19-21, 2008 ** multi-day event **
Boston, Massachusetts ** out of state event **
http://www.greenbuildexpo.org/

U.S. Green Building Council’s Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Boston.

December 2008 Events

National Rural Housing Conference -- "Working for change: Building our Future"
December 3-5, 2008
Hyatt Regency Hotel, Washington, DC
Contact: (202)842.8600 or hacconference2008@ruralhome.org  or http://www.ruralhome.org

Building Blocks for Literacy
December 6, 2008; 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM
Capitol Plaza, Montpelier
Cost: $25
Contact: Brenda at bbuzzell@sterncenter.org or 1-800-544-4863

Sponsored by the Stern Center for Language & Learning. Nancy Clements & Brenda Buzzell will be the presenters.

February 2009 Events

Confronting History: Contemporary Artists Envision the Past
February 13, 2009, 4:30 PM
Cost: Free
Mahaney Center for the Arts, Middlebury College Museum of Art, Christian A. Johnson Gallery,

Chief Curator Emmie Donadio will give a brief overview of the exhibition Confronting History: Contemporary Artists Envision the Past. Cosponsored by the Friends of the Art Museum and the Middlebury College Museum of Art.

Black Man’s Burden: Representing History in Contemporary African American Art
February 17, 2009, 4:30 PM
McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Room 216, Middlebury College Museum of Art
Cost: Free

Kymberly Pinder, Associate Professor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Visiting Twilight Scholar, and an authority in the field of African American art, will speak in conjunction with the exhibition Confronting History: Contemporary Artists Envision the Past. Cosponsored by the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the Department of History of Art and Architecture, the Office of Institutional Planning and Diversity, Wonnacott Commons, the American Studies Department, the History Department, and the Middlebury College Museum of Art.

March 2009 Events

Lake Champlain Basin Native American Lecture Series
March - April 2009
http://www.celebratechamplain.org/

Speakers, from archeologists to Native American community members, will talk about scientific discoveries and cultural issues facing the region today.

Christian A. Johnson Symposium in the History of Art and Architecture
March 7, 2009, 9:00 a.m.–1:15 p.m
Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall, Middlebury College Museum of Art
Cost: Free

A public symposium with papers presented by Middlebury College faculty and students of the Department of History of Art and Architecture. Cosponsored by the Middlebury College Museum of Art, the Department of History of Art and Architecture, and the Christian A. Johnson Enrichment Fund. To register for the luncheon or to request further information, please call (802) 443–5234. The registration deadline is Tuesday, February 24.

April 2009 Events

The Civil War and Historical Memory—or Memories
April 2, 2009
McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Room 216,
Cost: Free

John M. McCardell Jr., President Emeritus and College Professor, will speak in conjunction with the exhibition Confronting History: Contemporary Artists Envision the Past. As the Civil War sesquicentennial observance approaches, historical memory—individual and collective—will shape the commemoration. This talk will examine how memory, a process of both inclusion and exclusion, has formed and re-formed our understanding of the War

Lake Champlain Basin Native American Lecture Series
March - April 2009
http://www.celebratechamplain.org/

Speakers, from archeologists to Native American community members, will talk about scientific discoveries and cultural issues facing the region today.

July 2009 Events

When the French Were Here" International Symposium
July 2-5, 2009 ** multi-day event **
Champlain College, Burlington
http://www.champlainquadricentennial.com

To celebrate the quadricentennial of Samuel de Champlain's exploration of Lake Champlain, Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont will host an international interdisciplinary symposium July 2 -5, 2009. Local, regional and international specialists on all areas of the 17th century establishment of "New France" in various disciplines are invited to participate in the event. "When the French Were Here" focuses on Samuel de Champlain, his life and "New France" during Champlain's exploration of the New World. The multi-day event will include presentations on navigation and military history of Lake Champlain, early cartographic records of the region, and on-going archeolgoical investigations of Lake Champlain, as well as special events of off-site field trips.

You may have noticed a lag in my blogging over the last month.  I have been very busy traveling for business and pleasure with the last week and a half finding me in Europe on a much anticipated vacation with my mom.  We toured the ancient ruins of Rome, the Vatican, Florence, Milan and ended our trip at the incredible Blue Lagoon spa in Iceland.  All in all, it was the trip of a lifetime.

Today I am back in the office and catching up on email and textbook news.  I came across an excellent blog post by Steve Borsch from Iconnectdots.com discussing why he believes we are very close to a "tipping point" for textbooks being delivered in electronic format.   According to Steve:

In my view, here are the items driving us toward a tipping point in the college textbook (and probably K-12) marketplace:

• The obvious and widespread market dissatisfaction amongst students, faculty and parents.  
• A deep desire for college publishers to discover new ways to deliver their content that scales, maintains or increases their gross margins, and protects the investments they have to make in creating this content.
• Amazon ships the Kindle with purchasing, auto-delivered ebooks/publications/blogs, wireless connectivity for purchasing and much more...and it goes far beyond any previous e-reader device.
• Apple's incredibly successful iPhone -- with extremely simple to use touch screen technology and now 3G access -- is leading the way with

  rumors of a Tablet

   and that

  iTunes trademark now includes the word "books"

  .

• Apple's ability to deliver a device consumers want and is easy to use -- along with the extremely intuitive and delightful touch screen technologies in its human interface -- will undoubtedly leap the ereading category forward quickly if they do deliver just such a tablet.

• Adobe's creation of a Portable Document Format (see

  about PDF

  , which is now an

  open standard

  ) has recently grown to include the capability of embedding Flash videos inside a PDF as well as combining any digital file (or combination of files) inside what's dubbed a "PDF Portfolio", means that they've delivered a richer, more robust platform that could easily and dramatically extend a flat, 2D textbook.

Think for a moment about the opportunity represented by a combination of a development platform with tools, a way to combine content that delivers most of it on a device but has connection to the internet and application functionality in "the cloud". There could be tremendous upside potential in an ongoing stream of content updates, connections with other students (like CafeScribe does with its social networking component), and the textbook would become a living, breathing and dynamic offering vs. something the college publishing industry manipulates in order to maintain revenues and gross margin.