Any NANPA members here?

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EricBowles

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Are there any NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) members here? I've been on the Board of NANPA for seven years. There are upcoming organizational changes and a likely merger that I don't support. I'm wondering what a NANPA type organization for nature enthusiasts and professionals might look like. Or maybe NANPA gets reconstituted with a different direction than that provided by the current leadership.

I am limited as to what I can say, but don't want to sit silently when other options should be considered.
 
Yup, re-upped my NANPA membership recently.

I haven't participated in any of the workshop activities but have enjoyed the articles, really liked the print version of Expressions when it was still happening and have taken advantage of the gear insurance.

I still read the incoming emails and occasionally go to the NANPA site but haven't done a lot with NANPA lately. I'm sure you can't say much as a board member but it will be interesting to see what direction they take and whether it remains interesting to me.
 
Not a NANPA member so no dog in this hunt.
You asked about an organization for nature enthusiasts?

I have been a member of a number of trade and professional organizations over the years. Since retiring, I have let my memberships expire. Other than some letters and acronyms to put on a business card, I've found all of them to be a poor investment of time, money and other resources. Eric, what you are saying about NANPA rings so true with other organizations. Members pay an annual fee, board does what they want, board informs members of decisions made and then asks for more money without offering anything of substance in return. I have declined invitations to be nominated to the board of a few organizations. I served as treasurer for one and resigned after a year due to the way the leadership ran the organization.

Best of luck with your endeavor.

Jeff
 
I've been a NANPA member (on and off) for about 10 years. I re-upped in June because I want to support their approach of ethical nature photography. I have always found that NANPA has prioritized an ethical approach to photographing wildlife and natural spaces. I had no idea that NANPA was being reorganized... does this mean that there will be a change in the mission?
As for my own desires... I would love to see a Nature Photography Collective that focuses on Conservation, Outreach, and Public Education. We live in a world where misinformation and data distortions dominate public discourse. My research throughout the years have documented the tragic loss and displacement of biodiversity. The latter is a crisis as well as warning of worsening times ahead. For example, my thesis relating to evolutionary patterns influencing migrating monarch butterfly populations was completed in 2008. Fourteen years later, this unique migratory phenomenon of a once ubiquitous species in considered endangered. My office mate focused on satellite data that tracked the impact of climate change on the migratory population, and her data suggested the population declines we are seeing today.
Wildlife and nature photographers have the unique opportunity of seeing these changes first hand, and have the potential to produce evocative images that might inspire conservation. An organization that supports and promotes photography that inspires others to consider that life is bigger than oneself would be a refreshing addition to what is available today.

regards,
Bruce
 
I
Are there any NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) members here? I've been on the Board of NANPA for seven years. There are upcoming organizational changes and a likely merger that I don't support. I'm wondering what a NANPA type organization for nature enthusiasts and professionals might look like. Or maybe NANPA gets reconstituted with a different direction than that provided by the current leadership.

I am limited as to what I can say, but don't want to sit silently when other options should be considered.
I was a member for 2 years then saw that there wasn’t any value for the money.
 
I was a member in the past and did attend one annual convention in Las Vegas, that was several years ago. I am not currently a member. I would be interested in knowing what the new direction is?
 
I've been a member for about 10 years. I've done a couple of their workshops and attended one annual summit. In the last few years I've found less of interest from NANPA, so I almost didn't renew this year. I'll be interested to see what the new changes bring.
 
I am! Didn't realize this was happening, will keep a closer eye on on what's going on! Thanks for the heads up!
 
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I thought that this might go in one of two directions: a poll or an idea generator. Perhaps my confusion was the wording from the OP, and he might be able to clear up what he was looking for. My confusion stems from:

>>> I'm wondering what a NANPA type organization for nature enthusiasts and professionals might look like.
>>> Or maybe NANPA gets reconstituted with a different direction than that provided by the current leadership.
>>> I am limited as to what I can say, but don't want to sit silently when other options should be considered.

I had a long conversation with Dawn over several days last fall about this topic. What did I get out of NANPA, what was it missing, how to appeal to <specify audience>, what features did I take advantage of, or not and so forth.

Without knowing the changes you're hinting at, or even if it's possible to provide input into direction, I can't really begin to respond in the latter (non-poll) scenario.
I would have expected, should the organization be looking at change, that it might just directly ask its membership.

So, what are you looking for ? A who-here-is-a-member-poll, or something more? Something more, however, would require some info to keep the conversation between the guardrails. Without more info, I think you get the "sit silently" option. Without a sense of boundaries and limitations, you get chaos. I've seen too much forum-madness to really want to be part of that. This is already much, much more than I wanted to type.
 
I have thought about joining but the dues seemed high and not sure what I would get out of membership - never got a good answer to WIIFM - What's In It For Me. For pros who lead tours, etc seems like a good organization. for the rest of us, not sure.
 
Really more of a who is here that is a member - and why for now. Information on a proposed merger will be clearer in a couple of weeks. The real question is why people are members. The merger would be useful for those professionals interested in video and journalism, but little or no value for enthusiasts interested in nature photography. The continuation of NANPA programming and resources would be subject to the acquiring organization's leadership.

More information will be provided shortly.
 
Really more of a who is here that is a member - and why for now. Information on a proposed merger will be clearer in a couple of weeks. The real question is why people are members. The merger would be useful for those professionals interested in video and journalism, but little or no value for enthusiasts interested in nature photography. The continuation of NANPA programming and resources would be subject to the acquiring organization's leadership.

More information will be provided shortly.
Confirms my decision that there is little value for me to join NANPA. They have priced themselves out of the range I am willing to pay
 
>>> is a member - and why

I've taken advantage of the materials, webinars, podcasts that are available. I like the work being done on ethics. I use the access to an inland-marine insurance policy. I've entered the contest when the mood strikes me. I haven't attended any workshops, nor the annual meeting. There's both more and less that I would like to see, but that's true of any organization. Your wording sounds more like "being acquired" rather than "merged". The devil is in the details I suppose. Change doesn't bother me, but it also can be a time to re-evaluate participation.

>>> useful for those professionals interested in video and journalism,

that thought does make me wonder what it was about NANPA that made it attractive to the acquiring organization.

I guess, "Stay tuned", as they say.
 
Are there any NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) members here? I've been on the Board of NANPA for seven years. There are upcoming organizational changes and a likely merger that I don't support. I'm wondering what a NANPA type organization for nature enthusiasts and professionals might look like. Or maybe NANPA gets reconstituted with a different direction than that provided by the current leadership.

I am limited as to what I can say, but don't want to sit silently when other options should be considered.
I was a member, but no longer. I simply could no longer justify $100 per year for the value I received, especially during the pandemic, when NANPA did very little for its members. I love the idea of NANPA, but the organization would have to do a lot more to regain me as a member. There are just too many other, more affordable, nature photography opportunities out there to justify spending $100/year to support NANPA, in my opinion. It’s a real shame how NANPA has declined in leadership and value, because back in the day it was really prominent and offered great experiences for pros and amateurs alike. A close friend of mine, who’s a prominent nature photographer, and past President of NANPA, has shared with me many wonderful stories of summits and regional events that he led or participated in. Like me, he no longer is a member.
 
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Are there any NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association) members here? I've been on the Board of NANPA for seven years. There are upcoming organizational changes and a likely merger that I don't support. I'm wondering what a NANPA type organization for nature enthusiasts and professionals might look like. Or maybe NANPA gets reconstituted with a different direction than that provided by the current leadership.

I am limited as to what I can say, but don't want to sit silently when other options should be considered.
If you're on the board, get some new moderators for the facebook group lol One of them banned me for posting a photo on Valentines day of a couple Elk in the process of making more elk.
 
I am a member, but don’t participate in the organization. I joined after “Nikonians” dropped the camera insurance program. Searching around I found that I could get Camera insurance through Rand Insurance Co. provided I keep my membership with NANPA active.
 
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