Furry Migration 2016 was this weekend, and for those who don't know I'm the Photography and Videography head for Furry Migration. Altough I am local I took the day off to rest and split up my time loading out equipment, and though there were some mixed feelings and added expenses for doing so I'm glad I did not have to work today.

FM was a very expensive con for me this year, in terms of Hotel, parking and food costs alone. I spent as much more here then I did at Megaplex a month earlier; flight included. Needless to say I won't be buying any new camera equipment any time soon, not that I really have anything I need to buy; I did most of my upgrades before both Megaplex and Furry Migration which was the wise call.

Because I was so busy, I didn't get to do any wandering con video this year. Instead I focused on taking "B roll" Photography during my time off; I had two new camera bodies that this was the first con at (the 6D and the SL1 both) so this was a good way to practice and find the limits of both cameras without a lot of pressure; if I missed a shot I had an entire team of Photographers to back me up. As of right now FM is unique for that... but I hope someday to help other Convention's photography departments run as an organized unit rather then Chaos or lack of one altogether. But that's another post for another time.

I can't say that the Photography and Video Department is a Well oiled and perfectly tuned machine yet, we still have a few knocks to tune out. That said, it ran a lot better then last year or the year before, with a lot more energy and cooperation between everyone. I won't lie, it was a rough start. There was a fair bit of Drama earlier in the year... but I'm not going to Dwell on that.

So as far as staffing went: I was busy, and left a little tired but my stress level throughout the con was very low. Far lower then previous years at this con and other conventions. There are still issues to iron out sure, but nothing caught on figurative fire this year really. I'm very impressed by my Photography staff this year; you guys did an amazing job.

I was able to take regular breaks to get food, but busy enough that I didn't have a lot of time to hang out with friends that were there until late at night for the people who were still around.

I will say that keeping busy as staff kept me away from the awkwardness and the "something is missing" feeling. Since Furries are a very cuddly bunch it means I get to see a lot of people cuddling and crawling all over their mates/SO/casual partners and it can get frustrating for someone who is single. Working the con gave me somewhat of a distraction from it, though I had some withdrawl this morning.

So in summary: in-spite of the high costs and a few small awkward watching people getting all snuggly with each other moments, the con was a positive experience. It was a good working con, and since a lot of my friends at the con I see on a regular basis (because they are also local) its a good one to work. There's less "Oh I didn't get to hang out with you and we won't see each other for another year"

I feel that the Photography and Video department is on the right track, though I am hoping a few things can be shifted around for next year, only time will tell- but there was an energy the department didn't have as much of in previous years; and I can see the potential for growth for future years.

Just like what I did for Midwest Furfest in Gaming... I took a Department that really wasn't very highly regarded as being something that's important or the center of attention into something more relevant and successful. The machine isn't fully built yet... but its coming together nicely :)