[panoramic]

This was a semi organized photo. Yes, other people helped, but getting everyone to line up 25 feet or more from the camera isn't that hard. Elders sat in chairs, kids on the ground and everyone else just crowds in behind. Some people don't pay attention and blur but a lot of people hold still long enough so it works.

My camera was elevated with a 12 foot tripod but it was not extended all the way, There is a complication when you go high with tilting the camera and rather than fight it I kept the camera at 8 feet off the ground. In the past I have shot the same group at a higher level and they do look better but it is substantially more difficult in the space I have available. Pan shots make it look like there is all kinds of room but that is rarely the case.

No megaphone either. I HAVE A LOUD VOICE and remember I am only 25 feet away from most of the people. The back rows are less than fifty feet from me. Remember, everyone is in a 3/4 circle around the camera.

The film was Portra 160 and it was processed in Rubbermaid dish tubs using 2 gallons of developer and scrolling the film back and forth until it goes to the bleach tub and so on. Temperature is well maintained by the large volume of chemistry and I also have figured out a higher than normal start temp so by the end of the developing step the temp is below normal but the average is exactly the 100 degrees needed. It's easy, I've done thousands of roll this way.

Ron in Alaska