A Gallery of Humor in Attendance Pictures

Visual humor through attendance pictures had a beginning: Genesis. Then it kind of exploded.

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Managing Depth of Field

Selfie with runners in background by 15 feet — (L-R: Bryan Dave, Eileen, Tim of the House of Biskup, Joe, Gio, Heather Dave, Train Dave, Adelaide (barely visible), CtCloser (yours truly)
(2021’04’14’W)

Depth of field is a concept in photography that considers how much focal definition there is in one photographic shot across its foreground and background. The average cellphone camera hasn’t been able to keep both areas in focus. Here, the “selfer” is in focus at the expense of those in the distant background, who are out of focus.

Photo with selfer standing with others lying down and one person's head cut and pasted in — (CW from bottom left: Aaron, Candace, Adelaide, Train Dave, Jenk Adam, Jim, Jason, Leah, CtCloser)
***Where’s Adam? Oh, wait, there he is.***
(2022’11’02’W)

The simple cut-and-paste capabilities of Paint provides a solution to the problem of sharp focus both on the selfer and on, in this instance, one particular individual who otherwise missed the initial taking of attendance.

The featured Cerebrun (#175) hints at a degree of intentionality by the tardy runner.

Runners in a row with an inset of one runner pasted under the hat another is holding — (L-R: J’Adam, noob Jackie, Eric’S, Maria, CtCloser [inset], Jason, Goodie, Stacey, Tania)
***Here, Maria, hold my hat while I take the attendance picture, would you?***
(2024’04’03’W)

The current state of the photographic art accommodates the selfer in equal focus with the other runners (#251), despite the selfie’s persistent shallow-depth-of-field limitation. Paint eases the accommodation process without the necessitation of seamlessness that other editing applications make possible.

The Art of Fun

Runners pictured in a Zoom grid — (L-R, T-B: Aaron, Jenk Adam, Terp Adam, Aly, Andy, Candace, Christian, CtCloser [Calvin], Ebony, EricH, EricS, Jason, Jim, Maria, Jenk Pete, Stephen)
***Zooming one way or another***
(2023’01’25’W)

The COVID-19 pandemic wasn’t fun, but one vestige of the experience allowed all participating runners to get equivalent attention whether they arrived in time for the initial attendance photo, during the run, or even after it finished.

No run that the Growlers participated in actually ever took place via Zoom (#190).

Composited image of 3 runners outside with an inset of the rest inside — (L-R: J’Adam [posing with phone like Christian], Christian [posing with phone like J’Adam], Train David, JRC Robert’s back, CtCloser [front], Adelaide, Jim, Jason, Andy’S, Alex [looking good sporting Megan’s ponytail], Megan’s ponytail, Candace, Aaron)
***Robert: Do you mind? I’m trying to work, here.***
(2023’06’07’W)

Simple digital-editing capabilities liberate a user to compose straightforward, unapologetic attendance photos in the most counterintuitive of ways.

The accompanying Cerebrun (#208), like many, is equally tongue-in-cheek.

3 composited photos with identification numbers covering faces — (Photo credits: JRC Robert Carter, Kevin Borgen, Theresa Velykis. By #: 1, A.A.Ron; 2, [J’]Adam; 3, [T’]Adam; 4, [Train] David; 5, Grace; 6, Jason; 7, Jim; 8, Kevin; 9, Leah; 10, Stephen; 11, Tania)
***Faces? Who needs to see faces?***
(2023’10’11’W)

If attendance photos are truly about the people, then faces become irrelevant once the census taker has completed identification.

Cerebrun #226 offers Easter eggs to challenge the viewer’s observational skills.

A primary picture of a mother and runner son posing as turkeys with surrounding insets of 3 individuals acting equally ridiculously — Photo credit: JRC Keith Onimus. Courtesy: GGR Adam Gradess. CW from left: Train Dave, Svetlana, Adam, A.A.Ron, CtCloser)
***A flock of turkeys on the night before Thanksgiving. Wild.***
(2023’11’29’W)

Occasionally, the photo is its own reward and the Cerebrun (#233) that accompanies it becomes as irrelevant as a face after a runner’s identification. (It also becomes factually inaccurate if one of the featured individuals is actually inactive.)

4 runners mostly obscured by various objects then plainly visible by insets projecting from each — CW from back left: the Adelaide half of Adelavid, J’Adam, the David half of Adelavid, Charlie Brown*, CtCloser)
***Let’s hide! Okay!***
(2023’02’02’W)

When simple digital editors make it so easy, an attendance photo can feature humor at the risk of negating the benefit of using the editor in the first place, at least based on effort. (#191).

The Panorama

Panoramic imagery permits linear expansiveness. This piece steps out of the bounds of incidental attendance photography in service of a kind of year-long representation of attendees in the context of the interior of Jenkintown Running Company’s brick-and-mortar store. As an overview, the Cerebrun (#200) provides a narrative account to accompany the photographic.

A horizontal composition of attendance photos across the entire year and the entire interior of the store — The Panorama
(2023’04’05’W)

Smartphones take incidental panoramic photos at the virtual click of a virtual button. The accompanying Cerebrun (#254) addresses the inevitable failure that can result when the subject matter has the ability to move.