Big Talbot Island, North Florida, April 21st

Its suppose to be a nice weekend - sunny & 70s - so perfect weather for going to the beach. And what better beach to go to with a camera in North Florida than Big Talbot Island ( see Big Talbot Island State Park ). And the best location on Big Talbot is at the end of BlackRock Trail where massive driftwood testifies to the dynamic nature of this beach. Blackrock Trail is located about 1/2 mile South of the main park entrance & parking lot at the Bluffs. There is a wide pull-off at the trail entrance (on Right when heading North on A1A) that can accommodate several cars (I'm driving a white Ranger pickup truck). The trail is about 1/2 mile and there is a wooden stairway down to beach.

We (fellow APUG'ers & Large Format photographers) plan to meet at the trail entrance around 8AM Saturday morning, then stroll down to the beach. Latecomers should easily spot us since the beach is relatively deserted.

I will certainly try to be there (with 4x5 and 8x10 if anyone want to take a spin). Thanks for organizing it!

- Randy

florida

dang-I gotta be up north this weekend. next time
peter

Peter, hope to catch up with you next time - maybe something a little closer to your new area.
Randy, we'll be two shy of a 6-pack of Koronas. I plan to bring the 8X10 and 7X17 with me. Just got Ilford FP-4 in 7X17 and want to try it out.

I don't care what you two say, I am not buying two more cameras.
juan

Spoilsport...

- R

Theft - A Hard Lesson Learned

The photo shooting went fairly well - it was somewhat windy so I had to remove darkcloth during film exposure ( but surprisingly the old bellows on 8X10 Korona had no light leaks).

We did have an unfortunate incident - while at the location one of our participants had his car broken into and several thousand dollars worth of camera equipment stolen. This occurred on a pull-off parking area next to a heavily trafficked road in a the middle of a State Park. The police took 2 1/2 hours to respond (they said they had a very busy morning & Jacksonville's high crime rate supports their excuse).

This incident suggests that when going on an outing only bring what you plan to carry. Extra equipment left in the vehicle is an open invitation to those who prey on others.