AOC’s 10th Anniversary: Photos for fun - Little Mulberry Park

If you're not a photographer, but looking for an excuse (opportunity) to slow down enough to see from a photographic perspective; let's walk. We'll try to find visuals of interest, or light that's right, or perhaps just assume evocative light. The goal is to explore the everyday around us; to find ways of imaging it. Any subject is fair game.

What to bring: while less flexible in imaging potential, a point and shoot is fine. For those inclined toward gear; consider we will be walking. Though each of us may stop often; this is not a studio effort. Keep it a comfortable weight with quickly accessible equipment so you don't become lodged in one spot of necessity. This coordinator will bring a one-lens-does-all camera, one lens filter, something to steady the camera in dim light and spare batteries. Bring a camera you're comfortable with, not a challenge. I've carried a camera all day and not taken a picture or discarded all pictures taken; there's no requirement. This is photos for fun, not a National Geographic assignment.

If we all point lenses at the same "flower", picture taking will become instant boredom. We'll start our walk, likely spreading out as ideas become photos. Reassembling as we go should provide opportunity to exchange thoughts.

Group size is small so we don't overwhelm each other. With this in mind, if there is interest, a series of outings will be set up to provide openings for more folks. 

Little Mulberry Park is fairly large, but we will confine our efforts to an area next to a lake with a 2.2-mile paved path around it. Approximately 1/3^rd of the path is open to the sky with the rest mostly shaded by trees. The 2.2-mile path can be walked with ease at a steady pace within an hour with stops for 5 to 10 pictures. Two hours for this trip should allow time for everyone to get into whatever works for them at the time.

A small computer will be brought for those who have a USB port on their camera and want to see what they have on a larger screen than their camera (assuming the hookup allows viewing via Windows Picture and Fax Viewer).

Use the Browns Mill Parking Lot GPS coordinates 34.05512 -83.88704 for directions (Google Map, MS Streets & Trips, etc.). (http://maps.google.com/ enter 34.05512 -83.88704 into the search field; click "Search Map" button. Click the "directions" link left side for directions. Or click on "green" arrow, map below; click "directions" link; enter your start location, box "A".)

Meeting: Once inside the park entrance you are immediately in the parking lot. Meet at the picnic table next to the park map.

On Hog Mountain Rd eastbound: Little Mulberry Park is on the right toward the top of a hill with a turnoff lane into the entrance. Caution: Both the turnoff lane and the park sign are difficult to see until you are on top of them even though the area beside the roadway opens visually to the sky. The park sign is small and the turnoff lane is toward the top of a hill; neither make an entrance obvious from 200-ft away at 40-mph.