LF Portfolio Showing at Starved Rock in Jan

The Midwest Large Format Asylum will hold its second annual portfolio showing at Starved Rock State Park Lodge (in Illinois) on Saturday, January 10, 2009. Admission is free. Anyone shooting large format negatives is welcome to bring & show their images. Last year we viewed 17 portfolios. Or if you just love looking at LF photographs, you are also more than welcome.

More details will be posted at www.midwestlargeformat.com as they become available in the FORUM section under the JANUARY OUTING 2009.

Just a reminder that the Midwest Large Format Asylum portfolio showing is approaching fast. If you live in the midwest, we hope you will consider joining us for a day of viewing great photographs from some very talented large format photographers.

The day is January 10th. We will meet for 8:00 am breakfast at the Starved Rock State Park restaurant. Starved Rock is near Utica, Illinois, about 1.5 hours sourhwest of Chicago. Portfolio showings will begin at 9:00 am & go all day. Last year we had 17 portfolios show up. People came from Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and even New Jersey.

We have also arranged for some short talks related to large format photography. Some people will arrive on Friday to do some shooting around the park which includes several canyons with waterfalls. Some will also stay Saturday night for some early Sunday photography as well. The bald eagle are there at this time of year also.

Admission is free and everybody is welcome. There is no need to bring prints. If you just love looking, come and enjoy.

If you are not familiar with the Midwest Large Format Asylum, we are an informal group of LF photographers that go out once a month (the 3rd Saturday of every month) to shoot. Details of our outings (both planning and follow up) can be found at our website: www.midwestlargeformat.com Registration for first time users is required, but free.

Recent outings have taken us to historical sites such as the Pullman District in Chicago, the Monticello Railroad museum, and the building ruins in Gary, Indiana. Nature outings have taken us to Spring Mill Park & Turkey Run in Indiana and several spots in the UP. We hope you will consider joining us on one of our future outings.

The forest setting at Starved Rock State Park in the middle of winter is great location to enjoy a great showing of large format photography.

Come! See you there!

Rick Tapio

There are still rooms available at the Starved Rock State Park Lodge for January 9th for anyone wanting to stay overnight & take advantage of the landscape. I am hopeful of going down on Friday & shooting around the park the day before the portfolio showing on the 10th. A few of us did some shooting last year & found some interesting locations. A photo from last year is attached.

Hope to see you there.

Rick Tapio

I will driving to Starved Rock on Friday & hopefully will arrive around noon & will try to do some shooting around the park in the afternoon. If anyone will be out shooting Friday afternoon (January 9th), give me a call on my cell phone. My number can be found at www.midwestlargeformat.com in the OUTINGS section for January.

Final plans have been made for a great day on Saturday, January 10th. I look forward to seeing some incredible images from fellow large format photographers.

Rick Tapio

Anyone planning on coming to the January Outing/Portfolio Review at Starved Rock State Park will need to enter the park using the rear entrance. The main entrance is closed as it is very icy on hilly roads.

It should be a great day to view LF photographs. Hope to see you there.

Rick Tapio

So how was the event at Starved Rock? Images, stories, or what to tell?

The January outing of portfolio reviews was great. The weather was a challage for some as snow storms blew through the area that day. About 4 or 5 people cancelled because of the weather, but we still had about 12 portfolios show up. The photographs were excellent. Being the second year of doing this, I think everyone was more relaxed and felt more comfortable talking about their images.

A number of candids were taken and can be found at www.midwestlargeformat.com under the GALLERY section found by pushing the blue button inthe menu bar at the top. First time visitors need to register, but it is free.

Next year's review plans are already being planned. We are considering holding it near the Indiana/Michigan dunes area. Watch for details.

Rick Tapio