Travel Tales from The Hub
Apalachicola After the Storm
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By Ken Hubbard
Shrimp Boats: SP 24-70mm G2 – 1/15 Sec, f/20, ISO 64 @ 24mm
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At approximately 2:00pm on October 10th, 2018 Hurricane Michael made landfall near Mexico Beach Florida with winds upwards of 155 miles per hour. It ripped through the Florida Pan handle towns of Port Saint Joe, Panama City & Mexico Beach with no mercy, literally blowing away homes and businesses with its full force and fury. After battering the Florida coast, Michael made his way up through Georgia, the Carolinas and finally through Virginia causing destruction all along the way.
This article is not meant to be an article of destruction and despair, its more to show the beauty of the communities around these pan handle towns and to show off why it is still an amazing place to go and visit.
Scipio Creek: SP 24-70mm G2 – 13 Sec, f/22, ISO 100 @ 24mm
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I fell in love with Apalachicola and the surrounding area about a year and a half ago when I went there to shoot a video for Tamron. The location was beautiful, and the people were warm and welcoming. So, when David Akoubian (Subject of the fore mentioned video) invited me down to come along on one of his workshops, I said absolutely! Fortunately, Apalachicola sits about 15 miles east of the worst hit areas hit by Hurricane Michael. While receiving incredible damage, it was nowhere near the destruction of the towns to the west.
Eastpoint: SP 24-70mm G2 – 5 Sec, f/22, ISO 64 @ 38mm
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Eastpoint Florida is a community a couple of miles east of downtown Apalachicola where the last time we were here it was spotted with oyster boats along its calm water shoreline. Unfortunately, when we were there this time the oyster boats were gone, and the harvesting of oysters had been shut down due to the storm. This sunset location is just off of Big Bend Scenic Byway along Payton Drive. If you hang out long enough some of the older oyster fisherman may come along and share some very colorful stories of the area and what it was like being a fisherman in its hayday. Don’t hesitate to give them a few dollars for their stories, it will be worth it and they need it.
Eastpoint: SP 24-70mm G2 – 1/60 Sec, f/22, ISO 400 @ 24mm
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The Eastpoint area is not only good for sunset it is also good for sunrise as well. It faces south so you have good views and light for both scenarios. Before the workshop started, David did some scouting with Cecil Holmes and they found this tattered flag from the hurricane still on one of the standing pilons. It was a perfect location for sunrise, as the sun rose it backlit the flag perfectly. For this shot I position myself so that the sun looks as if it is sitting on top of one of the pilons in the distance. This spot is just about a ½ mile or so down the road from the previous spot along the Big Bend Scenic Byway.
Shrimp Boats: 28-75mm Di III RXD – 1/30 Sec, f/16, ISO 100 @ 54mm
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It’s not just oyster fishing that helps sustain the Apalachicola economy, it’s also shrimp fishing. Fortunately, it seems they faired a little better during the storm and the marina was full of boats and we saw a number of fishermen coming and going out to fish. Sunrise at Scipio Creek is beautiful, as the sun rises it hits the moored boats in the marina washing them aglow in warm morning light. You can also shoot down the creek towards the sun creating some beautiful silhouettes as the boats float by. As the sun rises further the birds come in, you’ll be able to capture images of everything from pelicans, eagles, night herons and loons (if you are lucky).
Shrimp Boats: SP 24-70mm G2 – .4 Sec, f/16, ISO 64 @ 24mm
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The harbor always makes me want to convert my images into black and white, it helps give a classic feel to the area. I shoot my images in full color than convert them later into black and white. There are a number of different programs that you can use to do this, choose which ever is easiest for you to use.
St George Island: SP 15-30mm G2 – 30 Sec, f/11, ISO 3200 @15mm
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Saint George Island is the beach community in the area, only a few miles from Apalachicola. You head along Island drive and then over Bryant Patton Bridge to the gulf coast community. It’s lined with colorful seaside homes and a few restaurants as well as a lighthouse that you can climb its wooden steps to the top for a great view of the island. The images above was captured about 45 minutes after sunset along the white sandy beach.
Easpoint: SP 24-70mm G2 – 1/15 Sec, f/6.3, ISO 400 @ 42mm
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Apalachicola is not just a photographers paradise with its landscapes and wildlife, it's great for food lovers as well. From breakfast to dinner you can find many different restaurants to choose from. For breakfast two great choices are Apalachicola Chocolate and Coffee Company (https://www.facebook.com/Apalachicolachocolatecompany/ ) for great coffee and breakfast sandwiches and Café Con Leche (http://cafeconleche.four-food.com) is another great choice. For lunch and dinner seafood I recommend Up the Creek (http://www.upthecreekrawbar.com) and Apalachicola Seafood Grill. On this last trip I heard some delta blues music coming from one of the side roads and stumbled upon Bowery Station (http://www.bowerystation.us) a local music venue that has a great beer list and great live music. I was fortunate enough to see a local Delta Blues musician Slim Fatz, with a deep growly voice he entertained the crowd for 2 hours!
Lenses used for this Article:
SP 24-70mm Di VC USD G2
28-75mm DI III
SP 15-30mm Di VC USD G2
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