This behind the camera picture  was taken whilst  I was on  an early morning photoshoot along the Heysen Trail,  with my Linhof Technika 5x4 during the Australia Day weekend. The Heysen Trail photoshoot  was combined with a poodle walk.

I have avoided the beaches this weekend due to  the families  having summer fun on, and taking over,   the beaches The summer fun  also includes  playing on the rocks around Petrel Cove or climbing  Rosetta Head in thongs.  As expected there were more casualties  at Petrel Cove. It is obvious that people do not read the warning signs by the steps  to the beach or on the rocks; or if they do read them, then they ignore them.    

On the morning of the photoshoot the light was dull and flat.   I would have preferred  the soft, early morning light, which was there  when I had previously  scoped the  site,  but it was not to be.  I waited for a while to see what was happening with the cloud cover,   but I realised that  there was little point in hanging around waiting for better light to eventuate. The  cloud cover was  far too heavy.   

As there was little coastal wind that morning,   and it  was quite still,  I decided  to do another photoshoot  of some roadside vegetation along Jagger Rd instead. This could be done whilst we were on our  way back to the studio for breakfast:

After the photoshoot  doubts emerged about this image.   I thought that I went in too close. Maybe the  contorted or bulging trunk  of the red gum  needed to have some  more context--ie.,  the trunk was more a part of the roadside vegetation that was around it?   

I decided that I  needed to re-scope  it to ease my doubts. So I want back before lunch  as it was still overcast: 

Whilst  scoping I decided to make a quick picture using the 6x9  film back and  the baby Linhof Technika 70 (circa 1960s),   which  was sitting in the boot of the Mazda in an old leather bag:   

The cloud cover was starting to break up as I was working. The  leather strap of the bag  that I was carrying the Linhof gear in snapped,  and  the bag fell  to the ground. The focusing mechanism was damaged from the camera hitting the ground and I was unable to focus. 

That was the end of that photoshoot. I'm not sure whether the focusing mechanism can be repaired.