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Morning at Sea

Not too long ago I was at sea heading back to Florida across the waters of the Caribbean. I took this about a half hour after sunrise looking back towards the stern of the ship. Days at sea on a passenger ship are like weekends. On port days everyone goes their separate way to see what there is to see, but days at sea have no agenda, just chill. As the day goes on I find myself staring out at sea, looking for, well, anything. So when we pass an island or a fishing boat, it becomes topic for conversation. I think my brain tries to see things that aren’t there, looks for patterns. Its good therapy to have nothing to focus on for an extended stretch, like looking at a camp fire. Anyway, back to the sea, there were no campfires on this day, at least none that I could see.

Not too long ago I was at sea heading back to Florida across the waters of the Caribbean. I took this about a half hour after sunrise looking back towards the stern of the ship. Days at sea on a passenger ship are like weekends. On port days everyone goes their separate way to see what there is to see, but days at sea have no agenda, just chill. As the day goes on I find myself staring out at sea, looking for, well, anything. So when we pass an island or a fishing boat, it becomes topic for conversation. I think my brain tries to see things that aren't there, looks for patterns. Its good therapy to have nothing to focus on for an extended stretch, like looking at a camp fire. Anyway, back to the sea, there were no campfires on this day, at least none that I could see.

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Whistler Brewing Company

One evening I was walking along the waterfront in a area known as Coal Harbour, its a residential section with outdoor eateries and a great view of Vancouver Harbour. The atmosphere of the place is enhanced by these water fountains and a bunch of red umbrellas. Funny thing is I thought the name of the place was the Whistler Brewing Company on account of the name printed on all the red umbrellas. Not until a while later did I realize that these umbrellas are all over the city in quite a few outdoor cafes. So I looked it up on Google Maps as I’m writing this since I still didn’t know the real name, and it’s “The Mill Marine Bistro & Bar”. To me however, it will always be the “Whistler Brewing Company”.

One evening I was walking along the waterfront in a area known as Coal Harbour, its a residential section with outdoor eateries and a great view of Vancouver Harbour. The atmosphere of the place is enhanced by these water fountains and a bunch of red umbrellas. Funny thing is I thought the name of the place was the Whistler Brewing Company on account of the name printed on all the red umbrellas. Not until a while later did I realize that these umbrellas are all over the city in quite a few outdoor cafes. So I looked it up on Google Maps as I'm writing this since I still didn't know the real name, and it's

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Autumn Sunset

Living in Florida we don’t get a lot of Autumn colors (nada, zip, zilch), and so when I recently landed in Vancouver I was pretty stoked that the colors were still there. I quickly deposited my bags and headed out to Stanley Park. I should have known I’d have good company, half of the city was out snapping photos as well. I witnessed the same phenomenon in spring when the Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom. Take it from me, Vancouver is one snap-happy town. It feels like one massive photo walk; I’ll notice something interesting and someone else will come over to take the same shot. I felt like I was on a scavenger hunt, trying to find the best compositions. Silly, yes, but fun nonetheless. I’m glad I was there to get a few pictures, along with about a million of my fellow photographers.

Living in Florida we don't get a lot of Autumn colors (nada, zip, zilch), and so when I recently landed in Vancouver I was pretty stoked that the colors were still there. I quickly deposited my bags and headed out to Stanley Park. I should have known I'd have good company, half of the city was out snapping photos as well. I witnessed the same phenomenon in spring when the Cherry Blossoms were in full bloom. Take it from me, Vancouver is one snap-happy town. It feels like one massive photo walk; I'll notice something interesting and someone else will come over to take the same shot. I felt like I was on a scavenger hunt, trying to find the best compositions. Silly, yes, but fun nonetheless. I'm glad I was there to get a few pictures, along with about a million of my fellow photographers.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Fort Desoto North

This is a sunset I took one evening at the northern tip of Fort DeSoto park in St Petersburg, Florida. Typically this park has a lot of visitors, but if you drive to the end the crowds thin out and the scenery is quite pretty. There were other photographers here, each focusing on a different aspect of the scenery. For instance I was focused on the waves and sunset while others were focused on birds and wildlife. Is it just me or are there more photographers than ever before? I don’t really follow the trends but I’m noticing more and more photographers wherever I go. Maybe I’m just more sensitive to it, or maybe I just frequent popular spots for photography, but I have this sense that it seems to be growing. I think the cameras in cell phones and the great mobile software like Snapseed are inspiring more people to take up the pursuit. Whatever the case, it’s a good trend in my books.

This is a sunset I took one evening at the northern tip of Fort DeSoto park in St Petersburg, Florida. Typically this park has a lot of visitors, but if you drive to the end the crowds thin out and the scenery is quite pretty. There were other photographers here, each focusing on a different aspect of the scenery. For instance I was focused on the waves and sunset while others were focused on birds and wildlife. Is it just me or are there more photographers than ever before? I don't really follow the trends but I'm noticing more and more photographers wherever I go. Maybe I'm just more sensitive to it, or maybe I just frequent popular spots for photography, but I have this sense that it seems to be growing. I think the cameras in cell phones and the great mobile software like Snapseed are inspiring more people to take up the pursuit. Whatever the case, it's a good trend in my books.

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Taking It All In

This is False Creek in Vancouver where I sat one evening to take in the sights of the city. Seems there’s so much to see that you have to take it all in one little chunk at a time. If you have nothing better to do (or even if you do) you can just sit here on a bench and scan from left to right. I’ve spent a lot of time walking around here at night and it feels safe, lot’s of people do it, strength in numbers. The other thing is that if I walk too far I can always catch the subway or a cab, the city is about as cosmopolitan as they come. And I thought Cosmopolitan was a cocktail, silly me.

This is False Creek in Vancouver where I sat one evening to take in the sights of the city. Seems there's so much to see that you have to take it all in one little chunk at a time. If you have nothing better to do (or even if you do) you can just sit here on a bench and scan from left to right. I've spent a lot of time walking around here at night and it feels safe, lot's of people do it, strength in numbers. The other thing is that if I walk too far I can always catch the subway or a cab, the city is about as cosmopolitan as they come. And I thought Cosmopolitan was a cocktail, silly me.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Anna Maria Island

This is Anna Maria Island, which is in Manatee County Florida. It’s a quiet beach community along the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Normally people will sit here to wait for the free trolley, enjoy an ice cream, or just catch a little shade as they plan their next move. However if you get up at the crack of dawn you can have the whole place to yourself, unless of course you run into someone like me taking photos. I never get tired of Anna Maria Island, and the next time you go there you’ll know what I mean.

This is Anna Maria Island, which is in Manatee County Florida. It's a quiet beach community along the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Normally people will sit here to wait for the trolley, enjoy an ice cream cone, or just catch a little shade as they plan their next move. However if you get up at the crack of dawn you can have the whole place to yourself, unless of course you run into someone like me taking photos. I never get tired of Anna Maria Island, and the next time you go there you'll know what I mean.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Leaving Port

Not too long ago I found myself leaving out of a port on a ship. This is my impression from the back of the ship with the lights of Barbados in the distance and the full moon as it reflected on the ocean. Life should be like this, and from time to time it is. Moments like this are few and fleeting and I like to think that if I can capture the essence of a moment with an image, then I can go back to it from time to time.

Not too long ago I found myself leaving out of a port on a ship. This is my impression from the back of the ship with the lights of Barbados in the distance and the full moon as it reflected on the ocean. Life should be like this, and from time to time it is. Moments like this are few and fleeting and I like to think that if I can capture the essence of a moment with an image, then I can go back to it from time to time.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Harbour Sunrise

In addition to cruise ships, a convention center and sight seeing, Vancouver Harbour is a busy shipping port. This morning I focused my lens on the industrial side of things as the sun was rising behind the cranes. Despite all the boat and seaplane traffic, the water remains crystal clear. I’m not sure how they manage that but thankfully they do. In any case, if you’ve ever seen pictures of English Bay (including my own) which surrounds Vancouver, you’ll notice many container ships docked offshore. My guess is they are waiting to take on a shipment of containers from here and head back out to sea. If you climb up one of the surrounding mountains and look back, you’ll see these ships lined up end-to-end for miles out into the bay. The first time you see them it’s quite a site, but in time you grow accustom to their presence and you almost forget they’re there. Day in, day out, they file in and out this port and this was just the start of another busy day.

In addition to cruise ships, a convention center and sight seeing, Vancouver Harbour is a busy shipping port. This morning I focused my lens on the industrial side of things as the sun was rising behind the cranes. Despite all the boat and seaplane traffic, the water remains crystal clear. I'm not sure how they manage that but thankfully they do. In any case, if you've ever seen pictures of English Bay (including my own) which surrounds Vancouver, you'll notice many container ships docked offshore. My guess is they are waiting to take on a shipment of containers from here and head back out to sea. If you climb up one of the surrounding mountains and look back, you'll see these ships lined up end-to-end for miles out into the bay. The first time you see them it's quite a site, but in time you grow accustom to their presence and you almost forget they're there. Day in, day out, they file in and out this port and this was just the start of another busy day.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Guarding the Fort

A couple of weeks ago I was walking around the old fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You couldn’t go inside because the park service was closed due to the federal government shutdown. Since the fort was shut down there were police at all the gates, guarding the fort. It was a little ironic and a little bit of a flashback to a few hundred years ago when there would be guards at the gates also, probably on the inside and dressed somewhat differently. Despite the guarded fort, it’s a nice walk along the outside. This is one of the many iconic lookouts that line the walls. As far as I know, the fort wasn’t attacked this day.

A couple of weeks ago I was walking around the old fort in San Juan, Puerto Rico. You couldn't go inside because the park service was closed due to the federal government shutdown. Since the fort was shut down there police at all the gates, guarding the fort. It was a little ironic and a little bit of a flashback to a few hundred years ago when there would be guards at the gate also, probably on the inside though dressed somewhat differently. Despite the guarded fort, it's a nice walk along the outside. This is one of the many iconic lookouts that line the walls. As far as I know, the fort wasn't attacked this day.

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Hidden Beach

This was a recent sunset at Emerson Point in Manatee County, Florida. Emerson point is more about mangroves and wildlife than beaches. However, if you know where to look you can find a couple of secluded beaches like this one in and amongst the mangroves. The evening I shot this I had a couple of raccoons amble by. I think they were a little surprised since these little hideaways tend to be deserted, especially as the sun is going down. They decided to wait patiently from a few feet away as I took my pictures, probably wondering if I had any scraps of food to leave behind. The other thing I like about this spot is that we can bring our dogs here on a hot day. Most beach areas in Florida prohibit dogs, but since this isn’t strictly a beach, dogs are allowed and they love to wade in the shallow water to chase fish or just cool off.

This was a recent sunset at Emerson Point in Manatee County, Florida. Emerson point is more about mangroves and wildlife than beaches. However, if you know where to look you can find a couple of secluded beaches like this one in and amongst the mangroves. The evening I shot this I had a couple of raccoons amble by. I think they were a little surprised since these little hideaways tend to be deserted, especially as the sun is going down. They decided to wait patiently from a few feet away as I took my pictures, probably wondering if I had any scraps of food to leave behind. The other thing I like about this spot is that we can bring our dogs here on a hot day. Most beach areas in Florida prohibit dogs, but since this isn't strictly a beach, dogs are allowed and they love to wade in the shallow water to chase fish or just cool off.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.