This is a little section of town known as Queenstown Gardens. It really is a special place, especially if you can get there in the morning when its quiet and the sun cast long shadows. Of course autumn has a way of painting the landscape vibrant so everything is enhanced for a few short weeks. I felt lucky to be here with so much to see and absorb, probably overload for my brain, but at least with the photos to remind me I can drink it in little sips whenever I want. Ah, New Zealand.
Sunday Morning at the Pier
This is the public pier at Anna Maria Island a couple of Sundays ago. I got here before sunrise yet there were people milling about, getting fishing poles ready or just watching the sunrise. And then just after sunrise a couple of dudes started swimming in the water which was warm and inviting. Then, if all that wasn’t enough, a photography club showed up to take pictures of the pier. So just after sunrise on a Sunday when everyone should have been sleeping in, this place was buzzing. Of course I was there also so I’m not even sure what my point is. Nevermind.
Through the Tall Grass
This is another shot from Emerson Point near my home through the grasses which grow all over. Now that it’s summer we get thunderstorms most afternoons and combined with the heat everything grows like wild. The bermuda grass around my house grows at least six inches in a week. Little frogs, lizards and snakes like to hide under the grass since to them it’s a place of refuge from the heat of the day. But anyway, this isn’t bermuda grass and I’m not very good at writing about grass, I just like the way it looks, especially when there is a sunset beyond.
Park Lodge
This is another picture I took last year of Jasper Park Lodge which is in the heart of the Canadian Rockies. The lodge has a low key presence which acknowledges the beauty around it without supplanting it. I stayed in a cabin not far from this spot and could almost imagine being at summer camp so many years ago. When I did go to summer camp, I would walk the trail from my campsite to the mess hall or campfire and all these years later I was reminded of that here. Anyway, the main thing is I learned to love the woods as a child and coming here re-awakened a little of that.
Remind yourself of the things you love from a print of this image.
Secluded Mountain Lake
This lake is in a secluded spot in a high valley above the Dart River in Otago, New Zealand. Cattle were grazing on grasses amongst the pines as we arrived by chopper early that morning. The startled look on the bovines faces was a little amusing, but once we landed and cut the engines they were happy to resume grazing in their mountain paradise. If I recall the lake is stocked with fish and so not a bad spot to spend a day or two. As it was, we only had ten minutes here before the chopper fired the engines and headed for our next amazing landscape.
Obtain a rare print of a secluded spot for your office or home.
Family at the Beach
This is another shot from Naples beach last week. There were so many children playing in the warm shallow waters it was really fun to watch. I think these moments are very subtle and stay with us our entire lives. I have some memories like this somewhere back, at least this pail helped me remember building a sandcastle. Such are the days when I had no concerns in the world and my life was carefree. Now, maybe a little of that from time to time might do me some good.
Anna Maria Saturday Morning
This morning I showed up for sunrise. At the same time I was standing here a Manatee swam past. Just another day on the island. Have a wonderful Sunday friends.
Pyramid Falls Along the Rail
Last summer we took the rail through the Canadian Rockies and along the way was Pyramid falls where the conductor slowed down enough to get a few shots. I stood in the opening between cars to catch this. It was last year but as I think back I can still hear the rushing of the water and feel the mist in the air. One of many such spectacular sights as we wound our way from Vancouver to Jasper. A trip I recommend.
Morning Glow
The glow of the mountain tops as the sun rises over Queenstown. I was on a mountain one morning concentrating on getting everything in focus and I goofed, the background got blurred. I later learned about hyper-focal distance which is a combination of aperture, lens size and distance to ensure everything is in focus. It’s a complicated calculation but luckily there is an app for that. On second thought, I like the effect of the blur and I’ll work on my hyper-focal distance calculation another day. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Longboat Key at Dusk
The other night I visited the northern tip of Longboat Key. This is one of those spots that only locals seem to know since it’s a little difficult to get to. To get here you have to walk in the water due to beach erosion. The water was warm and inviting which made my task all the more enjoyable. This section has a lot of toppled trees from hurricanes and so it’s a rather surreal landscape. On one of the stumps sat this pileated woodpecker who was not so shy as he let me get quite close. Lets just say this is one of those little corners of heaven, right in my own backyard.