The weekend is almost here and so we need to get our priorities straight. Nothing like a little fun at the beach in Naples Florida. Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Cloud Obsession
It seems I’m on a bit of a cloud theme so I thought I’d continue with this recent shot pointing away from the sunset. Big thick stormy cloud below, higher puffy clouds with blue sky behind and the sun catching each layer in a different way. Is that crazy or what? I’m constantly blown away by what I see but then I’m easily amused so maybe it’s just me. However other people notice all of this as well and local news stations post photos of the clouds every day so I can’t be the only one. Well, no sense in trying to figure it out, it is what it is.
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The Hunt at Dusk
This time of year we get a lot of clouds which occasionally produce spectacular sunsets. It’s impossible to know exactly how it will turn out, but if you’re like me you just show up and hope for the best. Showing up is the hardest part, but once I’m at the beach another set of neurons take over and it’s all about the hunt, to find my prey in that golden hour. Well, it seems like that sometimes, stalking compositions and then capturing them. Finally I drive home with that satisfied feeling that I bagged a few good ones now secure inside my camera. Photography has to have a few parallels with hunting, but then you already knew that.
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Osprey Stare
If you’re an Osprey and you live in Florida, you’ve got it made. We love our Osprey and to show our appreciation we build these platforms high up on poles everywhere. As in everywhere and anywhere; …cell towers, transmission lines, out in fields, in all the parks, everywhere. This one is near my house and I drove right by as I looked up, put on the brakes, backed up, picked up my camera and said good morning. This guy just stared at me and wondered what the heck I was doing in his territory. Silly me.
Queenstown Lookout
This is taken from a little road above Queenstown in New Zealand. I was amazed at how it seems you can drive just about anywhere in New Zealand. Where I live in Florida most roads are closed to the public, and most property is private. The impression I had is that in New Zealand you’re pretty much free to roam and explore, as though it’s encouraged. Of course I could be wrong, that was just my impression. But anyway, here we were up on a lookout on a road that was open to the public. And make good use of it we did.
Morning Bench
This bench is at Leffis Key which is one of the places I like to walk around with my camera. It’s mostly mangroves and you can walk on elevated wooden walkways all over. Every now and then you end in a vista of the water with a little bench like this. If you get here first thing in the morning you’ll see the Pelicans flying by as they go about their morning fishing routine. I prefer the morning since the water is calm and all of the wildlife is up and about. You could just sit here and take it all in, which I’ve been known to do on occasion.
Glenorchy Stillness
This is Glenorchy in the early morning when the water is still and the light is perfect. I never realized that black swans existed before I came to New Zealand, I thought they were just in fairy tales or perhaps a rare genetic oddity. But in New Zealand the black swans are in the lakes and ponds of the southern island in abundance. Perhaps if I grew up here I’d be used to it but as a visitor I was amazed each time I saw one. This morning I saw dozens, too many to count. I suspect Glenorchy is a kind of sanctuary, and given the magical landscape it might as well be a fairy tale.
On the Rocks
This is another shot of Half Moon Bay I captured while on a stopover in the San Francisco area. While I love the west coast of Florida, there is no comparison to the rugged beauty that is California. Sure, each is unique, but there’s something about California. I’ll just leave it at that, let you fill in your own thoughts. With any luck I’ll head out here again in the not too distant future to soak up more of whatever it is. Happy Friday everyone.
Naval Station
This is a naval station that rest on a little island inside Vancouver Harbour. At first glance when you see this and read the sign you think it can’t be because it’s so small. I think it’s a holdover from the days the harbour needed to be defended, I have never seen a naval ship here. However, there is one reminder that is unmistakable. Just to the left of where I’m standing is an active cannon (that’s right, I said active) in a big cage. Every day of the year at precisely 2100 hours the cannon discharges. It reverberates through the downtown towers in an unmistakable “report” that is sure to startle any non-local unfamiliar with the tradition. I, for one, will always consider this naval station and the accompanying cannon blast an indelible part of the great city that is Vancouver.
Bennett Park
This is a relatively new park that I’ve passed many times on the interstate but never bothered to check it out. That’s because I had this preconceived notion that because it was by a highway it couldn’t be all that good. I was pleasantly surprised in that only a portion of it is along the highway and that there is plenty of space for ponds and areas of restoration and habitation of the local wildlife. This pond had a warning sign about the alligators, so I was on the lookout as I captured this. In the end the only thing that bit me was a few fire-ants amongst the tall grasses as I composed the shot. Now that I know better I’ll come back, keeping a close eye on where I step.