inspired photography with just enough perspective
This is the Florida Jungle located in Bradenton. The Linger Longer Lodge is a well-known campground and lodge nestled into a jungle setting reminiscent of a forgotten time. There is all kinds of wild life including turtles, herons and I suppose alligators…, not that I saw any on this day but rest assured, they’re in there. But let’s not pick on alligators, they’re people too and, we all gotta eat. 😉
Today I went to the Treasure Island Kite Festival here in Florida. It goes without saying there were a lot of kites and this is one of the more exotic ones. It bounced up and down in the gentle breeze and attracted all manner of children that played under it as it gently landed on the sand. There was also a competition with “professionals” displaying flying skills that, quite frankly, astounded me. I had no idea this was such a serious endeavor and the precision demonstrated uh, blew me away. To top it off there was a kite ballet where a group of people would fly kites in unison to music. Lets just say I got a little carried away.
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A train passes over the Manatee River in Bradenton Florida. These engines were on their way to pick up oranges for the Tropicana plant down the line. It happens every day at the same time and each time it goes by there are a few people lined up to watch. The people wave, the conductor waves and life goes on as it has for decades. Where would we be if not for the railroads?
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A Canadian coast guard cutter makes its way back to port in Ucluelet British Columbia.
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These chickens were a little uncertain of what I was up to. Stalking them with my camera put them a little on edge and for whatever reason they refused to allow me within a dozen yards. Being a city slicker in their eyes probably had something to do with it. Anyway, I just thought it their antics were fun to watch as I slowly lowered my camera to their level for a close up perspective. This was the best I could do before they made a commotion and wandered further off.
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This is the sun rising over the red rock peaks of Sedona Arizona about a week ago. I stayed a couple of days here and did a little exploring, though the flu kept me stuck in my room most of the time. Even so I managed to get out and soak up a little of the good energy from the surrounding wilderness and awe-inspiring red rock mountains. January is a great time to be here, it was cool at night and comfortably warm during the day. I’ve passed through here years ago in August and I remember it quite a bit warmer. But regardless of the time of year Sedona is an amazing place to be.
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What is it about the reflection of landscape in water that’s appealing? My theory is we’re attracted to things that remind us of ourselves and reflections or what they represent must somehow be a part of our makeup. Be that what it may, I found this scene behind a baseball diamond the other day in my never-ending quest for new locations. It’s a little creek that empties into a river here in Bradenton. The sky, the grass and trees are pleasant elements, but I think the water and reflection combines them all together in a way that that adds up to more than the sum of the parts. And should I take the time to reflect, there might just me a lesson in there somewhere.
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This is a well-known steam clock in the Gastown section of Vancouver. I took this as I walked by on a warm summer evening last August. Every ten or fifteen minutes the clock will begin blowing steam and the attached whistles will sound. As silly as that sounds it’s really fun to wait it out, like waiting for a geyser. This is one of my favorite sections of town; with the old architecture it stands in contrast to the ultramodern architecture just two blocks away. It’s said there used to be tunnels below the city that were used by the well heeled. Presumably they were used to convey “businessmen” to the more seedy sections of town to satisfy out their whims and pleasures. Though with the way Vancouver has grown, what was once “seedy” is now the pricier section of town. Perhaps if the tunnels still exist they are used in reverse?
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This is the pond at Fisher Meadow in Avon Connecticut. I walked around this one morning to capture the still waters one winter morning. To get this perspective I placed my camera inches from the water since stillness is what I was trying to capture. In any case, I just returned from Arizona which has quite a lot of arid dry land and few, if any, ponds to speak of. I decided to post this picture to restore a sense of landscape equilibrium and a little water to my thirsty eyes. 😉
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I like going to the beach at or after sundown because of the quality of light and perhaps, a different type of experience. Right after sunset the remaining stragglers begin to file away, like moviegoers leaving a theater after watching every last credit. And even then there are a few souls who remain a while longer to commune alone at the edge of the sea. And here in this solitude can we walk with our thoughts, without distraction, in total silence save for the sound of the gentle waves upon the shore.
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