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Friday Night

I took this picture one evening as I watched the Pelicans fly by Robinson Preserve in Bradenton Florida. What impressed me was that all the Pelicans seemed to be going in the same direction. As a rule, creatures in the wild are fairly smart, more so than I give them credit for. After quite few flew by my lens, I theorized they must be going somewhere specific. Maybe this is the appointed time that fishing boats come in, or maybe they just have a favorite place to sleep for the evening. Whatever the case they all seemed to have the same appointment in their calendars. After I took this picture I followed their lead and headed home for an appointment to eat supper and call it a day. Great minds think alike.

I took this picture one evening as I watched the Pelicans fly by Robinson Preserve in Bradenton Florida. What impressed me was that all the Pelicans seemed to be going in the same direction. As a rule, creatures in the wild are fairly smart, more so than I give them credit for. After quite few flew by my lens, I theorized they must be going somewhere specific. Maybe this is the appointed time that fishing boats come in, or maybe they just have a favorite place to sleep for the evening. Whatever the case they all seemed to have the same appointment in their calendars. After I took this picture I followed their lead and headed home for an appointment to eat supper and call it a day. Great minds think alike.

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Old Town Verandas

When I was in the old town section of San Juan Puerto Rico last fall I became enamored with the charm of the place. By charm I mean the sense of community and character. I think the verandas play an important role in all that. Folks like to hang out on their verandas or the streets below talking, playing cards or just watching other people walk by. I have a veranda out the back of my house were I like to go to relax sometimes, so I guess I relate to these older, more storied versions. I imagine these have been here for a hundred years, but I can’t imagine all the scenes that have transpired on or below them. Fun to think about nonetheless.

When I was in the old town section of San Juan Puerto Rico last fall I became enamored with the charm of the place. By charm I mean the sense of community and character. I think the verandas play an important role in all that. Folks like to hang out on their verandas or the streets below talking, playing cards or just watching other people walk by. I have a veranda out the back of my house were I like to go to relax sometimes, so I guess I relate to these older, more storied versions. I imagine these have been here for a hundred years, but I can't imagine all the scenes that have transpired on or below them. Fun to think about nonetheless.

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End of the River

This is indeed the end of the Manatee River where it opens into the Gulf of Mexico in Manatee County Florida. My father was an eye doctor who warned me not to look at the sun, so naturally I hear this in my head whenever I take a sunset. Basically my process is to line up my camera, push the shutter button and hope for the best. I suppose we all do that, right? Anyway, when the sun is at this position there’s no time left as it quickly sinks into the horizon, it’s click time or go home. In effect, this is a picture of the sun while I was squinting, clicking away like paparazzi and hoping for the best. I suppose this is another thinly veiled metaphor for life; point in the general direction, squint, execute and then hope for the best.

This is indeed the end of the Manatee River where it opens into the Gulf of Mexico in Manatee County Florida. My father was an eye doctor who warned me not to look at the sun, so naturally I hear this in my head whenever I take a sunset. Basically my process is to line up my camera, push the shutter button and hope for the best. I suppose we all do that, right? Anyway, when the sun is at this position there's no time left as it quickly sinks into the horizon, it's click time or go home. In effect, this is a picture of the sun while I was squinting, clicking away like paparazzi and hoping for the best. I suppose this is another thinly veiled metaphor for life; point in the general direction, squint, execute and then hope for the best.

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Navy Pier Fisheye

This is what the world looks like through a fisheye lens. I’m not sure why but I enjoy pictures with strangeness like this, I get drawn in. A little distortion changes the perspective, small things seem big, big things small. Visual art. This is my winter version of Navy Pier in Chicago. I took my normal lens off and put on the fish eye lens and at this exact spot, lost my lens cap. I’ve not seen it since. So, if you’re ever here and you find a Nikon lens cap, give me a shout. Or maybe I should just fuhgeddaboudit.

This is what the world looks like through a fisheye lens. I'm not sure why but I enjoy pictures with strangeness like this, I get drawn in. A little distortion changes the perspective, small things seem big, big things small. Visual art. This is my winter version of Navy Pier in Chicago. I took my normal lens off and put on the fish eye lens and at this exact spot, lost my lens cap. I've not seen it since. So, if you're ever here and you find a Nikon lens cap, give me a shout. Or maybe I should just fuhgeddaboudit.

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Favorite Fountain

Last year I spent a bit of time in Vancouver and my favorite place to go is Stanley Park. I’ve posted pictures of this fountain before as it’s hard not to get a good picture of it. Aside from this I have a lot of favorite subjects in Vancouver which is an amazing city to be sure. Four years ago the winter Olympics took place here and the Olympic fountain where the flamed burned is another favorite subject. After seeing the opening of the games in Sochi, I think I may have to add that fountain to my list as well.

Last year I spent a bit of time in Vancouver and my favorite place to go is Stanley Park. I've posted pictures of this fountain before as it's hard not to get a good picture of it. Aside from this I have a lot of favorite subjects in Vancouver which is an amazing city to be sure. Four years ago the winter Olympics took place here and the Olympic fountain where the flamed burned is another favorite subject. After seeing the opening of the games in Sochi, I think I may have to add that fountain to my list as well.

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Clearwater Beach

Florida has more than it’s share of pirates, they’re everywhere. I took this last weekend at Clearwater Beach where it appears the pirates where just off shore. We also have a lot of bikers in Florida. More often than not they’re just fun loving retired dudes with big beards and bigger paunches, like my neighbor a few doors down. My theory is that the pirates of old reincarnated as bikers in Florida, and when they’re not riding their bikes they’re pretending to be pirates. That’s my theory and I’m sticking to it.

Florida has more than it's share of pirates, they're everywhere. I took this last weekend at Clearwater Beach where it appears the pirates where just off shore. We also have a lot of bikers in Florida. More often than not they're just fun loving retired dudes with big beards and bigger paunches, like my neighbor a few doors down. My theory is that the pirates of old reincarnated as bikers in Florida, and when they're not riding their bikes they're pretending to be pirates. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

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Traffic Jam

The interstate near my home was recently shutdown and traffic got routed through the city streets. While this created a nightmare for drivers, it presented an opportunity for me to capture the cars moving over the bridge during rush hour. Unbeknownst to the drivers, there was another traffic jam of sorts as all of the seagulls clamored for front row seats to the spectacle and/or good spot to spend the night. I’m not sure which is more disturbing, the traffic jam or the fact that I managed to relate it to a flock of seagulls.

The interstate near my home was recently shutdown and traffic got routed through the city streets. While this created a nightmare for drivers, it presented an opportunity for me to capture the cars moving over the bridge during rush hour. Unbeknownst to the drivers, there was another traffic jam of sorts as all of the seagulls clamored for front row seats to the spectacle and/or good spot to spend the night. I'm not sure which is more disturbing, the traffic jam or the fact that I managed to relate it to a flock of seagulls.

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Loss of Words

Is it any wonder that sometimes I run out of words? At the end of Emerson Point in Manatee County Florida is where a few of us locals go to watch the sunset. Sure, the beaches are good, but there are a few secret places like this that, well, leave me at a loss for words. So perhaps I’ll just leave it at that. Have a great weekend everyone.

Is it any wonder that sometimes I run out of words? At the end of Emerson Point in Manatee County Florida is where a few of us locals go to watch the sunset. Sure, the beaches are good, but there are a few secret places like this that, well, leave me at a loss for words. So perhaps I'll just leave it at that. Have a great weekend everyone.

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Fog

The last few days here in central Florida have been foggy which means the light is soft, something I love. Everything is mysterious and the mood is completely transformed. This was taken at St Petes Beach which is just south of Clearwater. Earlier, at around 6:30 in the morning I was in another location near my home taking photos of a pier. As I walked back to my car a very well dress couple approached me, apparently they had a ministry and were out spreading the word. I politely smiled and suggested I didn’t need the pamphlet but thanked them anyway. They continued on in the early morning light and I glanced back as they disappeared into the fog. I was dumbstruck by this powerful metaphor of searching for lost souls in the fog, it played on my mind for a while after. Why where they there so early on such foggy morning? That, at least to me, was a bit of a mystery, and as ephemeral as the fog.

The last few days here in central Florida have been foggy which means the light is soft, something I love. Everything is mysterious and the mood is completely transformed. This was taken at St Petes beach which is just south of Clearwater. Earlier, at around 6:30 in the morning, I was in another location near my home taking photos of a pier. As I walked back to my car a very well dress couple approached me, apparently they had a ministry and were out spreading the word. I politely smiled and suggested I didn't need the pamphlet but thanked them anyway. They continued on in the early morning light and I glanced back as they disappeared into the fog. I was dumbstruck by this powerful metaphor of searching for lost souls in the fog, it played on my mind for a while after. Why where they there so early on such foggy morning? That, at least to me, was a bit of a mystery, and as ephemeral as the fog.

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Property Value

Florida is emerging from the crash of the US real estate market. Near where I live is an abandoned development where all the roads and utilities where built but not a single house. I’ve never been on the property myself, but I took this one morning from a spot that looks over the mangroves along the river onto the abandoned development. Folks in my town of Palmetto expect that someone will revive the project at some point. And when they do, some lucky homeowner is going to wakeup to a sunrise like this each morning. I’m thinking that’s probably worth a penny or two in property value. Just a guess.

Florida is emerging from the crash of the US real estate market. Near where I live is an abandoned development where all the roads and utilities where built but not a single house. I've never been on the property myself, but I took this one morning from a spot that looks over the mangroves along the river onto the abandoned development. Folks in my town of Palmetto expect that someone will revive the project at some point. And when they do, some lucky homeowner is going to wakeup to a sunrise like this each morning. I'm thinking that's probably worth a penny or two in property value. Just a guess.

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