inspired photography with just enough perspective
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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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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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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Robinson Preserve is a place I go to get away for an hour or two. There are mangroves and wildlife within and it seemed fitting to end 2014 with a walk among nature and it’s reflections. If I can do a little more of that in 2015 then it will be a good year indeed.
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My wife and I went for a walk along the waterfront in St Petersburg Florida the other day. Everyone was out and about and enjoyed the warm weather. The calm water created these little ripples which caught my wife’s attention and then mine. I admit it, I’m an unabashed copycat and have no shame. Such as it is here are the boats reflected in the water and something to put us all in a relaxed state such that we might come up with our own ideas and not copy others. But then imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so in reality I’m just flattering my wife. 😉
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If you like orange juice then this is your train, right from the Tropicana plant here in Bradenton Florida. I live just a few minutes from here and every evening I hear the sounding of the horn as the train heads north. Now, whenever I’m up north I have a habit of looking at the label on the OJ just to see where it says “Bradenton, FL”. I have no idea why I do that, but I do it just the same, home town pride perhaps. I took this earlier this evening as I walked my dogs near the tracks along the Bradenton Riverwalk.
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This is a little spot across the bay from me known as Pinellas Point. It’s not that easy to find but you get glimpses of it driving over the bridge. And so, after about ten years of that I thought it was time to discover this. Well, that’s a little fib because I wanted to go the other way but my wife suggested we look for it. So we did, and here it is, looking back at the bridge, after all those years. I have a nickname. It’s Christopher Columbus. But that’s another story for another day.
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I am an unabashed dog lover and whenever I’m out with my camera I look for the interaction between humans and their pets. I was lucky because in this part of BC dogs are allowed on the beach, not so at the beaches where I live. Nevertheless I can imagine this is the best part of the day for this four legged, running along the water and chasing a ball. One of the best things about a dog is they’re always ready to play, and that sense of joy is worth more than all the money in the world.
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A few Sundays ago along the harbour front in Vancouver, BC.
Tampa is the airport I fly out of most often. Only the other night it wasn’t me but my wife returning from a long trip. That afforded me the opportunity to park on the top level and take some long exposures. The lights at the top are jets landing on the runway behind terminal F. It was a lot of fun being at the airport and not necessarily having to travel. I wasn’t the only one, others were up here watching the action snapping photos as well. A great way to kill an hour.
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