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Fall Sunrise

I came here last winter to Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg Florida take a similar picture, the only difference is that from this vantage the sun rose from the right side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and in autumn it rises on the left. This is a favorite spot for local photographers and at least two others were here on the morning I took this. Fort DeSoto is on the Gulf of Mexico and is lined with beaches, bike paths, camping, fishing and pretty much every outdoor sport imaginable. In fact, the morning I took this there was a triathlon getting ready to start so I made sure I got out of the park before it started since the roads would be closed during the race. In any case, I’m sure I’ll be back before too long to hang out at the beach, ride a bike or just take photos as I did on this morning.

I came here last winter to Fort DeSoto Park in St. Petersburg Florida take a similar picture, the only difference is that from this vantage the sun rose from the right side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and in autumn it rises on the left. This is a favorite spot for local photographers and at least two others were here on the morning I took this. Fort DeSoto is on the Gulf of Mexico and is lined with beaches, bike paths, camping, fishing and pretty much every outdoor sport imaginable. In fact, the morning I took this there was a triathlon getting ready to start so I made sure I got out of the park before it started since the roads would be closed during the race. In any case, I'm sure I'll be back before too long to hang out at the beach, ride a bike or just take photos as I did on this morning.

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Bow River Sunrise

This is the Bow River Valley in Banff Alberta, one of many beautiful places you must visit in Canada. As I had never been here before I wasn’t sure how to catch a sunrise or sunset. The timing of sunrise and sunset is quite a different matter than in Florida where I live. It’s not enough to simply watch the sun as it approaches the horizon, up here the mountains obscure the sun for a while before sunset and after sunrise. So you just have to stand there and wait, which is what I did this morning. I’m not always so patient and so it’s usually better if I don’t have a lot of time to take a picture. On this morning I timed it pretty well so I didn’t have to wait too long. If my memory serves me, I quickly packed up to get back and catch an extra hour of sleep.

This is the Bow River Valley in Banff Alberta, one of many beautiful places you must visit in Canada. As I had never been here before I wasn't sure how to catch a sunrise or sunset. The timing of sunrise and sunset is quite a different matter than in Florida where I live. It's not enough to simply watch the sun as it approaches the horizon, up here the mountains obscure the sun for a while before sunset and after sunrise. So you just have to stand there and wait, which is what I did this morning. I'm not always so patient and so it's usually better if I don't have a lot of time to take a picture. On this morning I timed it pretty well so I didn't have to wait too long. If my memory serves me, I recall that I quickly packed up and went back to catch an extra hour of sleep.

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Patience

One of the many things I love about taking pictures at sunset in Florida is that it’s a great time to view wildlife. This bird, while he had his eye on me, was more concerned with his next meal. Just to the left of the pier were some fishermen and pelicans, wherever there’s one the others are close at hand. In any case, my buddy was ignoring the pelicans and patiently waiting for his prey and after what seemed like an eternity, swooped down and caught dinner. It requires a bit of patience but watching a Heron fish is a lesson in stealth, stillness and surprise. My rambling aside, this was another perfect evening at Coquina Beach in Manatee County, Florida.

One of the many things I love about taking pictures at sunset in Florida is that it's a great time to view wildlife. This bird, while he had his eye on me, was more concerned with his next meal. Just to the left of the pier were some fishermen and pelicans, wherever there's one the others are close at hand. In any case, my buddy was ignoring the pelicans and patiently waiting for his prey and after what seemed like an eternity, swooped down and caught dinner. It requires a bit of patience but watching a Heron fish is a lesson in stealth, stillness and surprise. My rambling aside, this was another perfect evening at Coquina Beach in Manatee County, Florida.
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Vancouver Walk

Not too long ago I took a walk along the entrance of Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia and ended up here. At this spot is where the rowing club is and in the evening you can stand here watching the crews work out. Rowing is another one of those sports I’d like to try, I think it would be much funner than the rowing machine at FitLorenzo (my gym). Even though I’ve been to this spot many dozens of times, there’s always something new to see or notice. And even if there isn’t I find it hard to leave, especially at dusk when the light is slightly muted and everyone is out running or cycling along the path. After I took this shot I headed back to the hotel and was surprised by the harvest moon, I didn’t realize it was on this day. I tried taking a picture of it but moons are tricky and I find it hard to capture it the way I see it with my eyes. Maybe one of these days they’ll figure out how to download the photo’s in my head. Until then I’ll keep trying with my camera.

Not too long ago I took a walk along the entrance of Stanley Park in Vancouver, British Columbia and ended up here. At this spot is where the rowing club is and in the evening you can stand here watching the crews work out. Rowing is another one of those sports I'd like to try, I think it would be much funner than the rowing machine at FitLorenzo (my gym). Even though I've been to this spot many dozens of times, there's always something new to see or notice. And even if there isn't I find it hard to leave, especially at dusk when the light is slightly muted and everyone is out running or cycling along the path. After I took this shot I headed back to the hotel and was surprised by the harvest moon, I didn't realize it was on this day. I tried taking a picture of it but moons are tricky and I find it hard to capture it the way I see it with my eyes. Maybe one of these days they'll figure out how to download the photo's in my head. Until then I'll keep trying with my camera.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Venice Pier

This is Venice Pier on Florida’s west coast. A couple of weeks ago I found myself here with camera in hand. This is a really cool pier and at the foot of it is Sharky’s restaurant which is a must see if you’re visiting the area. This is one of those places we take our guests when they come down to visit. The combination of restaurant and pier on the beach in Florida is always fun. In fact, I was just talking to some friends about how we need more piers so that everybody can walk out to take it all in or go fishing for the afternoon. Of course the reason I really want more piers is so I can take pictures of them at sunset. Maybe one of these days I’ll try fishing off a pier instead, or maybe not.

This is Venice Pier on Florida's west coast. A couple of weeks ago I found myself here with camera in hand. This is a really cool pier and at the foot of it is Sharky's restaurant which is a must see if you're visiting the area. This is one of those places we take our guests when they come down to visit. The combination of restaurant and pier on the beach in Florida is always fun. In fact, I was just talking to some friends about how we need more piers so that everybody can walk out to take it all in or go fishing for the afternoon. Of course the reason I really want more piers is so I can take pictures of them at sunset. Maybe one of these days I'll try fishing off a pier instead, or maybe not.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Squint 2

This is another shot of a sunset in Sarasota Florida I got a couple of months back. For this and the other I was awestruck at the colors and it still ranks as the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen. I have this idea that if you squint, maybe things will look a little different. Well of course they will and I suppose it’s just a metaphor for changing my focus, seeing something in a different way. I think sometimes I squint with my mind, I try not to focus on the details of all going on around me. It’s not a matter of tuning things out so much as paying attention to other things that might be there. But then, the cat meows and I forget was thinking about.

This is another shot of a sunset in Sarasota Florida I got a couple of months back. For this and the other I was awestruck at the colors and it still ranks as the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen. I have this idea that if you squint, maybe things will look a little different. Well of course they will and I suppose it's just a metaphor for changing my focus, seeing something in a different way. I think sometimes I squint with my mind, I try not to focus on the details of all going on around me. It's not a matter of tuning things out so much as paying attention to other things that might be there. But then, the cat meows and I forget was thinking about.

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Moment in Time

One of my favorite subjects is an empty bench facing the sunset. I suppose there is some longing inside of me to just sit and be the person on that bench. But that’s the whole point of these photos, to transport myself from where I am now to this setting. I think that’s why I love photography, it allows me to save these little snippets of time so that I can go back and visit them from time to time. Whenever I do the experiences of that moment come back. For instance, when I took this there was another lady with a camera, probably a tourist, who was so impressed with the scene that she was taking dozens and dozens of pictures of the water and sunset. When I see someone do that I always wonder if they’ll ever go back and actually look at the photos they took. But I suppose that on some level she thought that if she could just get the perfect photo she could go back and look at it from time to time and return to this moment in time. Lady, wherever you are, I’m doing the same thing right now.

One of my favorite subjects is an empty bench facing the sunset. I suppose there is some longing inside of me to just sit and be the person on that bench. But that's the whole point of these photos, to transport myself from where I am now to this setting. I think that's why I love photography, it allows me to save these little snippets of time so that I can go back and visit them from time to time. Whenever I do the experiences of that moment come back. For instance, when I took this there was another lady with a camera, probably a tourist, who was so impressed with the scene that she was taking dozens and dozens of pictures of the water and sunset. When I see someone do that I always wonder if they'll ever go back and actually look at the photos they took. But I suppose that on some level she thought that if she could just get the perfect photo she could go back and look at it from time to time and return to this moment in time. Lady, wherever you are, I'm doing the same thing right now.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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Backyard Sunrise

I live on the west coast of Florida in Manatee County. While that’s great for watching sunsets from the beach over the Gulf of Mexico, it presents a little more of a challenge for catching a good sunrise. However, because I walk my dogs before dawn I usually have an opportunity to look up at the cloud cover and make a guess as to what the sunrise might look like. So it was on this morning as I walked the dogs about ten minutes before sunrise. When I saw the colors begin to display I lost any self restraint and began a mad dash for my camera and car keys. Problem is there aren’t many places near my house where I can get an unobstructed view, …except one place. A couple of blocks away is a vacant lot and next to that is an unobstructed view, …from someone’s backyard. Fortunate for me the owners seemed not to be awake as I quietly positioned my tripod on a steep slope at the edge of the backyard. When done I emerged from the backyard through the lot with tripod and camera in hand and managed to get a worried look from a lady out for a morning walk. Am I a little nuts? Sure, but satisfied nonetheless.

I live on the west coast of Florida in Manatee County. While that's great for watching sunsets from the beach over the Gulf of Mexico, it presents a little more of a challenge for catching a good sunrise with my camera. However, because I walk my dogs before dawn I usually have an opportunity to look up at the cloud cover and make a guess as to what the sunrise might look like. So it was on this morning as I walked the dogs about ten minutes before sunrise. When I saw the colors begin to display I lost all self restraint and began a mad dash for my camera and car keys. Problem is there aren't many places near my house where I can get an unobstructed view, ...except one place. I quickly drove a couple of blocks away to a vacant lot and next to that is an unobstructed view, ...in someones backyard. Fortunate for me the owners seemed not to be awake as quietly positioned my tripod on a steep slope at the edge of their backyard. As I emerged from the backyard through the lot with tripod and camera in hand I managed to get a worried look from a lady out for her morning walk. Am I a little nuts? Yup. Am I glad I got this shot? You betcha.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.

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This Side of Heaven

When I spied this shot I thought maybe I’d died and gone to heaven. Well, maybe not me but the folks watching the sunset in their beach chairs. Not many people that move down here to Manatee County in Florida return to their northern homes unless they’re what we call “snowbirds”; fly down in winter and back up in summer. I used to live in a northern climate and now I think I’d have a hard time going back. It’s true there’s beauty everywhere, but something about the gentle rolling of the waves and the warm breeze is hard to resist. Lets face it, Florida is a retirement state and for good reason. So, while Florida has industries and agriculture, I think it’s biggest draw is tourism. In my opinion it’s too hard to focus the mind when the climate and scenery are this inviting. It’s my theory that people in northern climates are more industrious because they are forced to stay indoors through the long cold months. I don’t know where I’m going with all this, probably nowhere. In any case, when I wake up from this daydream I hope I’m close to this beach. In the meantime, I’m not retired so I better get back to work.

When I spied this shot I thought maybe I'd died and gone to heaven. Well, maybe not me but the folks watching the sunset in their beach chairs. Not many people that move down here to Manatee County in Florida return to their northern homes unless they're what we call
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Lake Minnewanka

Don’t let the clear water and sunny day fool you, this water is about 3C/38F. For a guy from Florida that’s just about the temperature I want my drink to be, not my swim. Even so there were a few brave hearts jumping in this mid-summer day. Apparently the Canadian Coast Guard uses this lake for cold water rescue training. That’s good enough for me, …moving on. The mountains on the left have had prescribed burns and so the forest is healthy, vibrant and growing, however fire suppression on the right has left the soil acidic and unfit for wildlife. Even though the forest looks more healthy, it is not. In any case, I was fascinated about that fact. It seems that the more enlightened we become, the more we realize that mother nature had it all under control in the first place. Go figure.

Don't let the clear water and sunny day fool you, this water is about 3C/38F. For a guy from Florida that's just about the temperature I want my drink to be, not my swim. Even so there were a few brave hearts jumping in this mid-summer day. Apparently the Canadian Coast Guard uses this lake for cold water rescue training. That's good enough for me, ...moving on. The mountains on the left have had prescribed burns and so the forest is healthy, vibrant and growing, however fire suppression on the right has left the soil acidic and unfit for wildlife. Even though the forest looks more healthy, it is not. In any case, I was fascinated about that fact. It seems that the more enlightened we become, the more we realize that mother nature had it all under control in the first place. Go figure.

Follow link to obtain a limited edition print of this photo.