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Yesterday I got up early to look for some epic shots of the sunrise. Probably because I had an agenda it didn’t work out. I had a location in mind but the weather didn’t cooperate and no matter where I walked I couldn’t find a good composition. I walked back to the parking lot a little defeated and noticed a flock of White Ibis feeding in the shallow waters of Sarasota Bay in front of the car. So I just sat down on the ground to relax and watch them as they worked the shore. I guess the lesson is to keep an open mind because you never know what you’ll see. I think sometimes with photography its better to let the world come to me rather than marching out to find something in my head. Beside it was a much more enjoyable experience just sitting here watching these cool fellas in the morning.
Sarasota Dawning
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I don’t know why I don’t come down here more often. That didn’t sound right, almost like a clumsy pick up line. What I meant to say, …oh never-mind, you know what I meant. But anyway, this is one of those locations in Sarasota where it’s impossible to take a bad photo. I could pretty much hold the camera up and press the shutter and I’m going to end up with something good. At least that’s what I tell myself, your result may vary. So even if you think this is a nice shot, keep in mind it was easy. Not easy as in a pickup line, but you know what I mean.
Nokomis Lifeguard Stand
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My how time flies, I was last here a little over two years ago. I shot from almost the exact same location at around the same time, but the results are quite different. For one, I used a different lens. For another, I used textures on this. My style and inclinations change over time and so I’m finding that if I go back to some of my favorite locations a shoot again, the results are quite different. Here is a link to the old version.
Nokomis North Jetty
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It’s been a while since I’ve been to the north jetty so yesterday evening I headed down here. It’s about 35 minutes from home along the gulf coast and every evening people flock here to watch the sunset. The minute I drove up a couple of dolphins swam by as they meandered about. These shells were deposited on the beach from recent storms; you could just scoop up a handful. The jetty connects the gulf to the intercostal waterway where most folks dock their boats. Evenings like this are a reprieve from the August sun as the breeze coming off the water is oh so nice. Somebody wake me up; on second thought, let me dream on.
Ledo Beach Afterglow
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This was the scene a few hours ago at Ledo Beach in Sarasota Florida. After the sun went down it illuminated these clouds with a peachy yellow glow. It had the effect of a lantern, making everything brighter. A phenomenon I’d not seen before that lasted for about fifteen minutes. Anyway, I was fortunate to see it and have my camera ready. From what I could tell, the other people on the beach were just as amazed as I was.
Venice Pier After Sunset
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This evening I debated whether I should venture out on account of the thunderstorms in the area. Optimism won out and I headed down this way. All the way I thought it would be a waste of a drive but I continued nonetheless. When I got out of the car there was thunder, lightning and light rain. I stuck through it and for about an hour the weather held off. This is a twenty-five second exposure I took about a half hour after sunset. Tonight the cloud colors were best when the sun was well below the horizon. I shot several of these until the rain started up again then drove home through the pouring rain. Chalk one up for optimism.
Walk in the Park
Sarasota Island Park is one of my favorite places to go for local photography. Just before sunset the shadows play on the walkway, something I like to capture. I pick a spot and wait for someone to walk through the frame; a street photography trick. In this case, it’s the curve of the sidewalk and the shadows that I look for, and lucky me I got the whole family, a three for one deal.
Palms in the Park
Palms grow near the wildlife viewing boardwalk in Myakka River State Park. I grew up near the mountains in California where most parks have pines trees or redwoods. Not so here in Florida as pines would not withstand hurricanes. In any case, this boardwalk extends into a wetland were you can see all manner of birds like Herons, Egrets, Osprey, Hawks and Eagles. And just off on the left is Myakka Lake which is home to about five hundred Alligators. Definitely not California.
Lone Palm in Myakka
A lone Palm in an open field in central Florida’s Myakka State Park. These open spaces are necessary for the ecology so its nice we have parks where nature can thrive.
Shaded Bench
A bench in the shade outside the Ringling Museum in Sarasota Florida. I come here from time to time to take pictures of the manicured grounds. This was a particularly hot day and I thought this bench was well placed under the shade of a Banyan. There are a lot of trees here so it makes wandering the grounds a bit easier in summer. They also have ice cold lemonade at a snack bar under one of the largest Banyans in the region. Where would we be without Banyans.