Taken in the morning high up in New Zealand’s southern alps last month.
Simple Pond
I took this from a kayak launch at a nearby park. There’s nothing spectacular about this shot but I think I like the understated nature of it. Just nature, simplicity, lot’s of space. Room to stretch my mind and let the complications of the day dissolve. I think that’s why I like coming to this spot. In any case, the week is almost over and it’s been a busy one for me, so I made a promise to myself to get out somewhere like this where I can let the frenetic pace of the week recede into memory, and hopefully take a few pictures while I’m at it. Have a great weekend everyone.
Sunset Beach
This is a view of Bradenton Beach from Sunset Park before they restored it. As you can see here the water is about twenty or thirty feet from where I’m standing. A massive project to redeposit sand from a couple hundred yards offshore just finished and now the beach extends another fifty feet into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a huge nuisance when they have all that heavy equipment on the beach, kind of like when they repair major roads. But once it’s done things are so pretty you soon forget the stress of construction. Anyway, I think I’ll head down here in the next week to get an “after” shot of the result. I know, any excuse to go to the beach.
Punctuation
I call this shot “Punctuation” because that’s what it reminded me of. I took this one morning in the hills above Arrowtown New Zealand where we captured the sun rising over the mountains. But it’s always good to look in the other direction because you never know what you might be missing. Funny how we always look at what’s obvious and sometimes miss something else just as sublime in the other direction. In this case, the clouds seemed to punctuate that idea. At least that’s how I saw it.
Robinson at Sundown
The other day I walked through Robinson Park just after a rain shower and just before sunset. I think because of the rain the park was deserted which lent a quiet solitude to the place. This was the last shot I took before turning back towards my car. As I walked back I noticed things I didn’t see the other way. And of course with the orange-pinkish clouds I just took my time and enjoyed the moment. Just then a cyclist rode by and when he saw me with my camera, commented “just another day in paradise”. Indeed it is sir, indeed it is.
Casting at Dawn
Wherever you go in Florida you’ll find people throwing nets. It may look easy but it takes some practice. My neighbor purchased one and so we stood on his lawn trying to learn the technique which I can only describe as a combination of lassoing and shot put. And since I’ve done neither the result were a little amusing. A couple years ago I watched a guy throw a net into a local lake and pull out several redfish, he had a cooler full of them which he sold to local restaurants. Anyway, I took this picture a couple weeks ago and this is just one of dozens of casts this fellow made. It looked like hard work with all the gathering and throwing, and if he wasn’t quick to pick up the fish the birds were happy to oblige. Quite the commotion indeed.
Jensen Beach Bridge
Queenstown Gardens Sunrise
This is a little section of town known as Queenstown Gardens. It really is a special place, especially if you can get there in the morning when its quiet and the sun cast long shadows. Of course autumn has a way of painting the landscape vibrant so everything is enhanced for a few short weeks. I felt lucky to be here with so much to see and absorb, probably overload for my brain, but at least with the photos to remind me I can drink it in little sips whenever I want. Ah, New Zealand.
Sunday Morning at the Pier
This is the public pier at Anna Maria Island a couple of Sundays ago. I got here before sunrise yet there were people milling about, getting fishing poles ready or just watching the sunrise. And then just after sunrise a couple of dudes started swimming in the water which was warm and inviting. Then, if all that wasn’t enough, a photography club showed up to take pictures of the pier. So just after sunrise on a Sunday when everyone should have been sleeping in, this place was buzzing. Of course I was there also so I’m not even sure what my point is. Nevermind.
Through the Tall Grass
This is another shot from Emerson Point near my home through the grasses which grow all over. Now that it’s summer we get thunderstorms most afternoons and combined with the heat everything grows like wild. The bermuda grass around my house grows at least six inches in a week. Little frogs, lizards and snakes like to hide under the grass since to them it’s a place of refuge from the heat of the day. But anyway, this isn’t bermuda grass and I’m not very good at writing about grass, I just like the way it looks, especially when there is a sunset beyond.