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Lens Flare

The other day I went to Bean Point on Anna Maria Island to capture this image. I didn’t notice it at the time, but there is quite a lot of lens flare. Nerd that I am, it got me wondering about the optics that produced it. Might another lens to create a different effect?

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Lens Flare
A typical sunset from Bean Point on Anna Maria Island

Nevertheless, the photo was taken at f18 at its normal to get a starburst at that aperture; that’s how we get the star effects on street lights at night. However, this looks like a combination of starburst and lens flare, and that’s what made it a little unique, at least for me.

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The main reason I used such a small aperture was to get an extended depth of field; meaning I wanted everything to be in focus, from the plants up close to the clouds. Using a high f-stop number is a way to get that, however, because it restricts the amount of light coming in, you may need a tripod lest your images come out blurry from camera shake. In this case, the effect is like a splash of light; which goes to prove that happy mistakes happen all the time.

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Bean Point

This is from Bean Point on Anna Maria Island. It’s a beach with no parking and a little hike. It’s a sanctuary of sorts; aside from the solitude there are various types of wildlife that find refuge here including colonies of skimmers. But of course, come with my camera for the sunsets and to walk the beach.

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Bean Point
Bean Point on Anna Maria Island

It’s easy to walk around the point and on the other side is the Rod and Reel Pier which is a local favorite for fishing or a blackened grouper sandwich. The area is so low key you might think you were in the tropics somewhere.

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I took this over two years ago, but when I go back today it looks the same. Not much changes here and if you are into a slower pace of life then this where you want to be. Actually, all of Anna Maria Island is a slower pace than the mainland and Bean Point (at least for me) is the best example of it. It’s a good place to go and forget for a spell.

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It Just Seems That Way

This is another image from Bean Point at the tip of Anna Maria Island. There is no parking and so the only people that show up here are those living or staying within walking distance. That’s why it’s one of my favorite places for photography at sunset.

It Just Seems That Way
We are not insignificant, but sometimes it just seems that way.

A continuing theme for me is to use clouds in an image to represent proportion and scale. So typically people or manmade subjects become small in relation to the clouds and surrounding environment. The purpose is to draw attention to the scale of nature around us. For me the message is one of reintegration into our otherwise ignored surroundings.

More images of Anna Maria Island from the gallery

Only after I became a photographer did I even begin to notice things around me, such as the formation of clouds. Now I look at the world different from before, I see our existence in relation to our environment. That provides a sense of perspective, something to glimpse a grander scale of things. Without that we tend to focus on small things in front of our faces without ever looking up. It’s like zooming out on a map; we begin to seem insignificant. But of course we are not, it just seems that way.

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We are never alone, even when we think we are

We Are Never Alone
We are never alone, even when we think we are.                                                       Obtain gallery print

At times we need to be alone with the elements. Something about that reminds us that,  in fact, we are never truly alone.

I recently read a book called The Light Between Us by Laura Lynne Jackson. It’s basically an autobiography of a person who grew up with a special gift to communicate with the “Other Side”. In it she details the struggles she overcame learning how to deal with that without having someone to help her. Nonetheless, she is one of a handful of scientifically certified psychics in the US and has helped many people bridge the gap between this world and the next as it pertains to bereavement. So, the moral of the story is we’re never really alone. The world we live in is just a subset of the real world and we are surrounded by many who love us all the time, whether we are aware of it or not.

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Beach Houses on Anna Maria Island

Beach Houses in Anna Maria
Beach Houses on Anna Maria Island                                      Obtain a fine art print

Walking around the beaches of Anna Maria Island you’ll find houses along the water with a view of the gulf. Some are located on relatively isolated stretches so that even if there are a lot of people at the beach these sections are quiet. Walking past this area the beach was was quiet and undisturbed as evidenced from a colony of skimmers that nest and feed here. As I walked past they paid me little heed as they rested on one leg. I live only twenty minutes away but I keep telling myself that one day I’ll just rent a beach house and do a staycation. I think this remote strip suits me just fine.

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Saturday at the Beach on Anna Maria Island

Bean Point on Anna Maria Island
The beach at Bean Point on Anna Maria Island Florida                                      Click to purchase a fine art print

Saturday I went for a walk around the tip of Anna Maria Island. Most of the walk is along the beach at Bean Point as it wraps around the tip of the island. There was a breeze and sound of the waves the whole way and that was a good thing. This is the time of year when the extreme heat abates and an extended walk or exercise outside is refreshing because the humidity is lower. In any case I plan on doing more of these walks because, well, …no bad thing comes from time on the beach.

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End of the Day

This is at the very tip end of Anna Maria Island locally known as Bean Point. My wife and I came here last night to catch the sunset and take a few photos. We lingered until dark, relishing every last bit of the pastel hues and warm water until we knew we must go. On our way out we stopped at the local ice cream shop and to our surprise there was a line out the door. I thought to myself, what an iconic little village, and what better way to enjoy a Sunday evening than watch the sunset and stop for ice cream on the way home.

This is at the very tip end of Anna Maria Island locally known as Bean Point. My wife and I came here last night to catch the sunset and take a few photos. We lingered until dark, relishing every last bit of the pastel hues and warm water until we knew we must go. On our way out we stopped at the local ice cream shop and to our surprise there was a line out the door. I thought to myself, what an iconic little village, and what better way to enjoy a Sunday evening than watch the sunset and stop for ice cream on the way home.

Click on photo to enlarge

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Bean Point

This is Bean Point which is at the end of Anna Maria Island here in central Florida. When I arrived a group of people were watching the last remnants of a waterspout that seemed more a curiosity than any real danger. It's no wonder that meteorologists like this area. Changing subjects, I've recently come to learn that these tall grasses are known as sea oats. That's cool, but what I really want to know is if they're gluten free. Okay, that was dumb.

This is Bean Point which is at the end of Anna Maria Island here in central Florida. When I arrived a group of people were watching the last remnants of a waterspout that seemed more a curiosity than any real danger. It’s no wonder that meteorologists like this area. Changing subjects, I’ve recently come to learn that these tall grasses are known as sea oats. That’s cool, but what I really want to know is if they’re gluten free. Okay, that was dumb.

Click on photo to enlarge