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Sunrise in Siesta Key

I took this last year during a sunrise in Siesta Key. I like wandering around and taking pictures here. The beaches are some of the best in the world. But this time I’m looking at bridges rather than beaches. This is one of two bridges to the mainland and I’m standing in a little park where tour boats pickup guests.

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Sunrise in Siesta Key
Sunrise in Siesta Key

Speaking of tour boats, I did a fishing tour last year not far from here. Normally people come back with bags of fish but I wasn’t so skilled. I’m not cut out for fishing, not patient enough. When I do fish I feel like I need to have a beer or two, it goes down hill from there. Nevertheless, thousands of fishermen around this part of Florida are very productive. They are just as serious about fishing as I am about photography. Perhaps I could offer to take their photo when they catch “the big one”.

Speaking of taking photos of fishermen, that’s exactly what I did later on this morning. A family of fishermen (or fisherpeople?) noticed me an asked if I could take their picture. Normally folks just hand me a cell phone but this time they asked if I’d do it with my own camera. So I did and ended up sending it to them later. They liked it so much they use it for their Facebook profile.

beach gallery

Speaking of Facebook, did you know you can follow me on Facebook? Go on over here and say hello: https://www.facebook.com/JustEnoughFocus . While you’re doing that I’m going to take a break from Facebook and go take more fisherman pictures.

Speaking of which….

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Sutro Baths

This is an example of looking in the other direction during a sunset. The warm light and color in the clouds can be just as valid an image as the sunset itself. These are the Sutro Baths which are at the north end of Ocean Beach in San Francisco. I took this from the Cliff House Bistro where you can eat with a view of the Pacific. I stepped outside to take a few pics of the sunset and then turned my camera north to capture this.

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Sutro Baths
Sutro Baths in San Francisco

Earlier in the day I was on those mountains across the bay at Point Bonita Lighthouse. It’s a thirty minute drive over the mountains with spectacular views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge.

I did not see whales on this visit but have at other times seen Humpback and Orca. I managed to get a few images last time but they didn’t turn out that great since I was too far away.

The Sutro Baths used to be covered by a big structure. There were seven pools that were heated to different temperatures. The baths could be filled at high tide in about an hour. These remnants are all that’s left of what was a popular attraction in late 1800’s. However they are still filled at high tide. At low tide there is a small beach just below the rocks.

San Francisco images

Anyway, this is a place to walk and hike around the cliffs and trails and look out to the sea. I recommend it if your in the area. And who knows you might even see a whale or two.

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You Got My Attention

I’m driving home early one morning and look over to see this scene in the East. Sights like this are like unexpected bonus points. I look over and say to no one in particular, “Okay, you got my attention”. Of course I want to take a photo. I was a few minutes away so I kept my calm, made it home and ran in to grab my camera.

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You Got My Attention
I’m driving along, look over and say “You Got My Attention”

Lately I’ve been taking photos around my town. I’m finding spots I never knew existed. Or sometimes I just stick with places I know. This is obviously of the latter variety.

To get an image like this I took five bracketed photos and combined them. I blended them manually because different areas of the frame look good depending on the exposure. Without that technique the sky would be over exposed and the foreground under exposed. Our eyes see a wider range of light than a typical camera sensor, especially in extreme cases like this.
The sun rays are what caught my attention. I see these regularly around here because of the low clouds in the morning and afternoon. The trick is having a camera ready because it doesn’t last long.

sunrise images

Occasionally we all see nice scenes when out driving. If we happen to notice we’ve usually forgotten in the next minute. However as a landscape photographer I try to notice. It drives me crazy if I don’t have my camera, but when I do I’m very happy. I’m not sure if that’s completely mature of me but I suppose there are worse things to get emotional about.

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An Ageless Confrontation

It seems there is an ageless confrontation between the water and the land. The water attempts to reclaim the land. The land fortifies itself with mangroves. I think the water eventually wins. Sooner or later the land is consumed by the water. Then during another ice age, the water will recede and the land will again take prominence.

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An Ageless Confrontation
An ageless confrontation between the land and the sea

 

For this I used a wide angle lens. When I do that I am trying to capture as much of the sky as possible. This is an ultra-wide angle so everything seems to converge on the horizon. This was taken in an area of mangroves in a near by state park. The mangroves cover a narrow peninsula that extends into the Gulf of Mexico. If it wasn’t for the mangroves the peninsula would have eroded away by storms long ago. That’s a testament to how important mangroves are to the land.

Florida is so flat that it will be one of the first to succumb to the sea. In geological time frames, it wasn’t too long ago that this area was submerged, it will surely happen again.

landscape images

I think if it was possible you could re-visit the earth every million years and it would appear quite different. Nothing in the physical universe is permanent, nor should it be. We are all part of a slow motion cycle of destruction and construction. In fact, that’s one thing that never changes.

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Little Beach with a View

This is an image of the mangroves in Palmetto near my home. It’s a little hidden beach not far from the road. I never knew it was there until I noticed a trail leading into the bush. Much to my surprise there’s a little beach with a view of the sunset.

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Little Beach with a View
Little beach with a view near my home in Palmetto

It’s been said that photographers should first learn to shoot images around their home before venturing out. Years after hearing that I have to agree. In my case the more I explore the more I discover. It’s amazing how many things we overlook when we’re not looking.

I think sometimes children see more than adults. That’s because they have natural curiosity and are more likely to explore. That was true of me as a kid. Through photography I’m getting some of that curiosity back. I suppose it was always there, just dormant for a while.

beach images

Another nice thing about taking pictures around home is that it requires little effort. There is not a lot of travel and within fifteen minutes of walking out the door you can be taking photos. That’s a big plus when you have other responsibilities besides running around like some kid exploring the neighborhood.

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Learning to Fly

It never really occurred to me, but birds learn to fly. They aren’t born flying and after they hatch much of their development is learning to fly. They learn by watching their parents and practicing all of the little steps until they master each one. It takes a lot of practice.

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Learning to Fly
A gull in Tampa Bay on a windy day.

What got me thinking about this is an eagle-cam on YouTube. I’ve watched as the egg hatched and grew to an almost full grown eaglet in just under three months. E9, as he is known, will soon leave the nest and strike out on his own. I’ve watched with fascination as he’s practiced daily all of the little skills required to fly. Sometimes he’ll flap for minutes while balancing on a branch.

In any case, observing the behavior of E9 and his parents has provided a window into their world. Now when I see a bird I have a new appreciation for its early development.

animal images

A few days back I went out on a windy day to take some pictures and noticed a flock of gulls by the water. As they flew against the wind they were nearly stationary in their forward motion. That allowed me to capture some gulls in flight with the bridge in the background. They were quite skilled at flying in blustery conditions. And of course they’ve had plenty of practice.

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Fortunate Enough

This is a long exposure of the marina in Palmetto. Once the sun goes down the glow on the horizon fades for about an hour. The last few minutes of the glow are almost imperceptible yet appears more pronounced with a long exposure. This is image is eight-seconds and of course was taken with a tripod. Because the glow is more pronounced it contrasts with the night sky directly overhead. It’s a unique lighting situation that I was fortunate enough to capture. The scene is enhanced even more by the color of the thin clouds above the boats.

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I Was Fortunate Enough
I was fortunate enough to capture the light of dusk

I didn’t know ahead of time these conditions were occurring. But I had my camera and was looking for something to capture. Taking the time to notice what is happening is a skill. This scene was not apparent with a casual glance. To see a scene like this I need to slow down and put myself in a different mindset. In that mindset I’ll see scenes I’m not necessarily looking for.

boats in the gallery

My theory is that interesting things appear around us all the time. The challenge is to get past that little voice that insists there is nothing to look at. I get that a lot when I go out to do photography. To push past that takes will power. It produces rewards by simply continuing when I think I should give up. I surprise myself sometimes at the shots I get. It’s not that I’m super talented, it’s more that I give myself opportunities. The more I do that the better my chances. That sounds like a sports metaphor but it’s equally applicable to photography, or, any other worthwhile endeavor; at least thats my theory.

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The Final Glow

So often when I walk my dog I wish I had brought my camera. This time I decided to bring it so I could stop at this marina and capture the final glow. It was worth having to carry the camera along with a leash and poop bags for the full length of the walk.

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The Final Glow
The Final Glow

Normally I would just use a cell phone but this time I wanted to see if a real camera made a difference. The iPhone is good but the Sony can get so much more detail and dynamic range.

I like taking my dog with me when I’m shooting landscapes. He loves to come for the ride and I enjoy the company. It’s a mutual partnership. Sometimes I’ll be holding him on the leash with one hand and taking pictures with the other. If he sees another dog and pulls the leash it can get tricky. That happened on this shot as I was composing the shot. It’s all good and in the end we both got what we wanted.

I try not to get too serious when I’m taking photos. Once in a while having a dog along helps me keep it light. It’s important to have fun because that gets reflected in the final images. Ironically, if I get too serious I’m not as relaxed and I’ll miss things.

manatee county gallery

While I would like to take credit for this image, some part it goes to Mr. Wiggles, my trusty sidekick and assistant. I’m not sure if you can tell but we both had fun.

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Things We Overlook

Lately I’ve been taking photos close to home. No matter where we live there are things we overlook. Yesterday I posted a photo along a busy highway. By simply turning around the scene looks remote and secluded. A theme for me in photography, and I suppose life, is perspective. It informs much of what I do. I look for a perspective that resonates amongst the distractions of an urban setting.

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Things We Overlook
Things we overlook in our own backyard

The other night I walked along a trail by the river to take photos of the sunset. As I was returning to my car I noticed this mangrove along the shore. Normally they are clustered together but this stood out with its extended roots. The roots are what protect the shores of Florida from erosion by tides and storms. They are vital to the ecosystem.

Sometimes I see unexpected things by simply turning the camera in a particular direction. From that comes vignettes of nature like this. Most of us live in urban landscapes. As much as I crave nature in national parks, I spend most of my time amongst roads, buildings and power lines.

palmetto photos

Maybe it’s a form of preference. I look for things I need to see. I see them because I’m looking. And at times like this day I see things I wasn’t even looking for. “If you try sometime, you get what you need.”

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I’m Not the Only One

This was taken after a couple days of rain. When it finally cleared up the clouds looked like feathers in the sky. I procrastinated and by the time I decided to take pictures there was not much time left. I quickly drove to a nearby spot by the bridge. Simultaneously as I pulled up so did several other vehicles. It seems I’m not the only one looking for a sunset at the very last minute.

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I'm Not the Only One
I’m not the only one looking for pictures of the sunset

I stood across the street from the water so as not to be obtrusive as I captured this fisherman in profile. He looked up anyway then turned around to take his own picture of the sunset with a phone.

A little to the right a family of seven poured out of a minivan to snap pictures and selfies along the seawall. They must have taken dozens of photos in the fifteen minutes before they loaded back in the van and drove off. I’m sure the pictures were on Facebook and Instagram servers before they ever got home.

It boggles my mind to think how many photos are stored in the cloud. It reminds me of the Akashic records. According to eastern philosophies the Akashic records are a repository of everything that has transpired on earth, maybe even beyond. It seems to me we’re in the process of creating our own digital Akashic records. Now imagine that these photos and videos are all linked together by an enormous Google mind. We could have a record of nearly everything. Of course the digital version only begins within the last ten years, but going forward we have much of it covered.

sunset images

If I’m going to contribute to the photo memory of our planet then I want to save some seaside scenes like this. My photos will be under the sunset section. But if you can’t find them there you could always go back to the Akashic records, they should be in there somewhere.