inspired photography with just enough perspective
A little over a week ago I got a little lost on my way to Half Moon Bay, but lost in a good way. No schedule, headed for the ocean, just taking it all in. I came upon this tree around a bend and knew I had come to the right place. There is a lot of good energy in this forest.
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I arrived in Vancouver this afternoon and decided to drive up the coast to see what I could see. As it’s spring here in British Columbia there’s quite a bit of runoff from the mountains. I captured this creek just below Shannon Falls.
The colors on New Zealand’s south island were in full array last week, and none more than Arrowtown. Located in a valley it was surrounded by an explosion of colors on all sides. Here we walked through a park at the end of the day looking for compositions. We didn’t have to look too far. 😉
This is the lookout tower at Robinson Preserve in Bradenton. Actually, most natural preserves in my area have lookout towers because its so flat you need some way to see above the scrub and trees. Any place that has mountains, or even hills, would have no use for these because if you want a vista you just walk to the top of the nearest hill. As I write this I’m on the south island of New Zealand and I’ve not seen a single tower like this. What I have seen are plenty of hills and mountains. Two different worlds entirely.
We’re not in Kansas anymore. That’s an understatement if I do say so myself, which I just did. We arrived here after two days to travel just as the southern hemisphere celebrates autumn. One look tells me we’re in for a sensory overload. First the bad news. Theres no way the beauty of this place can be conveyed in pictures. Now the good news, I’m going to try. Maybe I got the good news bad news reversed, but I digress. I took a short walk around dusk and was presented with compositions at every turn, this being one. From way down under, I wish everyone a beautiful weekend, be it spring or autumn.
This is a mangrove that’s taken over a sandbar just down the street from my home along the Manatee River in Palmetto. In the southern states along the Gulf Coast these mangroves are a natural defense against the erosion caused by hurricanes. As a result they are protected by the state and local governments. Basically you don’t mess with them, just leave them alone and let them do their job. Anyway, I thought the calm water created by the sandbar made for a nice reflection. Have a lovely day everyone.
I left home this evening knowing I wanted to take pictures but with no clear destination in mind. I was headed to the beach to capture a sunset when I noticed this preserve. Two days ago Neal Preserve in Bradenton Florida opened to the public after about a year of construction. I’ve been anticipating this for ages and this evening I lucked out. I’m not sure construction adequately describes the work that goes into the creation of a preserve, it’s part ecology, part terraforming and a good dose of trail construction. Many of the pathways are elevated above the mangroves, and the scrub is perfect for nesting and burrowing. Just after sundown I saw owls and raccoons coming out for their nocturnal routines. In any case, I took a more photos which I’ll post in the coming weeks. I’m so happy and excited that I’ve found a new place to take photos of nature near my home.
For me Friday usually brings with it a feeling of relief, like wow, I made it through another one. Maybe it’s time to kick back on a bench and soak up some rays. Actually this lady was checking e-mail on a phone, but never-mind that, she got most of it right. Of course I was standing right behind her clicking away, but never-mind that also. Let’s all just take a minute and turn down the e-mail dinger on our smartphones and go to that quite place if just for a few minutes. Who am I kidding, I wouldn’t last 10 minutes. But hey, it’s Friday and I’m feeling better already. Happy Friday everyone.
So I’m getting the hang of my Sony camera, it’s a big switch from the Nikon. There are things I like about the Nikon including the lenses, but Sony seems to be writing a new page in the book of camera evolution. The biggest difference is the size, it’s so much smaller than a comparable Nikon or Canon. Which brings be to today’s photo. I shot this while walking my two dogs at Island Park and it was pretty easy. I’ve tried this with the bigger Nikon and it wasn’t so easy. With a small camera you seem to have more options and flexibility and, just kind of blend into the background. And that, might just lead to more opportunities to capture life and beauty all around. In my opinion, Sony has done with the camera what they did with the Walkman so many years ago. Thank you Sony.
Across the river from my home is the Bradenton Riverwalk where you can walk, jog, bike or skate. On weekends and evenings it can be quite busy especially when they have food and music festivals. My favorite time to come here is the morning just as the sun is rising. Because it’s such a heroic effort for me I’m always surprised at how many people get up and out early for a jog or walk. This was taken right next to an empty skateboard park early one morning a few weeks back.