This morning I got up for sunrise and man was I glad I did. The sky this morning in Queenstown New Zealand was epic. It’s going to take a while to processes all of this, photographically and emotionally. I suppose there a bit of luck involved, but since I’ve been here the compositions presented are endless, and the magic is palpable. The south island in New Zealand is one of the best kept secrets on the planet, either that or I don’t get out enough, probably a bit of both. Nevertheless I’m glad I’m here now and have this opportunity to capture a little of the magic to bring home.
Autumn In New Zealand
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.
Columbia Ice Fields Parkway
Last summer I was along a highway in Alberta Canada and this was the view at every turn. If I had stopped at every photo opportunity I’d still be there now, and maybe that’s not such a bad idea. But anyway, right now I’m on my way to New Zealand where I get to see mountains again and so I thought I post this to get me in the right frame of mind. Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Keep mountains in your home with a framed print of this image
Venice Pier Wide Angle
Every now and then I pull out the wide angle fisheye lens to see what happens. I’ve had this photo in the closet for over six months, almost forgot about it. Venice is a lovely little town in Florida, and they have this lovely little pier that appears even smaller than it should because of the fisheye. But as I recall, it wasn’t the pier I was looking at, rather the sky and clouds. As you can see they were crazy and I felt compelled to take drastic measures. I think that sounds a little too dramatic, …I calmly looked up and thought in passing that perhaps I might consider a viable alternative. Who am I kidding? I was as a mad man as I fumbled for my fisheye racing against the clock nearly dropping my camera in the water in the process. Yup, that was pretty much it, beautiful sky, sheer panic.
Prevent a panic attack and purchase a beautiful mounted print of this photo.
Trespassing
Near my home is an abandoned development that is fenced in on all sides with no trespassing signs. But my right brain has an ongoing argument with my left brain about this place and yesterday, righty won. Basically, lefty said you can’t go there, it’s against the rules but then righty says, ah man, gimme a break, I could get some nice photos. After not getting enough sleep lefty was caught off guard as I found myself hopping a fence to commit a misdemeanor. But the way I see it, this shot needed to be made before they restart construction and vista disappears. Wait, …was that a tacit approval from lefty?
Quick, purchase a print of this before lefty changes his mind.
Bradenton Beach Dunes and Restoration
A few weeks back I took this picture of Bradenton Beach from the dunes. Actually I’ve been doing a lot of that lately, …but anyway, I couldn’t help but be impressed by how wide the beach was, in an unsettling way. Kind of like when you see someone that changed their appearance slightly but you just can’t put your finger on it. After I took a bunch of shots I was walking back to my car and met some guy that asked me about my camera and tripod. Turns out he’s the photographer in charge of documenting the beach restoration. What that means is that they added about fifty feet of beach out into the ocean since the last time I was here. Sure enough, when I got home and checked my GPS geotags on Google Maps using satellite imagery, a bunch of my shots where taken from in the water. He said that if they didn’t do that every few years Anna Maria Island and this beach would disappear. Here is a link to a picture I shot of the same area with about fifty feet less beach. Kinda makes you think, doesn’t it?
Purchase this photo of the lovely restored beach before it disappears again.
Sundown at the Beach
Last night after Easter dinner I headed to the beach to grab a few shots. This is the vegetation on the dunes. It’s amazing what you can do at f9 and a tripod. 😉
Family Time
This four legged friend was eager to fetch the sticks as I stood back and captured this shot one evening at the end of Emerson Point. As I watched I felt a little guilty that I had my camera rather than my dogs, I’m sure they would have loved to have been here. Whenever I do bring them they are so happy for the freedom and exercise. Next time.
Emerson First Pond
I took this yesterday morning just after sunrise. It was too cloudy to get a good sunrise, nevertheless the soft light made for plenty of photo opportunities. This was at the first pond as you enter the park. Typically large wrens or egrets hang out here as it’s relatively undisturbed, save the occasional over zealous photographer. This park is a wildlife sanctuary and whenever we get cold snaps up north many of the large graceful migratory birds use this as the Holiday Inn until they can return north.
Mangrove Sandbar
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.