inspired photography with just enough perspective
I took this from Bean Point on Anna Maria Island about a year ago. I was driving by and noticed a water spout which is not all that unusual for late summer. By the time I parked it was disappearing but there were still a few people enjoying the last rays of the day including these three boys. It was one of those moments when everything seems just right and fortunately I was able to get a few images as everything came together to form the perfect end to the day.
I am always surprised at how many people get up before dawn to see the sunrise. For me I think its understandable because I’m taking photos, but a whole bunch of other folks show up at this ungodly hour, park their cars, and walk out on to the pier, takes some of photos and then just turn around and leave. I’m not sure why I find that so interesting, maybe it’s just the realization that there are others doing the exact same thing as me. That’s hard to believe. I’m not really sure what to make of that, I suppose its a good thing.
The most iconic bridge in Tampa Bay is the Skyway. I was in Bradenton before dawn and looked over to see it lit up over the calm waters of the bay. As the crow flies I’m about six miles away yet still it commands attention if you happen to look that way. I was standing next to a much smaller bridge that connects to Anna Maria Island and my idea was to take a picture of that bridge instead, but the Skyway won the day. I have a lot of images of this bridge but that’s the way it is with iconic landmarks when you’re a landscape photographer. I just keep coming back for more.
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The town of Cortez in Florida is one of the last remaining fishing villages left on the East coast of the United States. We come here to a dockside restaurant call Star Fish Market to have some fish and enjoy scenery and village atmosphere. It’s also a magnet for seabirds that feed off the scraps from the fishing boats. Right now the restaurant is in summer shutdown which lasts a few weeks. Hopefully the fishermen are still working or these birds will have to find another place to get their scraps.
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If it’s not obvious, this is a picture of a cloud hanging over the water. I had to say that in case you were looking for some little object of interest like a person or boat. Sometimes I find myself in a situation where the main subject of the scene is simply a cloud. Actually that happens a lot where I live. The heat builds up in the vapor and transforms it into crazy shapes, usually over water. Add the light of dusk and you get a scene like this, if only for a few minutes. This is cloudscape photography. I just made that up. I wonder if that’s a word…? You heard it here first. 😀
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Yet another dazzling display in the sky above my home in Palmetto Florida. You must be getting tired of all my sunsets. However it’s that time of year when every night we get crazy colors in the sky and water. This evening I headed out to get a sunset shot but the sky appeared so flat I turned back home. From my living room I continued to watch the sky and only fifteen minutes later it started turning all crazy like this, so I jumped back in my car again and headed for the water. These high altitude clouds appear flat and featureless when the sun is up, but after it sets they turn into filigree wafts of color enough to turn many a head. They certainly had me running around like a chicken with my head cut off.
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Death, taxes and afternoon thunderstorms are among the few certainties of life. At least it is here in Florida during the summer. I think I would be more surprised if we didn’t get a storm in the afternoon. Like when I lived by the tracks then moved away and couldn’t sleep because there were no trains going by. Thunderstorms are a little like that. We ignore them. They make noise but we tune it out. But lucky for me I’m a photographer and I’m always on the lookout. I didn’t ignore this one. And now, I’ll lay back in bed and wait for the sound of the midnight train. Goodnight all.
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I shot this on a calm afternoon with a few wispy clouds above. I would have preferred a little more drama in the clouds but it wasn’t to be. This is only a few minutes away from my home, I cross this way several times a week. This bridge connects St Petersburg with Manatee County where I live. All ships coming in or out of Tampa Bay pass through here. Now they’re saying that at four hundred feet the bridge isn’t high enough. Its time to go buy a new bridge.
Earlier this year our town had a regatta. Silly me, I thought a “regatta” involved sailboats. Little did I realize these Formula 2 boats would be racing around a track in the river. They closed the main bridge over the river so you could get right on top of the action. These guys/gals are pushing the limits of physics as they try to remain stable on the water at extreme speeds, even so one of flipped upside down on a turn. The pilot was okay and the race continued. So NOW I know what a regatta is all about, silly me.
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Between Coquina and Bradenton Beach is this walkway with shade and picnic tables. On account of the rain and wind it wasn’t too busy today, nevertheless it was pretty warm and quite a few were at the beach anyway. I walked along this between the two beaches and then along the beach for a spell watching the waves and enjoying the warm wind blowing in off the Gulf of Mexico.
