inspired photography with just enough perspective
When I lived up north in the cold and then visited a warm place, I would savor the last remaining moments of my vacation. I think that’s what was happening when I took this shot. A couple enjoying a last swim in the Gulf of Mexico one evening under a beautiful sunset in Bradenton Beach Florida. All good things come to and end, and fortunate for me I was here when it happened.
Sailboats moored on a foggy morning along the Manatee River at De Soto National Memorial.
Bradenton, Manatee County, Florida
I don’t know about you but I’m glad, REALLY GLAD, it’s Friday. …There I go again, …making stuff up. I’m writing this on a Wednesday but I’m pretending it’s Friday so on Friday (today) it seems current. So in reality it’s Wednesday, but on Friday I’m planning on being really happy so I thought I’d post a picture of a wild sunset. The only thing that could go wrong is we get invaded by aliens on Friday and everyone is freaked out and gloomy while I’m posting pictures of happy sunsets. I’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. Until then, speaking from Wednesday, happy Friday everyone. Hopefully the aliens haven’t invaded, …yet.
I just happened to be in Holmes Beach when the light was soft and the water was still and everything lined up, …except I didn’t win the lottery. Two outta three ain’t bad. It would be an eight mile swim to that bridge from this point, but I’m in no hurry, I’m on Florida time. Who am I kidding, I’m always in a hurry, except when I’m not. This day I was in a hurry to get to the beach to get a sunset shot, but this ended up being my favorite of the day, too many clouds for a sunset. So much for hurry. The sign says it all. The bridge in the background is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, an icon of the Tampa Bay region in Florida.
This is a foggy morning at The Riverwalk in Bradenton Florida. Ninety-nine point nine nine percent of the time it’s sunny and warm here, but you know me, I have to get “the shot”, the epic event, the perfect photo. Yes, those feelings of grandeur and more flooded my mind when the weatherman forecasted fog. Fog? In Florida? Say it aint so. Yeah, well… In any case, it doesn’t take a lot to get me excited, just give me a little weather and watch me go, must be amusing to watch. These poor souls where simply walking or biking to work when some crazed photographer showed up with a tripod to capture the moment. I’m sure they’re still wonder about it. But I got the shot so I’m happy.
I took this picture one evening as I watched the Pelicans fly by Robinson Preserve in Bradenton Florida. What impressed me was that all the Pelicans seemed to be going in the same direction. As a rule, creatures in the wild are fairly smart, more so than I give them credit for. After quite few flew by my lens, I theorized they must be going somewhere specific. Maybe this is the appointed time that fishing boats come in, or maybe they just have a favorite place to sleep for the evening. Whatever the case they all seemed to have the same appointment in their calendars. After I took this picture I followed their lead and headed home for an appointment to eat supper and call it a day. Great minds think alike.
This is indeed the end of the Manatee River where it opens into the Gulf of Mexico in Manatee County Florida. My father was an eye doctor who warned me not to look at the sun, so naturally I hear this in my head whenever I take a sunset. Basically my process is to line up my camera, push the shutter button and hope for the best. I suppose we all do that, right? Anyway, when the sun is at this position there’s no time left as it quickly sinks into the horizon, it’s click time or go home. In effect, this is a picture of the sun while I was squinting, clicking away like paparazzi and hoping for the best. I suppose this is another thinly veiled metaphor for life; point in the general direction, squint, execute and then hope for the best.
The interstate near my home was recently shutdown and traffic got routed through the city streets. While this created a nightmare for drivers, it presented an opportunity for me to capture the cars moving over the bridge during rush hour. Unbeknownst to the drivers, there was another traffic jam of sorts as all of the seagulls clamored for front row seats to the spectacle and/or good spot to spend the night. I’m not sure which is more disturbing, the traffic jam or the fact that I managed to relate it to a flock of seagulls.
Is it any wonder that sometimes I run out of words? At the end of Emerson Point in Manatee County Florida is where a few of us locals go to watch the sunset. Sure, the beaches are good, but there are a few secret places like this that, well, leave me at a loss for words. So perhaps I’ll just leave it at that. Have a great weekend everyone.
Florida is emerging from the crash of the US real estate market. Near where I live is an abandoned development where all the roads and utilities where built but not a single house. I’ve never been on the property myself, but I took this one morning from a spot that looks over the mangroves along the river onto the abandoned development. Folks in my town of Palmetto expect that someone will revive the project at some point. And when they do, some lucky homeowner is going to wakeup to a sunrise like this each morning. I’m thinking that’s probably worth a penny or two in property value. Just a guess.
