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Cloud Obsession

It seems I'm on a bit of a cloud theme so I thought I'd continue with this recent shot pointing away from the sunset. Big thick stormy cloud below, higher puffy clouds with blue sky behind and the sun catching each layer in a different way. Is that crazy or what? I'm constantly blown away by what I see but then I'm easily amused so maybe it's just me. However other people notice all of this as well and local news stations post photos of the clouds every day so I can't be the only one. Well, no sense in trying to figure it out, it is what it is.

It seems I’m on a bit of a cloud theme so I thought I’d continue with this recent shot pointing away from the sunset. Big thick stormy cloud below, higher puffy clouds with blue sky behind and the sun catching each layer in a different way. Is that crazy or what? I’m constantly blown away by what I see but then I’m easily amused so maybe it’s just me. However other people notice all of this as well and local news stations post photos of the clouds every day so I can’t be the only one. Well, no sense in trying to figure it out, it is what it is.

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The Hunt at Dusk

This time of year we get a lot of clouds which occasionally produce spectacular sunsets. It's impossible to know exactly how it will turn out, but if you're like me you just show up and hope for the best. Showing up is the hardest part, but once I'm at the beach another set of neurons take over and it's all about the hunt, to find my prey in that golden hour. Well, it seems like that sometimes, stalking compositions and then capturing them. Finally I drive home with that satisfied feeling that I bagged a few good ones now secure inside my camera. Photography has to have a few parallels with hunting, but then you already knew that.

This time of year we get a lot of clouds which occasionally produce spectacular sunsets. It’s impossible to know exactly how it will turn out, but if you’re like me you just show up and hope for the best. Showing up is the hardest part, but once I’m at the beach another set of neurons take over and it’s all about the hunt, to find my prey in that golden hour. Well, it seems like that sometimes, stalking compositions and then capturing them. Finally I drive home with that satisfied feeling that I bagged a few good ones now secure inside my camera. Photography has to have a few parallels with hunting, but then you already knew that.

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Osprey Stare

If you're an Osprey and you live in Florida, you've got it made. We love our Osprey and to show our appreciation we build these platforms high up on poles everywhere. As in everywhere and anywhere; ...cell towers, transmission lines, out in fields, in all the parks, everywhere. This one is near my house and I drove right by as I looked up, put on the brakes, backed up, picked up my camera and said good morning. This guy just stared at me and wondered what the heck I was doing in his territory. Silly me.

If you’re an Osprey and you live in Florida, you’ve got it made. We love our Osprey and to show our appreciation we build these platforms high up on poles everywhere. As in everywhere and anywhere; …cell towers, transmission lines, out in fields, in all the parks, everywhere. This one is near my house and I drove right by as I looked up, put on the brakes, backed up, picked up my camera and said good morning. This guy just stared at me and wondered what the heck I was doing in his territory. Silly me.

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Morning Bench

This bench is at Leffis Key which is one of the places I like to walk around with my camera. It's mostly mangroves and you can walk on elevated wooden walkways all over. Every now and then you end in a vista of the water with a little bench like this. If you get here first thing in the morning you'll see the Pelicans flying by as they go about their morning fishing routine. I like since the water is so calm and all of the wildlife is up and about. You could just sit here and take it all in, which I've been known to do on occasion.

This bench is at Leffis Key which is one of the places I like to walk around with my camera. It’s mostly mangroves and you can walk on elevated wooden walkways all over. Every now and then you end in a vista of the water with a little bench like this. If you get here first thing in the morning you’ll see the Pelicans flying by as they go about their morning fishing routine. I prefer the morning since the water is calm and all of the wildlife is up and about. You could just sit here and take it all in, which I’ve been known to do on occasion.

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Bennett Park

This is a relatively new park that I've passed many times on the interstate but never bothered to check it out. That's because I had this preconceived notion that because it was by a highway it couldn't be all that good. I was pleasantly surprised in that only a portion of it is along the highway and that there is plenty of space for ponds and areas of restoration and habitation of the local wildlife. This pond had a warning sign about the alligators, so I was on the lookout as I captured this. In the end the only thing that bit me was a few fire-ants amongst the tall grasses as I composed the shot. Now that I know better I'll come back, keeping a close eye on where I step.

This is a relatively new park that I’ve passed many times on the interstate but never bothered to check it out. That’s because I had this preconceived notion that because it was by a highway it couldn’t be all that good. I was pleasantly surprised in that only a portion of it is along the highway and that there is plenty of space for ponds and areas of restoration and habitation of the local wildlife. This pond had a warning sign about the alligators, so I was on the lookout as I captured this. In the end the only thing that bit me was a few fire-ants amongst the tall grasses as I composed the shot. Now that I know better I’ll come back, keeping a close eye on where I step.

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Vineyard at Night

Recently I've visited the Rosa Fiorelli winery in Manatee County not far from my home. This is a small family run winery that has won many awards for it's wines as well as the hearts of locals, me included. Sal, the owner was kind enough to allow me back in the evening to get a few shots of the vineyard at dusk. I'm originally from California and used to wineries everywhere, But finding such a beautiful winery in my own backyard here in Florida is an unexpected pleasure.

Recently I’ve visited the Rosa Fiorelli winery in Manatee County not far from my home. This is a small family run winery that has won many awards for it’s wines as well as the hearts of locals, me included. Sal, the owner was kind enough to allow me back in the evening to get a few shots of the vineyard at dusk. I’m originally from California and used to wineries everywhere, But finding such a beautiful winery in my own backyard here in Florida is an unexpected pleasure.

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Watching the Beach

So this is the season when we get a lot of lightning. By

So this is the season when we get a lot of lightning. By “a lot”, I mean, …at this time of year this part of Florida gets more lightning than any place on earth. At least that’s what I heard, but I’m too lazy to look it up and back up my “facts”, but I think it’s true. On a typical afternoon I can look out the window and see a flash almost every second. Usually it’s a good ten miles off, but occasionally it’s right over the house. It really scares my dog. All of this is a long winded way of saying that when I took this, there was lighting overhead. This lady was a little braver than me, all I could do was snap a picture of her and then run back to my car. I think she did the same thing shortly thereafter.

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Chair and Sky

This evening I headed up to Emerson Point to catch the colors and watch the sun go down. It was a little breezy and this kite surfer dude was having fun. It seems that a lot of people are out having fun here in Florida. I guess you can count me in on that since I tried Paddleboarding on Saturday. Kind of like paddling a canoe, only you're standing up. Takes a little getting used but the worst that can happen is you fall into the warm water. Its the middle of summer and it's hard to take things too seriously, just relax and go with the flow. Hope you all had a good weekend.

This evening I headed up to Emerson Point to catch the colors and watch the sun go down. It was a little breezy and this kite surfer was having fun. It seems that a lot of people are out having fun here in Florida. I guess you can count me in on that since I tried Paddleboarding on Saturday. Kind of like paddling a canoe, only you’re standing up. Takes a little getting used but the worst that can happen is you fall into the warm water. Its the middle of summer and it’s hard to take things too seriously, just relax and go with the flow. Hope you all had a good weekend.

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Simple Pond

I took this from a kayak launch at a nearby park. There's nothing spectacular about this shot but I think I like the understated nature of it. Just nature, simplicity, lot's of space. Room to stretch my mind and let the complications of the day dissolve. I think that's why I like coming to this spot. In any case, the week is almost over and it's been a busy one for me, so I made a promise to myself to get out somewhere like this where I can let the frenetic pace of the week recede into memory, and hopefully take a few pictures while I'm at it. Have a great weekend everyone.

I took this from a kayak launch at a nearby park. There’s nothing spectacular about this shot but I think I like the understated nature of it. Just nature, simplicity, lot’s of space. Room to stretch my mind and let the complications of the day dissolve. I think that’s why I like coming to this spot. In any case, the week is almost over and it’s been a busy one for me, so I made a promise to myself to get out somewhere like this where I can let the frenetic pace of the week recede into memory, and hopefully take a few pictures while I’m at it. Have a great weekend everyone.

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Sunset Beach

This is a view of Bradenton Beach from Sunset Park before they restored it. As you can see here the water is about twenty or thirty feet from where I'm standing. A massive project to redeposit sand from a couple hundred yards offshore just finished and now the beach extends another fifty feet into the Gulf of Mexico. It's a huge nuisance when they have all that heavy equipment on the beach, kind of like when they repair major roads. But once it's done things are so pretty you soon forget the stress of construction. Anyway, I think I'll head down here in the next week to get an

This is a view of Bradenton Beach from Sunset Park before they restored it. As you can see here the water is about twenty or thirty feet from where I’m standing. A massive project to redeposit sand from a couple hundred yards offshore just finished and now the beach extends another fifty feet into the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a huge nuisance when they have all that heavy equipment on the beach, kind of like when they repair major roads. But once it’s done things are so pretty you soon forget the stress of construction. Anyway, I think I’ll head down here in the next week to get an “after” shot of the result. I know, any excuse to go to the beach.

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