manateecounty Archives - Page 23 of 38

July 12, 2016July 13, 2016

Reflection Study

I drive by this pond quite a lot and this morning I happen to have my camera. As I passed I thought to turn around and get a picture. I’ve taken this before but no two days are alike and indeed it came out quite different.

This is a continuation of a study of reflections I’ve been doing. The study is to capture or produce reflections to add interest to an image.

I never get tired of reflections. In some cases they can be more compelling from than their source, at the very least they enhance it. Reflections resonate with us for reasons we can only guess. Perhaps it is a hint to how we perceive world.

more reflections

I used another photo of clouds and combined it for the sky. This is an example of using textures to enhance the flat section of an image.

I’ll continue posting these them in the days and weeks ahead as I continue to explore both real and artificial reflections in my images.

June 30, 2016June 30, 2016

Waterway Panorama

Lately I’ve been taking panoramas of places near home. This is from the bridge to Anna Maria Island and is four images taken side-by-side and then stitched together. Actually I took six images but the full length is too long for social media.

The images are taken in portrait mode meaning I held the camera on its side. The result is that there is a lot of detail, so much that you can zoom in to see a little things you wouldn’t normally see in a photo. The main reason for doing this is because the print resolution is so good.

I love looking at panoramas displayed on walls. It invites you to get right up close and experience the image in a more personal way. But it is a physical medium, not necessarily a good fit for social media.

full gallery

All that aside, as you can see this was near sunset on a cloudy day and all kinds of strange things happened with the light and how it played out on the water. Funny thing is, had it not been a panorama I might not have even noticed all that detail.

June 29, 2016

Heaven on Earth

Here I am looking across the Manatee River on an early morning after the rains. The combination of the clouds and calm waters is just a lucky happenstance of timing. Any later and the breeze picks up to ripple the water. Any earlier and I was just standing in the rain. But as the clouds broke and the sun began to rise it created this dramatic affect in the sky. Quite frankly it reminds me of a painting of heaven. I’d like to think that in my own version of heaven this is what it looks like.

Irrespective of that, I gravitate to idyllic scenes in my photography. Simple images that try not to cover too many subjects is best. Ironically, keeping it simple can easier said than done. I for one am easily enamored with all the little details, maybe because I’m a bit of a geek. But aesthetically, the more simple an image is the better, too many details water down the story an image conveys.

abstract gallery

Anyway, I can ramble on forever about composition, but in truth I consider myself a beginner, I have so much to learn and I expect it will continue to be a life long learning quest. But for now, simple, calm and idyllic; that’s my favorite recipe.

June 26, 2016

Leffis Key Dune

There is nothing higher than a palm tree in central Florida. As a result there aren’t may places you can go to get a perspective of the landscape other than a bridge or lookout tower. Leffis Key however contains a dune covered with vegetation that provides just barely enough elevation to look out onto the inter-coastal waterway. In this image the sun is rising over the fishing village of Cortez. Whenever visitors ask me where to get fresh fish I always recommend Cortez.

This is a single image HDR. That just means I didn’t use multiple exposures to balance the highlights with the darker areas. The sensor in the Sony A7R2 camera captures an very wide range of light so that images like this are possible. That wasn’t the case just a couple years ago unless we combined multiple images using HDR.

anna maria island

There was a breeze blowing so that the grasses swayed from side to side. Using traditional HDR, I would have taken three shots and combined them, however that normally causes problems with ghosting of the grass as it moves between each frame. Those problems are eliminated with a single frame and so it makes possible compositions like this. The technology in cameras is getting better every year and it makes me wonder what we’ll be able to do in another year or two. It’s is an exciting time for photography and geeks like me.

June 23, 2016

Symmetry in Nature

I took this picture on a recent walk around Perico Preserve in Bradenton. Its one of two outlets to the bay and facing an adjacent preserve. We are fortunate to have these preserves set aside. They are within urban areas yet they provide an important sanctuary for the regions wildlife. And of course they are natural setting for us humans to enjoy as well.

By using a wide-angle lens the clouds appear to converge at the center. That’s an effect I like to use to emphasize the clouds. In Florida we don’t have mountains so clouds are good substitute for filling the upper half of the frame. I am standing on a footbridge above the inlet so the sides of the preserve provide natural symmetry. I think the symmetry is why I like this image, it doesn’t always occur in nature.

cloudscapes in the gallery

I grew up in the western United States and was exposed to the wide open expanses of that region. So naturally I gravitate towards uncluttered landscapes such as this because it beautiful. Isn’t it funny how we ascribe beauty to nature? Without effort or design nature surpasses the most talented artist among us.

June 21, 2016June 21, 2016

Half by Chance

As is normally the case, I had no idea where I was going. All I knew was that it was before dawn on a Saturday and I was driving somewhere to take a picture of something yet to be determined. It’s not a very exact plan but sometimes that’s just how I roll. Often I have no idea where I’m going when I go out to take pictures. Instead of turning left I turn right and just go with the flow of random-ness in the universe.

I ended up outside the gates at Desoto Point looking at rain clouds and trying to remember why this was better than bed. I put on a poncho and walked to the shore. I told myself that once I got there I could turn around and head home knowing that I tried. Standing there in the rain I was grateful for the solitude, and the poncho. About the same time I noticed the clouds starting to break up. Sure enough the clouds parted, the sun rose and I captured the moment with what seemed to me like a bit of luck.

visit the gallery

I could have left for home before the scene unfolded, or not even walked the trail to the shore. The fact that I did and stayed seemed to me at the moment to be more chance than purpose. That attitude comes from many occasions where it doesn’t work out. So I suppose the odds were in my favor this time and I managed to get the shot, even if it was half by chance.

June 20, 2016

Roseate Spoonbills

The other day I was walking through the newly opened Perico Preserve when I spotted these Roseate Spoonbills. They were busy feeding in the shallows of a pond and they didn’t seem to mind me taking their picture. I was struck by the color of their feathers which reminded me of flamingos.

When I was in southern France I heard that the flamingos are pink because they eat so much shrimp. I’m no expert but I wonder about that since even flamingos in captivity are pink. These spoonbills are not in captivity and I don’t think they eat much shrimp. I think the pink color is natural and it tends to confuse people like me into thinking they’ve seen a flamingo. I imagine it happens a lot here in Florida.

other images featuring birds from the gallery

Its pretty amazing that I could just walk upon these. I get a similar feeling when I see herons, egrets and pelicans right up close. Many of them have grown accustomed to people and will not flee as long as you don’t indicate harm. In fact yesterday, I was walking through another trail and came upon two rabbits. Rather than run they just parted to either side of the trail to let me pass and then resumed to what they were doing. Not sure where I’m going with all of this other than I consider it a privilege to interact with the wildlife. I guess I just don’t look scary enough.

June 19, 2016

Lost in Reverie

This is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge as it leads into Tampa Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. I was standing in my hometown of Palmetto about six miles away when I took this. I used a tripod to steady it since it was dusk and the light was fairly dim. The final image is composed of several parts combined into one. It’s an artistic rendering of the bridge as I imagine it. I do a lot of that with my photography, especially as I visit sites and scenes I’ve shot many times before. You might think I get bored from going to the same places time after time. On the contrary, it’s just the opposite; it fuels a desire to become more creative which in turn opens up all kinds of possibilities.

At times I take pictures just for the raw material of a creative rendering such as this. When I sit down to create the image I use a lot of different tools in the same way a painter uses a brush and pigments. I can spend hours on an project, working away hour after hour lost in creative reverie. Then at some point, I run into a wall and put it aside. Then when I look at it later I may start up again. And so it goes until I’m done.

more unusual images from the gallery

On the one hand I’m never really done with an image like this yet on the other I have to draw a line somewhere. It can be hard to let go sometimes. I’ve walked away from this image several times only to come back and have another go at it. But for now this is it, I’ve drawn the line and I’m off to my next project.

June 15, 2016June 15, 2016

Morning Reflection

The fishing pier at Bradenton Riverwalk is another favorite composition of mine because of how the light plays on the still waters. I’ve taken this shot several times before and I’ll probably continue to take more when I end up here in the morning. I suppose I can start a fishing pier gallery before too long.

As soon as the sun rises the breeze starts which then disturbs the glass-like surface of the water. But during those few minutes at dawn this is what it looks like.

As you probably already know I love reflections in the water, there’s something surreal about it that transforms an ordinary scene in a way that’s hard to explain. I look for reflections whenever I’m out shooting and the more I find the better. Sometimes even a puddle of rain water will do. Reflections are like portals into another world, one that insinuates something more ethereal.

More images of the Riverwalk in Bradenton

So yes, I’m a big fan of reflections, and since this place is close to home you’re likely to see more of them in the weeks and months to come.

June 7, 2016

Perico Preserve Path

This is a path through a just opened park near my home known as Perico Preserve. Like many of the preserves in the area it’s a habitat for shore birds and other forms of wild life such as tortoises. It was my first visit and I was pleasantly surprised by the experience of walking through it’s pathways. As preserves go, this is a gem. I think for me it will be a regular stop as I am a voracious consumer of landscapes for photography.

This is a section of the path between ponds. The paths are made from crushed shells which are abundant in this area. The first time is always a bit magical because I don’t know what to expect around each curve. This natural arch seemed like a gateway to what lay beyond the next bend.

more landscape photography in the gallery

I was here only two days ago and since that time we’ve had some heavy rains. Rains are the life blood of the preserves so I’m keen to go back and see the effect on the land. I suspect much of the wildlife will be out in full array enjoying the additional moisture.