manateeriver Archives - Page 5 of 5

May 17, 2016May 18, 2016

Best Intentions

Earlier this afternoon I got stuck in a thunderstorm, it was the first of many to come this season. I stood under a shelter for about twenty minutes while I waited for it to pass. It finally did and I walked home in a light drizzle and went about my business. In the evening I had it in my mind to see if the clouds would part a little at dusk so I drove to this spot on the opposite side of the river and waited.

This is a three shot panorama of the DeSoto Bridge in Bradenton just a few minutes after sunset. I was glad I followed my hunch.

In the center is one of three bridges, the other two are just behind it. One of the bridges is a railway and while I was here a train crossed the river. The sound of it’s horn and bulk as it lumbered along was the predominant sound on this otherwise peaceful setting.

In fact I heard the train approaching as I drove over here across the DeSoto bridge. I debated whether I should head that way to get some type of train image, or this way for a landscape. In the end the landscape won the day. I’ve shot the train before but there are always opportunities for new compositions with every outing.

More images of Bradenton from the gallery

Sometime I can’t find anything to shoot, other days I can’t make up my mind which way to shoot. Life is a series of decisions that lead to other decisions and in the end we end up exactly where we should, despite our best intentions.

May 5, 2016May 5, 2016

New Eyes

I read somewhere that (I’m paraphrasing) photography teaches us to see things without a camera. I think that’s true because I’m always looking up in the sky at the clouds or looking around for interesting sights. On this morning while walking the dog I noticed the early light on the bridge, the reflection in the water and the clouds that looked like a painting. While there were other people walking nearby, I might have been the only person to notice all these at once.

There was nothing special about the morning I took this, a typical morning by all accounts. Yet I’m always looking for compositions even when I’m not taking photos. It’s the practice of being present in the moment. I don’t always succeed, but more and more I’m in the habit of being aware.

Also, just showing up at a location is half the battle. Not always but usually I can find a composition. It really depends but the more I try the more it happens.

Another thing I’ve read is that as a photographer you should be well practiced in your own neighborhood. That forces me to push and see everyday sights with new eyes.

Anyway, all of these things together and this is what my new eyes picked up while walking the dog.

More images of bridges from the gallery

February 25, 2016February 25, 2016

Riverwalk in Bradenton

Riverwalk in Bradenton is where I go to walk and get a little break in the evening. Usually it’s filled with people doing the same, but every now and then I’ll have the place to myself. On this occasion the weather dropped below room temperature which is too cold for thin blooded Floridians. As I write it’s winter in Florida which is really the best time of year. The climate is moderate and everything is in full swing on account of the tourists.

See more images from around my home

Last week I went to a restaurant to order take-out. I arrived at six o’clock, ordered and sat at the bar while I waited. Twenty minutes later there was a line up out the door. This is the season many businesses make it big, the time of year when revenue pours through the front door non-stop . Tis the season to be merry. Ho ho ho.

Actually, now that I think about it, winter is like summer here, everyone is out and about, enjoying the outdoors, beaches, restaurants and sports. All the local events are planned for winter; fairs, shows, circus, you name it; everything happens in winter. Summer is our winter because we get tropical storms and torrential rain almost every day. When I first came here it took about three years for me to figure that out. I may be a slow learner but now but now I’m wise to the ways. Ho ho ho.

February 7, 2016February 7, 2016

New Day on North River

The sun rises on a new day on North River across the Manatee. The river is about a mile wide here but only goes upstream for about ten miles. The land of Florida acts as a large catch basin for the tropical rains. We don’t have long rivers as compared to other parts of the country, but they can carry a lot of water nonetheless. The water empties into the ocean and so where I’m standing rises and falls with the tide.

I took this with a wide angle lens because I wanted to show the expanse of the river, it’s nearly a mile wide here. This area is a bird sanctuary, which means a lot of migratory birds come here in the winter. At this spot there is a great Heron that can be seen every morning. I suppose they are territorial because he is always here. He’s quite skittish so when I show up for sunrise he usually flies away. But this is his spot all the same and sometimes I see him when I drive by on the bridge just behind where I’m standing here.

Whenever this section of the country gets a cold snap, we get a lot of birds that fly down from Georgia and the Carolinas. They’ll end up staying for only a week or so until it warms up and then head back north to their own home. I suppose the birds that live here full time might get their feathers ruffled with all the visitors, and of course, the short timers need to get back to their own territory. But in the meantime, this is the view all the birds and a few of us humans see, even if it’s not our territory.

February 3, 2016

Brisk Morning Walk

These people are on a brisk morning walk along the river a couple days ago. We don’t get a lot of cold days in winter, but when we do we wear sweatshirts and jackets that sit in the closet most of the year. Having endured the long hot seasons of Florida, you won’t hear me complain about a spell of chilly weather. Bring it on baby.

This is taken in Bradenton and that’s the Manatee River. It’s a half mile wide here and a couple miles downstream it empties into the Gulf. It’s not uncommon to see dolphins or manatees around here.

I live on the other side of the river in the little town of Palmetto. Locally the towns across the river are known as north river; simple enough eh?

I was walking my dog this morning as I took this image. He sits patiently as I crouch down to get this low angle and perspective of the brick walkway. I take my camera on many of our walks and he’s gotten used to my stopping at the oddest times. But come to think of it, this is probably the same view that he sees all the time. Hmmm, maybe I’m on to something.

January 6, 2016January 6, 2016

Riverwalk Fishing Pier

The Riverwalk Fishing Pier is in Bradenton not far from my home. I love coming here early in the morning when everything is quiet and the water is still. The way the weather works, as soon as the sun rises it generates a breeze which ripples the water, so the only way to see it glassy like this is before dawn.

The river flows into the Gulf of Mexico so it rises and falls with the tide. At high tide the pilings are mostly submerged. I’ve heard that decades ago there was a hurricane in the gulf and the water drained from the river before the onslaught of the storm surge. It was said you could walk across the riverbed. I’ve only lived here about ten years and not seen anything close to that, hopefully I never will.

I walk my dog here, he is a rescue. For some reason he is afraid of any walkway above the water and so piers are difficult for him. I’ve worked with him over the years to overcome that fear and now he’ll walk out to the end with me. I don’t rush him and I give him plenty of positive reinforcement. Whenever I see this pier it reminds me of how much progress he’s made. Life’s little pleasures.

December 16, 2015December 16, 2015

River Crossings

These are the Manatee River Crossings between the towns of Bradenton and Palmetto in Florida. The furthest bridge is for cars and the closer one for trains. I am standing on a taller third bridge looking down. The river is so wide here that I think before these bridges were built, the two towns must have been quite different, as they were only accessible to each other by boat. Now the towns are in the same county and we cross the bridges without a thought. As the towns grow a new bridge is under construction up stream from here.

To take this shot I walked to this spot atop the third bridge using the bike lane. I then stood here with my tripod taking in the scene as the sun rose and the thick clouds hung in the air. These along with the still morning surface of the river created an ethereal quality that I wanted to capture. After taking the photo I walked back down off the bridge against the flow of early morning commuters. At about the same time the upraised span of the rail bridge lowered for the first train as it crossed the river.

These are the moments when the day begins. Many things happen during the day as we live our lives in close proximity, passing each other going this way and that. Then, at the end of the day, the crossings empty of trains and cars, and below them the calm waters of the river return.

December 3, 2015

Tarpon Pointe Grill & Tiki Bar

I live across the river from this Tiki Bar. Quite often I’ll walk my dog at night and stop to listen to the band as the music floats over the river towards me. This night the moon was just rising as it cast a glow on the water. It’s on a little point surrounded by water on three sides so you get the sense of being on an island. I don’t spend a lot of time in bars and such, but I have been here a couple of times and both times it was a lot of fun, especially the music. In any case, maybe it’s time to go back and check it out again.

July 29, 2015July 29, 2015

Sunrise at Riverwalk

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In Bradenton FL we have a riverwalk. Little did I know a lot of other cities do as well. Before I moved here I’d never heard of a riverwalk, but if you think about it it makes sense. Everyone likes to hang out by the water; run, walk or just chill. I come here a lot and this time to take pictures of the sunrise. I think I’ve taken pictures of the whole riverwalk length yet somehow I always seem to find something new. Regardless, its close to my home and if I ever get tired of this riverwalk there are others close by.

April 23, 2015April 27, 2015

Sunrise Under the Interstate

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The interstate highway in Florida is long stretches of boring punctuated with brief glimpses of amazing. Interstate 75 is inland, protected from the hurricanes, but when it crosses marshes or rivers you get a quick glimpse of the landscape. This bridge stretches a mile over the Manatee River near my home. There are houses that line the river but I managed to find a vantage to take this without walking through someone’s backyard. Can you imagine waking up to this each morning?