West Coast Sand

This boardwalk crosses over the dunes to Nokomis beach. Whenever you go to the beach here along the gulf coast you see these walkways. They protect the dunes which in turn protect the islands during storms. I like how they appear to provide a grand entrance to the beach.

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West Coast Sand
West coast sand in Florida is similar to white powder

The sand at the beaches around here is a fine white silica, almost like powder. I’m not aware of any other beaches that have this type of sand. My car has black floor boards and the white powdery sand gets all over it. When I was in the Caribbean I learned a trick from a local tour guide. That is, to keep a brush in the car to brush the sand from my feet before getting in. Not that sand is a big problem, but I’m a bit of a neat freak so little tricks help.

more gulf coast photos

The sand on the east coast of Florida is completely different. The first time I walked along the beach in Fort Lauderdale I was amazed at how hard it was. Your feet sink six inches with every step making any long walk a real chore. This west coast sand is much easier to walk on. Anyway, that’s probably way more that you ever wanted to know about sand.

Horse Head in Profile

On Christmas day, we did something out of the ordinary and headed over to a nearby horse ranch for a picnic and bonfire. The horses there spend days in their stalls or with riders out on the trails; however, in the evening they are free to roam the property. As it was a holiday the horses came and went as they pleased. That meant they would come up to the picnic table looking for handouts.

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Horse Head in Profile
Horse’s head illuminated with an iPhone

At night, the only light was from the bonfire so when I stood up and turned around there was usually a horse looking right at me. Someone turned on their iPhone flashlight and I snapped this profile. It might look staged but it was just luck on my part that I was able to get this shot.

other animal photos

I’m an animal lover so I’ll jump at any excuse to hang out on a ranch. In addition to horses there were sheep, goats, pigs and at least one ostrich. It was a fun way to spend an evening and if I’m not mistaken, the horses thought it was pretty cool too.

Artistic Headspace

This is from St Paul de Vence near Nice France which is an art colony on a mountain overlooking the Mediterranean. It’s an ancient village with narrow streets lined with shops and studios of every type. I snapped this of a random artist as I walked around one day.

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Artistic Headspace
Sometime I feel like I get into the same artistic headspace as a painter

Having spent so much time processing photos, watching an artist at an easel seems a little familiar to me. What I do with photography is different, yet I think I get into a similar mindset as say a painter or sculptor.

As I work with photos I create something new, mostly from an idea I have of the scene. Even though it’s a photograph I alter it through post processing to achieve a certain look. So, while it’s very different than using paints, my head is probably in a similar space as other types of artists.

european images

That’s the thought that struck me as I watched this artist quietly from behind. The solitary pursuit of his vision seemed very familiar to me; so, I took a picture and started the whole process over again.

Cool Shot on a Hot Day

This is not a product shot, I just thought it was a cool shot on a hot day in our winter and your summer. Well, it seems a few days ago was the shortest day of the year, which also means it’s winter. Since I moved to Florida I can’t seem to get it straight, winter is like summer and summer like winter. Hear me out.

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Cool Shot on a Hot Day
Cool Shot on a Hot Day

In winter, we have mild sunny weather, in summer we have storms daily and the tourists are gone. If that sound a little backwards you’re not alone.

some of my favorite photos

This favorite little spot of ours known as Crabby’s Beachwalk Bar & Grill in Clearwater Beach. It’s a good place to contemplate these types of conundrums. When I get disoriented it’s better to just take a seat and chill. That’s exactly what my wife and I did when I got the idea to take this photo.

Nuns on Vacation

I was walking through the old section of Kotor and came upon a group of nuns on vacation. At least I think they were on vacation, I didn’t actually speak with them. But they seemed to be having fun nuntheless.

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Nuns on Vacation
Nuns on Vacation – As seen in Kotor Montenegro

I’m not really in the habit of following people around, but I kept running into the same group. On no prior occasion have I seen nuns with cameras and iPhones, just like the rest of us. I don’t know why I found that odd, perhaps they are allowed to order these items on Amazon. But again, with nuns I am a novice and I could have it all wrong.

my favorite images

Anyway, I saw the group of them a couple of times and I took a few pictures of the spectacle. There is a certain ascetic to this scene that I find pleasing. I don’t see a lot of vacationing nuns in Florida. There is nothing much for them to see here except people that lay on the beach. And trust me, we have the mother of all beaches. But, they could raise money by selling French Fries. Anyone could order and they would just put the ingredients in the friar.

Design Museum of Barcelona

This is one side of the Design Museum of Barcelona (Museu del Disseny de Barcelona). I was lucky to have been stranded in Barcelona for a few days and just happen to get a hotel right next door to this. While the city has more than enough ancient architecture, it is also a center for modern design and architecture that, beginning with Antonio Gaudi, spans the full breadth of imagination.

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Design Museum of Barcelona
Design Museum of Barcelona I took while stranded in Barcelona

On the day that I took the clouds reflected on the windows of the building creating this unusual effect. This is an example of why I am just happy to walk around with a camera; unexpected things will appear all around.

more architecture photography

I can get hyper-focused on small details and so I try to be aware of that with this particular type of photography. For instance, I might look at the shapes of the windows and miss the clouds reflected in them. Sometimes it takes a little effort to see interesting compositions right in front of me. Nevertheless, just by getting out and looking around it usually happens, like this, in unexpected ways.

Bean Point

This is from Bean Point on Anna Maria Island. It’s a beach with no parking and a little hike. It’s a sanctuary of sorts; aside from the solitude there are various types of wildlife that find refuge here including colonies of skimmers. But of course, come with my camera for the sunsets and to walk the beach.

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Bean Point
Bean Point on Anna Maria Island

It’s easy to walk around the point and on the other side is the Rod and Reel Pier which is a local favorite for fishing or a blackened grouper sandwich. The area is so low key you might think you were in the tropics somewhere.

more beach photos

I took this over two years ago, but when I go back today it looks the same. Not much changes here and if you are into a slower pace of life then this where you want to be. Actually, all of Anna Maria Island is a slower pace than the mainland and Bean Point (at least for me) is the best example of it. It’s a good place to go and forget for a spell.

Canyons of Glass

In New York City, the buildings on each side of the street are like canyons of glass. The last time I was there I booked a hotel in midtown and the first thing I did was open the curtains and look out; not surprisingly the view was another set of windows facing right back at me.

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Canyons of Glass
Canyons of glass in New York City

It was late at night and all the offices were empty despite the lights being on. I was intrigued by the checkerboard pattern and took several shots at various times of the day. This is one of a dozen or so and perhaps my favorite.

more photos from nyc

When I look out across the high-rises of New York at night I get mesmerized by the three-dimensional ocean of humanity. It makes me think of futuristic visions of vertical cityscapes depicted in science fiction. And who knows, maybe that’s what it will look like in another hundred years or so. And in our science fiction future we’ll have flying vehicles that allow us to park on the upper floors without ever touching the ground. I saw it in a movie so I know it’s true.

Kona and the Christmas Tree

This is our family cat Kona, curled up and sitting in his favorite spot. He sits here for hours at a time, long into the night. I took this one evening after I had already gone to bed and came downstairs for a glass of water. When I noticed him I quietly set my camera on a tripod and took this photo. I wish I could say I had thought of the idea ahead of time.

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Kona and the Christmas Tree
Kona and the Christmas Tree

I have no idea what goes on in that little kitty brain of his but it’s safe to say that he loves the glittery lights. He’s an old cat and as such gets a little moody at times. Sometimes if he gets agitated during the day we’ve discovered that turning on the tree lights calms him down.

more images featuring lights

This peaceful scene belies a more chaotic history of Kona and Christmas trees. When he was a kitten he and our dog at the time where chasing each other around the house and Kona ran right up the tree and caused it to come crashing down. When we came to see what happened, he was nowhere to be found and only the dog was left to take the blame. Maybe that’s what he’s thinking about as he sits here. You never know.

Chocolate Emporium

As the sign says this is the Chocolate Emporium that sits across a lagoon from the amphitheater at Universal’s City Walk. I was just in the process of leaving and stopped to take this handheld, without a tripod. Actually, even though I cropped it as a square, the image is a panorama of two vertical images side by side. The building was too big to fit in my 85mm lens so I took two shots side-by-side.

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Chocolate Emporium
Chocolate Emporium at Universal Studio’s City Walk

When I visited Orlando last weekend it was in the grip of a cold front but despite the weather, everything was packed. Being from Florida it seemed cold to me but for the out-of-towners it didn’t seem to matter. I love cooler weather, and because I live here I look forward to bundling up, it’s so rare I get that chance. I was in my glory.

more night photography

My only regret is that I didn’t visit the Chocolate Emporium. I could easily have crossed over for a hot chocolate but alas, when I’m out taking photos I have a one-track mind. That would have been the perfect cure for cold weather. At least I came home with a picture to remind me to go back and get that mug of warm cocoa.