This was taken at a little western mining town in Apache Junction just outside Phoenix. Set agains the superstition mountains it’s everything you’d imagine including a blacksmith and saloon. I wandered into the saloon not to sure what to expect and when the bartender asked , before I knew it I blurted out, “Whisky”. I don’t even like whisky but I was in the moment. So I took my whiskey to the porch to work up some courage and finally slung it back like a cowboy. As the fire alarms when off in my head I managed to pull out my camera and take a few pictures of the scenery. And that folks, was my little adventure in the wild wild west.
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Bayshore Boulevard
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I drove around Tampa one hot day looking for photos to take and this is one I found on Bayshore Boulevard. I’m standing here at one of the many vistas that are provided for viewing the city which is located at the far edge of Tampa Bay so that the water is usually calm and glassy. Bayshore has many large homes with this same commanding view of the downtown Tampa core. I got lucky because these puffy clouds were also present to add to the composition. This time of year we get these hanging in the air which makes for an interesting sky when you catch them in the first half of the day. Normally by the afternoon or evening they either dissipate or group together and form thunderstorms.
Decompressing along the Mediterranean
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In the last few days I went from Canada to Florida and then to here in southern France. That’s a lot of time sitting on planes and such and so the very first thing I did to decompress and stretch my legs was take a stroll along this Mediterranean beach. The water is crystal clear and refreshing and the sound of the waves was just what I needed to set the world straight again.
River in Autumn
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Its now autumn in the northern hemisphere but I’ve not yet gotten out for some fall pictures. Nevertheless I took this about a year ago in Gorges State Park North Carolina. This is in the Blue Ridge Mountains and I think it’s one of the best places to go for fall colors. I was hiking up stream along a trail towards a much larger waterfall. The trail was short but strenuous and so I kept leaving the trail to look upstream towards the big waterfalls that would mean I was finally there. It was almost as if I had a voice in my head saying “are we there yet?” over and over again. When I finally did reach the falls it felt like the effort was well worth it.
Myakka Boardwalk
This is one of many boardwalks at Myakka River State Park. Along it you can view mostly birds but maybe the odd alligator as well. Just like everywhere else Florida is experiencing growth and urban sprawl and so places like this state park are protected sanctuaries for local and migratory wildlife. I posted something similar to this recently from the same location. I like how the palms frame the path as it leads out into the swamp. A simple composition of the Florida landscape without the beach.
Skippers Canyon Path
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For some reason I never got around to posting this photo from New Zealand over a year ago. This was taken on a narrow road with switchbacks above vertical drops into a canyon. It’s one of the most dangerous roads in the world, and even walking can be a little harrowing if you’re not paying attention. Case in point, I walked off the road on to this little trail to the right and at the far end slipped on some grass with vertical drops either side. I simply fell on my butt rather than down the cliff so I guess my number wasn’t up yet. There was also a mountain bike trail running down the opposite side of the canyon. It looked pretty extreme from our vantage and given my track record I’m probably better off walking than riding a bike, then again maybe not.
Sunday at the Beach
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This was taken at the Lands End beach in San Francisco. When a big wave came in it landed in a flat section behind the rock. Then as the water receded it created this pattern of ripples in the sunlight. A simple thing but I thought it was pretty awesome.
This image is a composite of three images all taken from the same location. The first image was a long exposure of the water receding and forming this pattern. To do that I had to use a small aperture and a neutral density filter. Then, I added the waves on the left from another image that was a short exposure since a long exposure makes the sea appear calm. Finally a third image was taken of a gentleman walking along the beach.
To create this image I stitched all three back together to convey a sense of what I saw on that lovely Sunday afternoon at the beach.
Boca Grande Seascape
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If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a hundred times, I love old piers. No, don’t put me down as undecided, old piers are awesome. If for no other reason than they provide a leading line into the infinity of the sea. They point outward and beyond, they are metaphors for the journey of life. How’s that for heavy thoughts along with my images? I know, as long as it’s not heavy breathing then it’s okay. As a land lubber a pier for me points outward to sea. However if you are at sea, it’s a bridge back to shore. There are so many implications that it just blows my mind. Okay, the men in white coats just showed up, I need to take my meds now. But really, don’t you think old piers are great?
Blood Moon Over the Gate
While in San Francisco I just had to “do the bridges”. By that I mean, drive over and take pictures, …just like everybody else. I went through the motions but I didn’t have my heart into it. I mean, it’s only been done one-million-and-four-hundred-and-sixty-two-thousand-and-seven-hundred-and-ninety-two times (excluding Andriod devices). Not like it’s popular or anything. Even when I showed up at 5AM on a MONDAY MORNING there were three other photographers there. I mean, don’t these people have anything better to do than get up early on a MONDAY morning and take yet another picture of the bridge? Good grief, some people.
Anyway, I stuck around looking for a unique angle that hadn’t been done before, how hard could that be? Those other pesky photographers finally left and I was about also when I looked back and noticed that the Blood moon had popped up over the bridge. How lucky is that? I quickly took my shot and I think I may be the only person in the world to have a shot of the Blood Moon over the Golden Gate.
I’m currently in negotiations with Hogwarts to have this hung in the grand hall, but I wanted you all to be the first to see it.
Skyway at Night
The most iconic bridge in Tampa Bay is the Skyway. I was in Bradenton before dawn and looked over to see it lit up over the calm waters of the bay. As the crow flies I’m about six miles away yet still it commands attention if you happen to look that way. I was standing next to a much smaller bridge that connects to Anna Maria Island and my idea was to take a picture of that bridge instead, but the Skyway won the day. I have a lot of images of this bridge but that’s the way it is with iconic landmarks when you’re a landscape photographer. I just keep coming back for more.