On a rainy day I walked around the Frankton Arm of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown. This was in Autumn so the leaves were changing. At the higher elevation it was snowing and this location is at the foot of the Remarkables mountain range. So while it rained here, at higher elevations it snowed such that as the clouds cleared we were treated to pristine snow capped mountains. All in all it was a beautiful introduction to a beautiful country.
Gasparilla Island Lighthouse
Today we took a little trip down the west coast of Florida to Boca Grande and Gasparilla Island. This lighthouse was built in 1932 and is long past it’s prime. To be sure it’s still sturdy enough to withstand hurricanes all these years. Anyway, I did my best to block out the sun with the support frame. The heat and humidity is pretty intense but within a few minutes there was a rain shower which momentarily dropped the temperature about ten degrees. Fifteen minutes later the rain passed and heat returned. A typical afternoon in Boca Grande.
Sanibel Beach Day
When I took this I was sitting on a towel right next to the gentle waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Sanibel Island. It’s hard to convey the feeling; maybe it’s the sand, the warm water, the breeze; maybe all these combined. Sometimes the waves are so small you might think you were on a lake. The bigger waves along the Atlantic coast of Florida are fun to swim in also, but nothing compares to the calm waters of Florida’s west coast.
View from Jasper
Mountain lakes are peaceful first thing in the morning. On this morning I was lucky enough to get a few colors of the sunrise as well as the calm water. That’s Mount Edith Cavell in the distance which has a big glacier that hangs precariously over a small lake. However there are no glaciers around this lake and so the water is clear without the typical aqua blue which is typical of glacier fed lakes.
City Time
A million other versions of this exact same shot have been made. So when here recently I was glad to try my own. This futuristic setting is from Brooklyn near the ferry terminal, these are ancient pilings from some long forgotten pier or dock. A six second exposure makes the water look smooth as though maybe time has slowed down. A parallel universe in a city that never sleeps.
Sarasota Public Library
Purchase Print
The Sarasota Public Library is located in the center of town across from a park and surrounded by shops, theaters and restaurants. If you stop and take a look, the architecture is rather unique. Architecture aside, I wonder how many people still use the library in this age of instant electronic access. I guess I’ll just have to go in and find out for myself one day.
Path to the Beach
Being one of the more popular destinations in the area, Holmes Beach has a big parking lot. But if you walk a little ways north or south you can find all of these hidden paths from quiet residential areas which provide less used access. Unlike the beaches of Miami and Ft Lauderdale, the beaches of Anna Maria Island are laid back. And even more so when you can find your own little path leading to a stretch of beach to call your own.
Piggly Wiggly
This is from a dairy farm a few months ago. This little fellow was so friendly and interested in what I was doing he followed me everywhere. He was probably looking for a handout but I could help but be smitten with his charms. I’m one of those people that believes animals have personalities and generally know more than we give them credit for. Call me naive but I think that presents a world quite different than the one we think we live in.
Bradenton Beach Afternoon
This is from a series of photos I shot with my old camera recently. The camera I normally use was in the shop and to my surprise I really liked the handling of my old reliable friend. I always tell people that it’s not the camera that matters but the person behind it and even a cell phone camera can take great pictures. Even so I was surprised at how much fun I had with my old camera. I guess I my likes and preferences changed in the last year and when applied to the old equipment seemed to yield different results. Or, …this is all just in my mind and much ado about nothing. Whatever. 😉
Wall Art
I passed this wall art in lower Manhattan and thought the shadows added a different dimension to the art. That’s the thing about street art, the environment plays a role in the telling of the story. In this case, at least for me, the shadows and light transformed the art into something completely new. How cool is that?