inspired photography with just enough perspective
I took this from Bean Point on Anna Maria Island about a year ago. I was driving by and noticed a water spout which is not all that unusual for late summer. By the time I parked it was disappearing but there were still a few people enjoying the last rays of the day including these three boys. It was one of those moments when everything seems just right and fortunately I was able to get a few images as everything came together to form the perfect end to the day.
We are having a rather warm fall season here in Florida. I work in an air-conditioned room and so even I look forward to getting outside just to warm up. There are some beaches where you can just walk along at sunset with a drink in your had and the warm water at your feet. This one is at Lido beach which is just now gearing up for the winter season. As soon as American Thanksgiving is over waves of northerners will migrate south and end up doing something like this each evening. Now if I could just get out of my office, I might just join them.
Its safe to say the beach was quite deserted this morning at dawn when I showed up to get a few pictures. This is in Carnon along the Mediterranean in the south of France. But, just like back home in Florida, there are still people showing up to walk or run the shoreline. As well there were a few fishermen plying their trade. Some things, regardless of the location, seem to be universal. Beaches are places were people come to play or work along the shore.
I stayed at Lands End way past sunset taking pictures in the dark. This is a long exposure of someone sitting at the edge of the lot looking over the pacific ocean. You can see the lights of the buoys used to guide the ships into the San Francisco Bay. The person was probably deep in though because he stayed still for the full thirty seconds I had the shutter open. Even though the sun was down, there is still that line of illumination along the horizon. This is why I like low light photography so much, you just never know what you’ll end up with.
Another shot from a little hidden beach in San Francisco. The only way to get here is to hike down a steep trail. The beach is surrounded by cliffs which gives you a sense of remoteness uncharacteristic of a large city. But then San Francisco is no ordinary city. Because of its geography it could be the most beautiful city in the USA. The only other that I can compare it to is Vancouver about a thousand miles to the North. But it seems the beauty of a city is related to the surrounding geography. If you frame buildings, streets and bridges with great landscapes it becomes more appealing than if you just have a city on a flat plane. Nothing against the Midwest mind you. I better stop before I can’t get my metaphorical foot our of my mouth.
As compositions go we might say this has no subject, no main actor. Having said that, nothing beats a good sunrise and sometimes we just have to ignore the rules of composition and go with what moves us. In this case, the simplicity of the scene was enough for me. This is an HDR image, I combined four images to balance out the range of light to try and convey what I saw with my eyes. For me, getting up early and standing next to calm water like this is like meditation. It gives me a certain calm that I can carry with me the rest of the day. Calm and simplicity, two things I strive for in some of my images, especially those close to the water. Have a peaceful day my friends.
I am always surprised at how many people get up before dawn to see the sunrise. For me I think its understandable because I’m taking photos, but a whole bunch of other folks show up at this ungodly hour, park their cars, and walk out on to the pier, takes some of photos and then just turn around and leave. I’m not sure why I find that so interesting, maybe it’s just the realization that there are others doing the exact same thing as me. That’s hard to believe. I’m not really sure what to make of that, I suppose its a good thing.
Near Queenstown New Zealand is Lake Hayes which has homes and cottages around its perimeter. Most had kayaks or rowboats laying along the shore. As you can see I was here in the autumn when the leaves were changing and carpeting the ground. Off in the distance to the South is the Remarkables, a mountain range that had already started collecting snow. We were here midday and it was fairly warm without much of a breeze, thus providing a glassy surface to the lake. These still waters are more common first thing in the morning, but in this case we had a rare occurrence in the afternoon.
This is a long exposure of about two minutes under Florida’s Venice Pier at night. The water appears still and the night appears brighter than it is. In fact I had people walking in front of me yet the length of the exposure ensures they are invisible. I shot this same perspective at sunset a few years ago and now it was time to come back. The evening perspective is one I quite like, it just seems less rushed and a bit more dreamy. Dreamy is a good word for a night shot, don’t you think?
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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