Casting at Dawn

Wherever you go in Florida you'll find people throwing nets. It may look easy but it takes some practice. My neighbor purchased one and so we stood on his lawn trying to learn the technique which I can only describe as a combination of lassoing and shot put. And since I've done neither the result were a little amusing. A couple years ago I watched a guy throw a net into a local lake and pull out several redfish, he had a cooler full of them which he sold to local restaurants. Anyway, I took this picture a couple weeks ago and this is just one of dozens of casts this fellow made. It looked like hard work with all the gathering and throwing, and if he wasn't quick to pick up the fish the birds were happy to oblige. Quite the commotion indeed.

Wherever you go in Florida you’ll find people throwing nets. It may look easy but it takes some practice. My neighbor purchased one and so we stood on his lawn trying to learn the technique which I can only describe as a combination of lassoing and shot put. And since I’ve done neither the result were a little amusing. A couple years ago I watched a guy throw a net into a local lake and pull out several redfish, he had a cooler full of them which he sold to local restaurants. Anyway, I took this picture a couple weeks ago and this is just one of dozens of casts this fellow made. It looked like hard work with all the gathering and throwing, and if he wasn’t quick to pick up the fish the birds were happy to oblige. Quite the commotion indeed.

Obtain a print for home or office.

Sunday Morning at the Pier

This is the public pier at Anna Maria Island a couple of Sundays ago. I got here before sunrise yet there were people milling about, getting fishing poles ready or just watching the sunrise. And then just after sunrise a couple of dudes started swimming in the water which was warm and inviting. Then, if all that wasn't enough, a photography club showed up to take pictures of the pier. So just after sunrise on a Sunday when everyone should have been sleeping in, this place was buzzing. Of course I was there also so I'm not even sure what my point is. Nevermind.

This is the public pier at Anna Maria Island a couple of Sundays ago. I got here before sunrise yet there were people milling about, getting fishing poles ready or just watching the sunrise. And then just after sunrise a couple of dudes started swimming in the water which was warm and inviting. Then, if all that wasn’t enough, a photography club showed up to take pictures of the pier. So just after sunrise on a Sunday when everyone should have been sleeping in, this place was buzzing. Of course I was there also so I’m not even sure what my point is. Nevermind.

Follow this link to obtain a print for your home or office.

Through the Tall Grass

This is another shot from Emerson Point near my home through the grasses which grow all over. Now that it's summer we get thunderstorms most afternoons and combined with the heat everything grows like wild. The bermuda grass around my house grows at least six inches in a week. Little frogs, lizards and snakes like to hide under the grass since to them it's a place of refuge from the heat of the day. But anyway, this isn't bermuda grass and I'm not very good at writing about grass, I just like the way it looks, especially when there is a sunset beyond.

This is another shot from Emerson Point near my home through the grasses which grow all over. Now that it’s summer we get thunderstorms most afternoons and combined with the heat everything grows like wild. The bermuda grass around my house grows at least six inches in a week. Little frogs, lizards and snakes like to hide under the grass since to them it’s a place of refuge from the heat of the day. But anyway, this isn’t bermuda grass and I’m not very good at writing about grass, I just like the way it looks, especially when there is a sunset beyond.

Obtain a print for your home or office.

Longboat Key at Dusk

The other night I visited the northern tip of Longboat Key. This is one of those spots that only locals seem to know since it's a little difficult to get to. To get here you have to walk in the water due to beach erosion. The water was warm and inviting which made my task all the more enjoyable. This section has a lot of toppled trees from hurricanes and so it's a rather surreal landscape. On one of the stumps sat this pileated woodpecker who was not so shy as he let me get quite close. Lets just say this is one of those little corners of heaven, right in my own backyard.
The other night I visited the northern tip of Longboat Key. This is one of those spots that only locals seem to know since it’s a little difficult to get to. To get here you have to walk in the water due to beach erosion. The water was warm and inviting which made my task all the more enjoyable. This section has a lot of toppled trees from hurricanes and so it’s a rather surreal landscape. On one of the stumps sat this pileated woodpecker who was not so shy as he let me get quite close. Lets just say this is one of those little corners of heaven, right in my own backyard.

Obtain a print for your home or office

Sunset Through the Trees

This sunset from behind the trees produced and interesting effect I hadn't anticipated. It was more luck, I didn't plan it this way. In any case, I hope everyone gets a chance to pause and view a sunset from time to time, it's food for the soul. A sunrise will do also but that takes a little more effort. I once heard someone say that the reason we like staring at a fire is that flames are similar to the nature of our soul. I think that's also why we like watching the sun set and rise. Reminds us of something.

This sunset from behind the trees produced and interesting effect I hadn’t anticipated. It was more luck, I didn’t plan it this way. In any case, I hope everyone gets a chance to pause and view a sunset from time to time, it’s food for the soul. A sunrise will do also but that takes a little more effort. I once heard someone say that the reason we like staring at a fire is that flames are similar to the nature of our soul. I think that’s also why we like watching the sun set and rise. Reminds us of something.

Obtain a high quality print for your home or office.

Emerson Pond at Dawn

One morning last week I captured this just after sunrise. Everything seems so peaceful in the morning and to me this pond is a reflection of that. After capturing this I went a little ways up the road to another pond and was treated to the chatter of all the birds. I'm not sure chatter is the right word because sound of the Osprey is more like a cry-out warning the neighborhood that he's up and awake. I think if I was a critter I'd take note, because other than the occasional Eagle, the Osprey are the head honchos. Anyway, it's a nice experience to watch the morning rituals of the wildlife before I start my own busy day.

One morning last week I captured this just after sunrise. Everything seems so peaceful in the morning and to me this pond is a reflection of that. After capturing this I went a little ways up the road to another pond and was treated to the chatter of all the birds. I’m not sure chatter is the right word because sound of the Osprey is more like a cry-out warning the neighborhood that he’s up and awake. I think if I was a critter I’d take note, because other than the occasional Eagle, the Osprey are the head honchos. Anyway, it’s a nice experience to watch the morning rituals of the wildlife before I start my own busy day.

Obtain a print for your home or office.

Water and Sky

Sometimes when I'm out taking pictures of the scenery something simple as the stillness of water can affect me most. That doesn't always translate into an interesting picture. Such was the case a few nights ago when I stood with my tripod in the warm calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and took this shot. No birds, no bridges, no nothing. Just water and sky. Kind of like floating at sea. Kind of like drifting in space. Kind of like a meditation. We might think of this during our hectic day and remember that behind, beyond, and above it all is something simple that matters most.
Sometimes when I’m out taking pictures of the scenery something simple as the stillness of water can affect me most. That doesn’t always translate into an interesting picture. Such was the case a few nights ago when I stood with my tripod in the warm calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and took this shot. No birds, no bridges, no nothing. Just water and sky. Kind of like floating at sea. Kind of like drifting in space. Kind of like a meditation. We might think of this during our hectic day and remember that behind, beyond, and above it all is something simple that matters most.

Obtain a simple print for a hectic world.

Rye Preserve

One thing we seem to have a lot of in Florida is nature preserves. I heard of a guy who is on a mission to visit every Starbucks in the US, ...there must be thousands, and that's just in one city. My mission is to visit every preserve in my county. I know it's a lofty goal, but you gotta aim high. So today I visited Rye Preserve and shot this near the canoe launch. There was a sign just before this saying that the dam (a couple hundred yards upstream) occasionally discharges large amounts of water and if you hear the siren then

One thing we seem to have a lot of in Florida is nature preserves. I heard of a guy who is on a mission to visit every Starbucks in the US, …there must be thousands, and that’s just in one city. My mission is to visit every preserve in my county. I know it’s a lofty goal, but you gotta aim high. So today I visited Rye Preserve and shot this near the canoe launch. There was a sign just before this saying that the dam (a couple hundred yards upstream) occasionally discharges large amounts of water and if you hear the siren then “prepare accordingly”. …Hmmmm. My wife said she didn’t have a good feeling. With afternoon thunderstorms this time of year the lake upstream can easily get too full. Hmmmm. But, …no sirens, no worries. Later this evening I was watching the local news and, apparently (get this), there are emergency repairs underway on the dam right now, because, …it could give way. I’m switching to Starbucks.

Obtain a high quality print for your home or office, no risk involved.

Terra Ceia Bay

This little pier is at Emerson Point and looks out upon Terra Ceia Bay. I spend a lot of time here, mostly because I like taking pictures. Being a state park in an urban area there are posted hours, basically just before sunrise to just after sunset. Seems reasonable. However, I have a tendency to lose track of time and last week I found myself near this spot about thirty minutes after sunset. I headed back to my car and there waiting for me was the ranger. He saw my camera and tripod, I think he was being polite because he didn't say a word. He followed me for a bit as I drove out, but I had to drive slow because all the little critters were coming on to the road. I then realized that the posted hours as as much about the safety of the critters as anything else.

This little pier is at Emerson Point and looks out upon Terra Ceia Bay. I spend a lot of time here, mostly because I like taking pictures. Being a state park in an urban area there are posted hours, basically just before sunrise to just after sunset. Seems reasonable. However, I have a tendency to lose track of time and last week I found myself near this spot about thirty minutes after sunset. I headed back to my car and there waiting for me was the ranger. He saw my camera and tripod, I think he was being polite because he didn’t say a word. He followed me for a bit as I drove out, but I had to drive slow because all the little critters were coming on to the road. I then realized that the posted hours as as much about the safety of the critters as anything else.

Obtain a high quality print for your home or office.