Coquina Beach, Florida

I'm working on a couple of long term projects that involve showcasing the county that I live in. One of the most notable aspects of Manatee County is the beach and so every now and then I walk the white sand looking for iconic shots. The more I do it the more I'm realizing that beach photography is a little like street photography. I try to catch people doing what they do without attracting a lot of attention. One technique I use is use a long lense and walk along the back of the beach. By shooting from the back or side I'm not in the faces of my subjects as they are situated in the landscape. In any case, I'm a little bit introverted and so shooting people in the

I’m working on a couple of long term projects that involve showcasing the county that I live in. One of the most notable aspects of Manatee County is the beach and so every now and then I walk the white sand looking for iconic shots. The more I do it the more I’m realizing that beach photography is a little like street photography. I try to catch people doing what they do without attracting a lot of attention. One technique I use is use a long lense and walk along the back of the beach. By shooting from the back or side I’m not in the faces of my subjects as they are situated in the landscape. In any case, I’m a little bit introverted and so shooting people in the “wild” doesn’t come easy, but once I get out there and in the zone it gets a little easier. In any case, this is one such shot on one such occasion.

Naples Pier

I took this a few months ago at the beach in Naples Florida. There were so many people here that no matter where I looked some interesting scene was playing out.  Whenever I take photos with a lot of people I have the luxury of returning to that moment in time and see it with different eyes. I photographed a friends wedding not too long ago but I was so busy taking the pictures and checking my camera that in a sense I didn't experience the wedding. Not unusual. After when I went back to process the images did I get a real sense of the whole affair. And so it is with scenes like this at times. As the sun is dropping below the horizon I'm using every last second to find a composition, very present in the moment, but a very different moment from those around me. And so now as I write this, I get to experience a little of the joy that was that moment without worrying about the sun going down. I don't know if that's good or bad. I guess it just is what it is.

I took this a few months ago at the beach in Naples Florida. There were so many people here that no matter where I looked some interesting scene was playing out. Whenever I take photos with a lot of people I have the luxury of returning to that moment in time and see it with different eyes. I photographed a friends wedding not too long ago but I was so busy taking the pictures and checking my camera that in a sense I didn’t experience the wedding. Not unusual. After I went back to process the images did I get a real sense of the whole affair. And so it is with scenes like this at times. As the sun is dropping below the horizon I’m using every last second to find a composition, very present in the moment, but a very different moment from those around me. And so now as I write this, I get to experience a little of the joy that was that moment without worrying about the sun going down. I don’t know if that’s good or bad. I guess it just is what it is.

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Partial Eclipse

This evening at the beach we had a partial Eclipse.

This evening I went to Bradenton Beach to catch this partial eclipse just as the sun set upon the Gulf of mexico.

House and Sky

This house is the visitor's center at Robinson Preserve in Bradenton Florida. As you walk through the preserve you see this beyond the grasses. It reminds of a little house on a prairie, only it's not so little and this isn't a prairie, but you get the drift. I came here because it has a lot of wide open space and every once in a while a little space is a good thing.

This house is the visitor’s center at Robinson Preserve in Bradenton Florida. As you walk through the preserve you see this beyond the grasses. It reminds of a little house on a prairie, only it’s not so little and this isn’t a prairie, but you get the drift. I came here because it has a lot of wide open space and every once in a while a little space is a good thing.

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Bayfront Park, Sarasota

Whenever I come to this park to get some pics I have my two best friends on a leash. So I never really get a chance to focus too much on what I'm doing. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Why waste a perfectly good drive to the park if you don't have a couple of four leggeds. At least that's the way I see it.

Whenever I come to this park to get some pics I have my two best friends on a leash. So I never really get a chance to focus too much on what I’m doing. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Why waste a perfectly good drive to the park if you don’t have a couple of four leggeds. At least that’s the way I see it.

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Sarasota Icon

The Ringling Bridge is not only an icon in Sarasota, it's a magnet for walkers, joggers and everyday sightseers. It traverses the warm water of the inter coastal waterway as it heads out to the Gulf of Mexico and it's not uncommon to see dolphins and manatee swimming by. I don't think I'll ever get tired of coming here, so you're sure to see more photos from here. Stay tuned.

The Ringling Bridge is not only an icon in Sarasota, it’s a magnet for walkers, joggers and everyday sightseers. It traverses the warm water of the inter coastal waterway as it heads out to the Gulf of Mexico and it’s not uncommon to see dolphins and manatee swimming by. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of coming here, so you’re sure to see more photos from here. Stay tuned.

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Still Pond

Here is a pond at Emerson Preserve, which as you can see is quite calm in the morning. This is not the first I've posted from here with the calm reflecting water and the clouds overhead; and I'm pretty sure it won't be my last. Anyway,  hundreds of years ago native americans occupied this spot. I'm sure it looks different, but possibly they had a similar scene each morning as they went about their tasks. I would love to travel back three hundred years in a time machine to see what I could see. But until they invent one I'll just have to imagine for myself.

Here is a pond at Emerson Preserve, which as you can see is quite calm in the morning. This is not the first I’ve posted from here with the calm reflecting water and the clouds overhead; and I’m pretty sure it won’t be my last. Anyway, hundreds of years ago native americans occupied this spot. I’m sure it looks different, but possibly they had a similar scene each morning as they went about their tasks. I would love to travel back three hundred years in a time machine to see what I could see. But until they invent one I’ll just have to imagine for myself.

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Impression

In art I'm attracted to impressionistic styles. I prefer to let my mind fill in the blanks. I do that a lot in everyday life, I think. My way of dealing with complexity perhaps, a momentary reverie while forming an impression, possibly an opinion. As I'm thinking about it, In general I don't like being fed too much detail. That's because my mind automatically fills in the details, not always right, but details nonetheless. I think we all do that, it's part of what makes us unique, it is part of the filters through which we see the world. It starts with an impression.

In art I’m attracted to impressionistic styles. I prefer to let my mind fill in the blanks. I do that a lot in everyday life, I think. My way of dealing with complexity perhaps, a momentary reverie while forming an impression, possibly an opinion. As I’m thinking about it, In general I don’t like being fed too much detail. That’s because my mind automatically fills in the details, not always right, but details nonetheless. I think we all do that, it’s part of what makes us unique, it is part of the filters through which we see the world. It starts with an impression.

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Break in the Clouds

I come here in Bradenton Florida to a place called Riverwalk several times a week to walk my dogs. We have a little routine of sitting on the dock for a spell and watching the sun set. On this day I brought a camera but we didn't get a sunset because of the clouds. So we started walking back and before we got off the pier I turned back to see this break in the clouds.  Even though it's dark the  light is shining through and in some way that seems like a metaphor for hope. Something nice about that don't you think?

I come here in Bradenton Florida to a place called Riverwalk several times a week to walk my dogs. We have a little routine of sitting on the dock for a spell and watching the sun set. On this day I brought a camera but we didn’t get a sunset because of the clouds. So we started walking back and before we got off the pier I turned back to see this break in the clouds. Even though it’s dark the light is shining through and in some way that seems like a metaphor for hope. Something nice about that don’t you think?

Click on photo to obtain print.