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Tampa Airport

Tampa is the airport I fly out of most often. Only the other night it wasn't me but my wife returning from a long trip. That afforded me the opportunity to park on the top level and take some long exposures. The lights at the top are jets landing on the runway behind terminal F. It was a lot of fun being at the airport and not necessarily having to travel. I wasn't the only one, others were up here watching the action snapping photos as well. A great way to kill an hour.

Tampa is the airport I fly out of most often. Only the other night it wasn’t me but my wife returning from a long trip. That afforded me the opportunity to park on the top level and take some long exposures. The lights at the top are jets landing on the runway behind terminal F. It was a lot of fun being at the airport and not necessarily having to travel. I wasn’t the only one, others were up here watching the action snapping photos as well. A great way to kill an hour.

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Manatee River, Florida

Recently we got rain here in central Florida and I got inspired to drive up the river from my home. The river is about a mile wide near home but a fraction of that here. A tranquil setting yet I was on guard for any alligators that might be nearby as I positioned at the waters edge. It's unlikely I'd ever have a problem with a gator here, nevertheless it's wise to use with caution when in and around Florida's waterways. As I write this our rainy season is coming to an end which I'm sure is perfect for all the people that come here to visit. But with a little bit of weather comes picturesque skies and as you know I'm a sucker for that.

Recently we got rain here in central Florida and I got inspired to drive up the river from my home. The river is about a mile wide near home but a fraction of that here. A tranquil setting yet I was on guard for any alligators that might be nearby as I positioned at the waters edge. It’s unlikely I’d ever have a problem with a gator here, nevertheless it’s wise to use with caution when in and around Florida’s waterways. As I write this our rainy season is coming to an end which I’m sure is perfect for all the people that come here to visit. But with a little bit of weather comes picturesque skies and as you know I’m a sucker for that.

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Sunday Morning

I took this at sunrise on a Sunday morning. I can recall that fact because on Sunday morning I'd rather be in bed but having driven my wife to the airport I figured I'd do a shoot on the way back. This is where I ended up, which is another way of saying I had no plan in mind. That worked out this time and I shot this from a park next to the pier. Man, tripod, camera and two dogs on a leash, must have been quite the site. But then, no one was there to see, everyone was still in bed. It was Sunday morning.

I took this of St Petersburg pier at sunrise on a Sunday morning. I can recall that fact because on Sunday morning I’d rather be in bed but having driven my wife to the airport I figured I’d do a shoot on the way back. This is where I ended up, which is another way of saying I had no plan in mind. That worked out this time and I shot this from a park next to the pier. Man, tripod, camera and two dogs on a leash, must have been quite the site. But then, no one was there to see, everyone was still in bed. It was Sunday morning.

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Sunrise at the Pier

This is the Anna Maria Pier one morning which is probably my favorite place to be if I can wake up on time. Problem is when I do then I don't feel like doing much the rest of the day. It's too easy to get relaxed down here and sometimes when I work I have to close the curtains lest I get distracted by things like clouds, sunsets and all manner of stuff peeking through the window. I think I need to move to Norway just to get a little work done. Naw, that wouldn't work, too many cool things to take pictures of. Maybe the moon.

This is the Anna Maria Pier one morning which is probably my favorite place to be if I can wake up on time. Problem is when I do then I don’t feel like doing much the rest of the day. It’s too easy to get relaxed down here and sometimes when I work I have to close the curtains lest I get distracted by things like clouds, sunsets and all manner of stuff peeking through the window. I think I need to move to Norway just to get a little work done. Naw, that wouldn’t work, too many cool things to take pictures of. Maybe the moon.

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Fort DeSoto Lifeguard Stand

This is another shot from the northern tip of Fort DeSoto Park in St Petersburg Florida. For me sunset is the best time to be at the beach, yet usually there are only a few people left. That's just fine because you feel you have the whole place to yourself. And then finally when all the colors fade, the last stragglers walk back to their cars and leave, knowing the best was saved for last.

This is another shot from the northern tip of Fort DeSoto Park in St Petersburg Florida. For me sunset is the best time to be at the beach, yet usually there are only a few people left. That’s just fine because you feel you have the whole place to yourself. And then finally when all the colors fade, the last stragglers walk back to their cars and leave, knowing the best was saved for last.

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Sunshine Skyway Bridge

All ships coming into Tampa Bay pass under this bridge. Knowing that, when they built it about thirty years ago they made it fairly tall at about 130 meters. Now it turns out it's not tall enough for the new mega ships which has planners scratching their collective heads. One idea would be to take the bridge down and build a tunnel under the bay. I don't think that will ever happen but that's just me, you never know. Once I took a cruise out of Tampa and stood on the top deck as we passed with what looked like only a few feet of clearance. And that ship was small as compared to the

All ships coming into Tampa Bay pass under this bridge. Knowing that, when they built it about thirty years ago they made it fairly tall at about 130 meters. Now it turns out it’s not tall enough for the new mega ships which has planners scratching their collective heads. One idea would be to take the bridge down and build a tunnel under the bay. I don’t think that will ever happen but that’s just me, you never know. Once I took a cruise out of Tampa and stood on the top deck as we passed with what looked like only a few feet of clearance. And that ship was small as compared to the “mega” ships. Boggles the mind.

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Little Skimmer Boys

I took this a week or two back at Bean Point which is at the very tip of Anna Maria Island. It's a remote spot that feels about as tropical as you can get in the lower forty-eight. When I head out here I never know how the light will look so there's a lot of luck involved. When I was about five minutes from here I saw a big funnel cloud in the overhead cloud layer and when I finally got here a crowd was watching the last remnants of the waterspout. These boys refused to call it a day with their skimboards, waterspout or not, they were squeezing every last moment out of the end of this most awesome day.

I took this a week or two back at Bean Point which is at the very tip of Anna Maria Island. It’s a remote spot that feels about as tropical as you can get in the lower forty-eight. When I head out here I never know how the light will look so there’s a lot of luck involved. When I was about five minutes from here I saw a big funnel cloud in the overhead cloud layer and when I finally got here a crowd was watching the last remnants of the waterspout. These boys refused to call it a day with their skimboards, waterspout or not, they were squeezing every last moment out of the end of this most awesome day.

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Emerson Canopy

From a little park known as Emerson Point which has trails through the canopy of trees draped with Spanish Moss. About 10 minutes later the sun would set and the canopy became much darker. I usually linger to watch the sunset on the water over to the left and then walk back through these trees to my car. During the day and weekends there are a lot of visitors, but I typically come here at dusk and have the whole place to myself. If I ever get lost in the canopy on my way out, you'll know where to find me.

From a little park known as Emerson Point which has trails through the canopy of trees draped with Spanish Moss. About 10 minutes later the sun would set and the canopy became much darker. I usually linger to watch the sunset on the water over to the left and then walk back through these trees to my car. During the day and weekends there are a lot of visitors, but I typically come here at dusk and have the whole place to myself. If I ever get lost in the canopy on my way out, you’ll know where to find me.

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Morning at the Jetty

Here is another picture of Anna Maria Island as taken from a jetty near the public pier. As all the locals know there are two piers, the Rod and Reel pier and the public pier. In my opinion we have a shortage of piers in our area. Piers are magnets for people because we like to get right out into the water without having to work to hard or take a boat. As well the fishing is usually much better from a pier. But then if we don't build them to last they erode over time and are costly to maintain. All of this is way more than you wanted to know or care about, so let's just change the subject and enjoy the view. Who knows, you might just see a Manatee swim by.

Here is another picture of Anna Maria Island as taken from a jetty near the public pier. As all the locals know there are two piers, the Rod and Reel pier and the public pier. In my opinion we have a shortage of piers in our area. Piers are magnets for people because we like to get right out into the water without having to work to hard or take a boat. As well the fishing is usually much better from a pier. But then if we don’t build them to last they erode over time and are costly to maintain. All of this is way more than you wanted to know or care about, so let’s just change the subject and enjoy the view. Who knows, you might just see a Manatee swim by.

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Pond at Sunset

This is a shot I took last December at Robinson Preserve. I just arrived from the rainy pacific northwest where it was sunny all day to the sunshine state where we have clouds and rain, go figure. This time of year in Florida has a lot of clouds which of course I love but the photo reminded me that we get occasional clouds in winter as well. Sound mixed up? It is. My weather bearings we're messed up for years when I first moved here, basicly winter is like summer and with all the tropical storms summer is like winter. Had enough? Okay, this concludes today's message from the Department of Confusion.

This is a shot I took last December at Robinson Preserve. I just arrived from the rainy pacific northwest where it was sunny all day to the sunshine state where we have clouds and rain, go figure. This time of year in Florida has a lot of clouds which of course I love but the photo reminded me that we get occasional clouds in winter as well. Sound mixed up? It is. My weather bearings we’re messed up for years when I first moved here, basicly winter is like summer and with all the tropical storms summer is like winter. Had enough? Okay, this concludes today’s message from the Department of Confusion.