inspired photography with just enough perspective
After being closed for about six months for repairs, the Bridge Street pier in Bradenton Beach Florida was recently reopened. And so I turned up before dawn to check it out as any other time this would be full of fishermen and activity, not that that’s bad, but this time I just wanted a shot of the pier by itself. Every now and then I show up here and always go home satisfied having found something new and interesting. In this case it was the pier itself.
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Whenever I need a quick sunset but don’t have the time to drive to the beach or someplace for the “perfect shot”, I head down the street to Emerson Point for a little quickie. It’s a little peninsula that points west into the Gulf of Mexico and no matter how many times I go there, it never disappoints, it’s my secret sunset “go to”. Only it’s kind of an open secret, I almost always run into another photographer and half a dozen others who just come to watch the spectacle.
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We have a lot of bridges here in Manatee County; here are two I cross over often. These are drawbridges, manned around the clock for sailboats and the local commercial fishing boats. I took this as the sun was about to rise and managed to capture a quiet moment before the morning rush hour when each bridge full of cars going to a fro.
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I spent the afternoon at Dakin dairy, which is a sustainable farm in Manatee County. Next to the dairy they have some farm animals as well as a few calves. This is Luck, she was curious about what I was doing so I managed to hold her attention for a few seconds. Spending the afternoon on a farm with all manner of animals was refreshing food for the soul. I have to get out of the city a little more often.
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This morning I was in the process of traversing the county from the western edge along the beach to the eastern edge deep in the heart of farm country. As I left the beach I approached this bridge and decided to pull over, glad I did. This is the bridge that connects Anna Maria Island to Bradenton.
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Last October we had a partial solar eclipse just before sunset. I showed up at Coquina Beach here in the town of Bradenton Beach and just happened to capture a formation of birds as they flew between the sun and ocean. Sunset is when the sea birds are heading to wherever they go to bed down so it’s not that unusual. In any case the sun was so bright that I doubt most people even noticed the eclipse, but with the high shutter speed I used the outline of the moon is more visible than you would see with your naked eye, not that I recommend that. I hope can catch another one, if and when it occurs again, though not likely for a very long time.
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A lone thundercloud floats over Tampa Bay in Florida. This is a common sight most of the year; they resemble pillars rising with a powerful force that is best viewed from a distance. Such was the case on this warm evening a few months ago on Anna Maria Island not far from my home.
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This is the Florida Jungle located in Bradenton. The Linger Longer Lodge is a well-known campground and lodge nestled into a jungle setting reminiscent of a forgotten time. There is all kinds of wild life including turtles, herons and I suppose alligators…, not that I saw any on this day but rest assured, they’re in there. But let’s not pick on alligators, they’re people too and, we all gotta eat. 😉
A train passes over the Manatee River in Bradenton Florida. These engines were on their way to pick up oranges for the Tropicana plant down the line. It happens every day at the same time and each time it goes by there are a few people lined up to watch. The people wave, the conductor waves and life goes on as it has for decades. Where would we be if not for the railroads?
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I like going to the beach at or after sundown because of the quality of light and perhaps, a different type of experience. Right after sunset the remaining stragglers begin to file away, like moviegoers leaving a theater after watching every last credit. And even then there are a few souls who remain a while longer to commune alone at the edge of the sea. And here in this solitude can we walk with our thoughts, without distraction, in total silence save for the sound of the gentle waves upon the shore.
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