minimalism Archives - Page 9 of 10

June 29, 2016

Heaven on Earth

Here I am looking across the Manatee River on an early morning after the rains. The combination of the clouds and calm waters is just a lucky happenstance of timing. Any later and the breeze picks up to ripple the water. Any earlier and I was just standing in the rain. But as the clouds broke and the sun began to rise it created this dramatic affect in the sky. Quite frankly it reminds me of a painting of heaven. I’d like to think that in my own version of heaven this is what it looks like.

Irrespective of that, I gravitate to idyllic scenes in my photography. Simple images that try not to cover too many subjects is best. Ironically, keeping it simple can easier said than done. I for one am easily enamored with all the little details, maybe because I’m a bit of a geek. But aesthetically, the more simple an image is the better, too many details water down the story an image conveys.

abstract gallery

Anyway, I can ramble on forever about composition, but in truth I consider myself a beginner, I have so much to learn and I expect it will continue to be a life long learning quest. But for now, simple, calm and idyllic; that’s my favorite recipe.

June 27, 2016

Water Pier Cloud

This is the pier in Venice Florida on a cloudy afternoon. It’s the best pier around so when I come here I shoot it from as many angles. In most cases I have the pier pointing out to sea from the left or right of the frame. In this case I’ve take a more direct angle by having it bisect the water and clouds. This is an angle I like very much, especially when shot with a telephoto lens. As you can see I’m not exactly head on, rather I’m on the beach angling out, but the perspective of the telephoto lens has it appearing rather flat.

Piers and bridges are a major source of inspiration for me. I have no idea why that is. Maybe it’s because they are objects that interact with bodies of water. If I lived in the mountains I’d be shooting waterfalls and lakes but in Florida it’s rivers, ponds and seasides.

Images from Venice Florida

The final toning of this image was created with a Trey Ratcliff Lightroom preset called “She Finally Awoke”. I’m a big fan of Trey’s presets which I use for inspiration when starting an image. But in this case I used it when finishing and I didn’t change the preset one bit. That’s unusual for me but in this case it worked exactly the way I wanted it to. Anyway, that’s a little behind the scenes info on some of the aspects of how I created the image. There is a lot more but for now that’s the short version.

June 19, 2016

Lost in Reverie

This is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge as it leads into Tampa Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. I was standing in my hometown of Palmetto about six miles away when I took this. I used a tripod to steady it since it was dusk and the light was fairly dim. The final image is composed of several parts combined into one. It’s an artistic rendering of the bridge as I imagine it. I do a lot of that with my photography, especially as I visit sites and scenes I’ve shot many times before. You might think I get bored from going to the same places time after time. On the contrary, it’s just the opposite; it fuels a desire to become more creative which in turn opens up all kinds of possibilities.

At times I take pictures just for the raw material of a creative rendering such as this. When I sit down to create the image I use a lot of different tools in the same way a painter uses a brush and pigments. I can spend hours on an project, working away hour after hour lost in creative reverie. Then at some point, I run into a wall and put it aside. Then when I look at it later I may start up again. And so it goes until I’m done.

more unusual images from the gallery

On the one hand I’m never really done with an image like this yet on the other I have to draw a line somewhere. It can be hard to let go sometimes. I’ve walked away from this image several times only to come back and have another go at it. But for now this is it, I’ve drawn the line and I’m off to my next project.

June 9, 2016June 9, 2016

Lady in Repose

Another perspective the Ringling bridge from last weekend. I was in another section of the city taking photos and headed home. But then I had one last idea and stopped near the theater for this perspective. I have a collection of images of this bridge in the gallery. I suppose the same would be true of the Golden Gate if I lived in the San Francisco area. For me it’s this bridge in Sarasota.

You never know how a picture will turn out when you first take it. I have two distinct personalities when it comes to photography. One loves to take photos and gets carried away when I’m out shooting, I can a ton of bad shots. The other is a little more thoughtful and comes to the forefront when I download the images onto my computer. He basically filters out all the shots that don’t make the grade. All that said, I almost cut this one but decided to work with it a little, this is the result. So my two photographic personalities are not at all cut-and-dry, there’s a lot of give-and-take.

more images of the Ringling Bridge in Sarasota from the gallery

Selecting photos I’ve shot is very subjective. Someone else might select entirely different images, and to tell the truth I might also depending on my mood. In any case, this image is all about the shape of the bridge and the monochrome treatment is all about accentuating that shape. My idea for this image of the bridge is like a lovely lady in repose.

June 8, 2016

After the Storm

Last night I went to the jetty in Venice Florida. I’m standing on the south jetty looking across at the people on the north jetty. Even though we are close it takes about fifteen minutes to drive to the other side. Nevertheless, both sides are full of people at this hour because it’s one of the best places to watch the sunset. We had a big storm blow through the previous night so I think people showed up to enjoy the scenery.

I’m not a fisherman, but if I was this is one of the places I’d be hanging out at, it seems the jetty is always full of fishermen and pelicans waiting for scraps. Actually the pelicans were fishing too, so I guess that’s a good sign. Pelicans are no dummies and if they’re diving for fish you know it’s a good spot.

more images featuring minimalism from the gallery

This time of year we get a lot of storms. Even though its summer, sometimes it seems like winter on account of the wind and rain. The flip side is it creates a lot of drama in the sky which I enjoy watching and photographing. Yet the temperature is still very warm even during a storm. For me it’s too warm to even wear a raincoat, if I did I’d be sweating in no time. Umbrellas are no good either because the wind is so strong. Best thing to do is wait it out then go right back outside and do what you were doing. That, my friends, is what we call a tropical climate.

May 1, 2016May 1, 2016

Early Riser

The other morning I came here to the public pier. This is one of the best places on Anna Maria Island to start the day. There are three types of people that show up for sunrise; fishermen, photographers and early risers. Well, I guess the first two could be called early risers too, but that last group not are not here for any other reason than to watch the sunrise. What do we call them, sun worshippers?

Regardless, it’s not all that crowded. Later in the day it gets a lot more visitors because this is one of the main attractions in the area, a laid back place to pass the time.

This is a long exposure of fifteen-seconds using a tripod. In fact I used a neutral density filter as well. That’s a filter that blocks the light so the exposure takes more time. The result is the appearance of no waves in the water. I like this technique along the water and I find it works best when the light is low already. At night or before dawn the filter isn’t necessary, but as soon as the sun comes up it’s hard to get an exposure for more than a second or two, thats why I use the filter. Its a little like sunblock for the camera.

More Anna Maria Island photos from the gallery

Anyway, coming here as a photographer is always fun. However I think coming here a sun worshipper might be the most fun of all.

April 18, 2016

Organic Lines

Here is another simple image from inside Barcelona’s Casa Batlló. I love these irregular “organic” lines of the walls and molding that are found throughout the house, it’s as if the only rule they followed was there should be no right angles. Also, if you look closely you’ll notice the walls have a mosaic pattern reminiscent of scales.

This is more than a house, it’s a study in the blending of art and design to create a habitat. Imagine if all homes were built as works of art, it would be a much more interesting world don’t you think?

More architecture images from the gallery

March 9, 2016March 10, 2016

In the Next Life

This is a I275 rest stop near Tampa just before the Skyway bridge. Its one of the most scenic highway stops in the state, especially at sunset. Truckers know this well as I see them all lined on break with this scene out their windscreens. Moments like this, especially at dusk, have me longing for the open road; next life perhaps.

Other images of or near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge

In this life I’m a software architect by day and a photographer by night. It keeps me home yet longing for the road. I spend more time pining for a journey than the comfort of home. If I was a trucker it would be the opposite, longing for home on long lonely highways. The best solution for me is to live in the moment, be thankful for what I have. I am thankful for what I have, but in my next life, …

Speaking of the next life, if you could choose to come back as an animal, what would it be? I have so many ideas it would be hard to choose. Living here in Florida I’d want to be an Eagle or Osprey, I like the thought of flying high and surveying the landscape, although I’m not sure about eating my prey while it’s still alive. Another idea; my own pet dog, his name is Wiggles, he gets a tonne of love and has a good life. But he is a rescue, and I wouldn’t want to go through the abuse he did before we got him. On second thought, I guess I’m happy just being me for now.

March 3, 2016

Palavas Swamp

The Palavas swamp is a habitat for all manner of birds on account of the shrimp and other tasty morsels that thrive here. The glassy surface at dusk caught my eye as I drove past. Those houses on the other side sit along the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, this is a popular destination for vacationers in summer. However I was here in the off-season which afforded me an opportunity to see a slightly different side of life in southern France. Quiet walks along the beach or simply watching the night set in across the swamp.

Check out some of my favorite images here

Other swamps around this area are used to cultivate salt. The nearby town of Aigues-Mortes is where some of the finest salt in the world comes from. I’m not a good judge of salt but it seems to me refined and smooth. nevertheless but we bought a little box to bring home which we use sparingly for special dishes.

Aside from the salt, several little aspects of French culture rubbed off on us while we were here.; cheese, wine and baguettes be chief among them. But other things like slowing down to enjoy a meal which is something we don’t always do back home. In the end we came back with just enough to whet our appetite for more and the thought that things taste better when we slow down and, use a dash of good salt.

February 23, 2016February 23, 2016

High Vantage

I took this from a high vantage point in Les Baux de Provence where there was once a castle occupied by a king. This is one of the battlements perched on a ridge that defended the fortress. I’m amazed at how they used to build these castles high atop mountains back in the day. No cranes or Caterpillars yet they built sturdy lodgings whose remnants are still partially standing. So much for drywall and stucco.

More images from Europe

The valley below this spot is filled with rolling hills of endless vineyards and the only invading is done by visitors like me looking for good wine. I say that as though finding good wine in France is a challenge. The only challenge I had this day was climbing to the top of the mountain to survey the surroundings and then looking for a refined refreshment afterwards. A tough day to be sure.

There were many medieval weapons of war like this on the mountain. I think there are reenactments from time to time. In the US we have civil war reenactments by history buffs, in France it seems they do the same. What better way to keep history alive then to dress the part and participate in an epic battle. Assuming we regroup to discuss the results with numerous bottles of wine from the valley below, count me in.