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.
Port of Vancouver
According to Wikipedia about 75 billion dollars of cargo passes through this port every year. What that has to do with anything I don’t know, I just looked that up in hopes it would spark something for me to write about. I know nothing about this port other than its really big and really busy. That word “really” is from the days I lived in California, people say that a lot there, really. I know it’s busy because whenever I’m in Vancouver there is a constant twenty-four hour a day stream of ships in and out of here. I took this from atop the Vancouver Lookout, which is one of those space needle kind of buildings that gives you a great view of everywhere. So there, I managed to just about fill up a paragraph.
Obtain an awesome print, even if I don’t always know what I’m talking about.
Jensen Beach Pier
This is the fishing pier the other night at Jensen Beach Florida. I like piers because they take me out of my element and over another, confined yet free at the same time. A little dichotomy for you to ponder before the weekend. Anyway, I thought it was a little funny that the town was named Jensen Beach since most of it is inland. Nonetheless it does have a very nice beach across the bridge. But for me on a nice warm evening this was the place to be.
Low Frequency Waves
Last week in Vancouver I stopped at Ambleside Park on my way back to the hotel. It was late but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to get the full moon behind the bridge. I climbed down a rock and concrete barrier in total darkness to get my camera down close to the still waters of the bay. I started shooting and saw a ship approach the bridge. Perfect; a bridge, a moon, a ship; elements for a composition. From the ship’s bow I couldn’t tell how big it was as it slowly approached head on, then it turned slightly to head out to sea. It went under the bridge and I began to see it’s profile, much bigger than I thought. As it came alongside I realized it was some type of a super-massive cargo ship, maybe seven hundred feet or longer. I watched in stunned awe as it passed slowly in the night with the low sound of the engines, hardly breaking a wake. Hardly. About a minute later the glassy still water started to move and large low frequency waves began to wash on shore. In effect a mini tsunami. The sound of the wave breaking along the entire length of the shore broke the silence as I grabbed my tripod and jumped for higher ground. Let’s just say I was a little lucky. Perhaps there was no harm, but I left there a little shaken from the ordeal and wondering if I had let my enthusiasm overpower my better judgement.
Cypress Point
A friend of mine suggested Cypress Point as a possible place to get a good view of the city. He passed me a link that listed it as one of Vancouver’s “free” attractions. Bingo, I’m sold. So anyway, I looked it up on Google maps and headed on my way, the second exit on the highway, no problem. Somehow I ended up in a residential neighborhood and all over hell’s half acre for a half an hour before I found myself back where I started. I got back on the highway and “three” stops later I found the right exit. Sheesh. This is Cypress Point which overlooks Vancouver and the Lions Gate Bridge. Worth the drive, just remember, the third exit.
Don’t get lost, purchase an amazing print (that’s lame, I know).
Moody Morning in Queenstown
Walking along Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown New Zealand the clouds were clearing from the night’s rain revealing snow packed peaks of the southern alps. Sound too good to be true? Just another day in the land of magic.
Closing Time at Epcot Center
I shot this last month when we visited Epcot center and decided to take our time walking out of the park. That way I could capture a few shots of the architecture without the crowds like this in the Italian pavilion. I thought I was being pretty smart but have since learned that if you stay in one of the Disney resorts there is a package that entitles you to after hour access to the park. That sounds like a lot of fun, especially not worrying about being hurried out by a security guard. Might have to try that one day.
Dawn Over Queenstown
I took this last week as we walked in the early morning along the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand. We’d had rain at lower elevations the night before and so the mountains were all capped with snow. Those are the Remarkables in the distance which seem to dominate the view of all the small towns below. In any case, now that I’m back in Florida I long for the cool air and breathtaking vistas of New Zealand. Time to plan my next trip.
Golden Gate
Last night we had an overnight layover in San Francisco on our way back from New Zealand. So being fairly jet lagged we did the only sensible thing, rent a car and go driving up the coast. That was a lot of fun but towards the end we got pretty tired and hungry and so headed for Fishermen’s Wharf. I figured I’d take the last exit before the bridge but as luck would have it the exit was closed and we crossed into Marine County. So in effect this wasn’t planned, it just kind of worked out that way.
Vancouver Story
A good friend of mine took me to this secret location one night where, as you can see, we had unbelievable views of Vancouver. I’ve taken a lot of pictures from down on the ground but up here it’s a whole different story. Okay, bad pun. In any case, it involved a race car team and hot tub full of, well, pretty young ladies. Way out of my league. So I did the only sensible thing and concentrated on my tripod. …Did I just say that? Good grief, I’m such a nerd.
Purchase a huge metal print, or a little bitty paper print, it’s all good.