sky Archives - Page 14 of 15 - Just Enough Focus

December 10, 2015December 10, 2015

We are never alone, even when we think we are

At times we need to be alone with the elements. Something about that reminds us that, in fact, we are never truly alone.

I recently read a book called The Light Between Us by Laura Lynne Jackson. It’s basically an autobiography of a person who grew up with a special gift to communicate with the “Other Side”. In it she details the struggles she overcame learning how to deal with that without having someone to help her. Nonetheless, she is one of a handful of scientifically certified psychics in the US and has helped many people bridge the gap between this world and the next as it pertains to bereavement. So, the moral of the story is we’re never really alone. The world we live in is just a subset of the real world and we are surrounded by many who love us all the time, whether we are aware of it or not.

December 7, 2015December 10, 2015

Beach Houses on Anna Maria Island

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Walking around the beaches of Anna Maria Island you’ll find houses along the water with a view of the gulf. Some are located on relatively isolated stretches so that even if there are a lot of people at the beach these sections are quiet. Walking past this area the beach was was quiet and undisturbed as evidenced from a colony of skimmers that nest and feed here. As I walked past they paid me little heed as they rested on one leg. I live only twenty minutes away but I keep telling myself that one day I’ll just rent a beach house and do a staycation. I think this remote strip suits me just fine.

December 6, 2015December 10, 2015

Fishing on Anna Maria Island

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On Anna Maria Island I have some favorite spots to hang out that are a little bit hidden and frequented more by the locals. This is opposite Coquina Beach and it’s a little dock where fishermen come to launch their boats around dawn. I was here walking around and noticed this guy casting his net and so stood a ways back trying to capture him in mid-throw. I think he noticed me and stopped throwing the net, maybe he was self conscious. I wandered off to leave the poor soul in peace. Hopefully he caught something because there were a couple of egrets waiting for anything he might pull up.

November 27, 2015

Lake Beauvert Jasper

A couple of years ago I was in Jasper Alberta to visit the Canadian Rockies. I arrived by train from Vancouver and then drove and hiked around. Along the way I stayed at the Jasper Park Lodge situated just east of town on Bueuvert Lake. I used a water texture from the mediterranean on the sky and water to add a mystical feel to the image. I would say there is quite a bit of good energy up here in the Rockies, mystical or otherwise. This is another one of those places I need to get back to and in some respects reminds me a little bit of New Zealand.

October 8, 2015October 8, 2015

Myakka Boardwalk

This is one of many boardwalks at Myakka River State Park. Along it you can view mostly birds but maybe the odd alligator as well. Just like everywhere else Florida is experiencing growth and urban sprawl and so places like this state park are protected sanctuaries for local and migratory wildlife. I posted something similar to this recently from the same location. I like how the palms frame the path as it leads out into the swamp. A simple composition of the Florida landscape without the beach. — Myakka River State Park

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This is one of many boardwalks at Myakka River State Park. Along it you can view mostly birds but maybe the odd alligator as well. Just like everywhere else Florida is experiencing growth and urban sprawl and so places like this state park are protected sanctuaries for local and migratory wildlife. I posted something similar to this recently from the same location. I like how the palms frame the path as it leads out into the swamp. A simple composition of the Florida landscape without the beach.

August 25, 2015

Nokomis North Jetty

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It’s been a while since I’ve been to the north jetty so yesterday evening I headed down here. It’s about 35 minutes from home along the gulf coast and every evening people flock here to watch the sunset. The minute I drove up a couple of dolphins swam by as they meandered about. These shells were deposited on the beach from recent storms; you could just scoop up a handful. The jetty connects the gulf to the intercostal waterway where most folks dock their boats. Evenings like this are a reprieve from the August sun as the breeze coming off the water is oh so nice. Somebody wake me up; on second thought, let me dream on.

August 21, 2015

Palmetto Afterglow

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Yet another dazzling display in the sky above my home in Palmetto Florida. You must be getting tired of all my sunsets. However it’s that time of year when every night we get crazy colors in the sky and water. This evening I headed out to get a sunset shot but the sky appeared so flat I turned back home. From my living room I continued to watch the sky and only fifteen minutes later it started turning all crazy like this, so I jumped back in my car again and headed for the water. These high altitude clouds appear flat and featureless when the sun is up, but after it sets they turn into filigree wafts of color enough to turn many a head. They certainly had me running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

August 19, 2015

Venice Pier After Sunset

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This evening I debated whether I should venture out on account of the thunderstorms in the area. Optimism won out and I headed down this way. All the way I thought it would be a waste of a drive but I continued nonetheless. When I got out of the car there was thunder, lightning and light rain. I stuck through it and for about an hour the weather held off. This is a twenty-five second exposure I took about a half hour after sunset. Tonight the cloud colors were best when the sun was well below the horizon. I shot several of these until the rain started up again then drove home through the pouring rain. Chalk one up for optimism.

August 13, 2015August 13, 2015

Afternoon Thunderstorms

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Death, taxes and afternoon thunderstorms are among the few certainties of life. At least it is here in Florida during the summer. I think I would be more surprised if we didn’t get a storm in the afternoon. Like when I lived by the tracks then moved away and couldn’t sleep because there were no trains going by. Thunderstorms are a little like that. We ignore them. They make noise but we tune it out. But lucky for me I’m a photographer and I’m always on the lookout. I didn’t ignore this one. And now, I’ll lay back in bed and wait for the sound of the midnight train. Goodnight all.

August 9, 2015

Skyway Afternoon

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I shot this on a calm afternoon with a few wispy clouds above. I would have preferred a little more drama in the clouds but it wasn’t to be. This is only a few minutes away from my home, I cross this way several times a week. This bridge connects St Petersburg with Manatee County where I live. All ships coming in or out of Tampa Bay pass through here. Now they’re saying that at four hundred feet the bridge isn’t high enough. Its time to go buy a new bridge.