Pure and Simple

These surf kites at the midpoint of the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa and can be seen for miles away whenever there’s a breeze. Once in a while I’ll pull off the highway to watch. The main impression I get is of the contrast of these colorful canopies moving against the sky. They are mesmerizing to watch and this is a simplification of that scene as it appears in my minds eye.

Pure and Simple
Making things pure and simple is a good way to go, at least I try in my photography.

The wind here changes direction from one day to the next and depending on that the surfers alternate from one side of the causeway to the other. The spectacle of the scene is so compelling it’s a wonder there aren’t accidents as drivers crane their heads to get a look.

In my way of thinking, I’m always trying to simplify things. I work and live in a complex world and what helps is if I can simplify the complexity a bit. I do this by removing things that I feel are unnecessary to the central core or subject of a thing. In this case, the subject is little colorful kites in a big sky, so to convey that I needed to remove as many distractions as possible. I think this might not be a bad philosophy to live by. In fact it’s called de-cluttering, and now there are de-clutter coaches you can hire to help with de-cluttering you life. We’ll, I’m no guru or coach, but I do like to get to the essence of a thing, and in this case, it’s all about the kites.

Pure and simple.

Some other images with or around this bridge

Deserted Island

Today I visited the deserted island known as Egmont Key. It’s near the big city of Tampa but completely removed from civilization. There is nothing here but an old fort, a ghost town, a lighthouse and miles of empty white sand beaches. Today was warm and sunny, yet there was only a handful of people that bothered to take the ferry out here. That meant I could walk for miles along the shore without seeing anyone. I walked the circumference of the island and somewhere halfway between one end and the other I spotted this couple.

Deserted Island
Egmont Key is a deserted island just outside of Tampa Bay                        Order a fine art print

The island reminded me a little of the island on Lost, except there are no mountains. I think that during WW2 there was a lot of activity on account of its location as a gateway into Tampa Bay. But now it’s a state park accessible only by boat and so remains largely deserted save for a park ranger, sea birds and a few daily visitors.

More beaches from the blog

To get here you catch a ferry from Fort DeSoto Park in St Petersburg. There are only two scheduled departures in the morning and then two return trips in the afternoon. The last return leaves at 2:30 so if you miss it you’re on your own. You might as well look for a place to shelter for the night. In that case you could wander over to the ghost town, I’m sure they’ll have a room there.

More beach shots from the gallery

Last Rays of the Sun

Last Rays of the Sun
Kite surfers at the Sunshine Skyway Bridge                                            Order fine art print

On the way home this afternoon we crossed the causeway that leads to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It just so happened the sun was heading down and there were these kite surfers. I’ve taken these kind of shots before but each time is different and for me the rays of the sun through the clouds added an extra dimension of awesomeness. And if I thought this was nice, I can just imagine what these surfers felt as they soaked up the last rays of the sun.

Bayshore Boulevard

I drove around Tampa one hot day looking for photos to take and this is one I found on Bayshore Boulevard. I'm standing here at one of the many vistas that are provided for viewing the city which is located at the far edge of Tampa Bay so that the water is usually calm and glassy. Bayshore has many large homes with this same commanding view of the downtown Tampa core. I got lucky because these puffy clouds were also present to add to the composition. This time of year we get these hanging in the air which makes for an interesting sky when you catch them in the first half of the day. Normally by the afternoon or evening they either dissipate or group together and form thunderstorms.
Downtown Tampa as seen from Bayshore Boulevard

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I drove around Tampa one hot day looking for photos to take and this is one I found on Bayshore Boulevard. I’m standing here at one of the many vistas that are provided for viewing the city which is located at the far edge of Tampa Bay so that the water is usually calm and glassy. Bayshore has many large homes with this same commanding view of the downtown Tampa core. I got lucky because these puffy clouds were also present to add to the composition. This time of year we get these hanging in the air which makes for an interesting sky when you catch them in the first half of the day. Normally by the afternoon or evening they either dissipate or group together and form thunderstorms.

Skyway at Night

The most iconic bridge in Tampa Bay is the Skyway. I was in Bradenton before dawn and looked over to see it lit up over the calm waters of the bay. As the crow flies I'm about six miles away yet still it commands attention if you happen to look that way. I was standing next to a much smaller bridge that connects to Anna Maria Island and my idea was to take a picture of that bridge instead, but the Skyway won the day. I have a lot of images of this bridge but that's the way it is with iconic landmarks when you're a landscape photographer. I just keep coming back for more.
Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge Obtain print

The most iconic bridge in Tampa Bay is the Skyway. I was in Bradenton before dawn and looked over to see it lit up over the calm waters of the bay. As the crow flies I’m about six miles away yet still it commands attention if you happen to look that way. I was standing next to a much smaller bridge that connects to Anna Maria Island and my idea was to take a picture of that bridge instead, but the Skyway won the day. I have a lot of images of this bridge but that’s the way it is with iconic landmarks when you’re a landscape photographer. I just keep coming back for more.

Tampa Bay from St. Petersburg Florida

The view from St Petersburg Florida as I looked out across Tampa Bay.  In summer we go from wind a rain to a peaceful calm. This day happened to be one of the latter. The water on the bay was like glass as these sea birds snatch fish from the shallows. I waited for the perfect moment when the birds were in perfect position and took this picture. This is one of my favorite from the area.
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The view from St Petersburg Florida as I looked out across Tampa Bay. In summer we go from wind a rain to a peaceful calm. This day happened to be one of the latter. The water on the bay was like glass as these sea birds snatch fish from the shallows. I waited for the perfect moment when the birds were in perfect position and took this picture. This is one of my favorite from the area.

You Lookin at Me?

Does anyone know what type of bird this is? I saw this fella at the Tampa zoo. His half whimsical half challenging look seemed to say (in a Robert De Niro voice)
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Does anyone know what type of bird this is? I saw this fella at the Tampa zoo. His half whimsical half challenging look seemed to say (in a Robert De Niro voice) “you looking at me?”. Something tells me he was no pushover. I’m no dummy, I know when I’ve met my match.

Sunshine Skyway Clouds

It's warm and humid here in central Florida and this evening the clouds were heavy and thick. So I headed over to the Skyway Bridge to capture this. As I was here some dolphins swam by, ships passed under the bridge, and pelicans looked for scraps from the fishermen. All in all, just another lazy Sunday evening.CLICK TO PURCHASE

It’s warm and humid here in central Florida and this evening the clouds were heavy and thick. So I headed over to the Skyway Bridge to capture this. As I was here some dolphins swam by, ships passed under the bridge, and pelicans looked for scraps from the fishermen. All in all, just another lazy Sunday evening.

Downtown Tampa

When anyone asks where I live, I say Tampa. But in fact I live an hour south. Nevertheless it's the closest big city and most people recognize the name. However, I've spent very little time in Tampa since moving here about ten years ago. So I've started driving up and walking around to take a few photos. This image is a section of downtown from a recent trip. There is a lot more to see and once I figure my way around I'll take a few more.  So now you know where I'm from, even if I'm not.
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When anyone asks where I live, I say Tampa. But in fact I live an hour south. Nevertheless it’s the closest big city and most people recognize the name. However, I’ve spent very little time in Tampa since moving here about ten years ago. So I’ve started driving up and walking around to take a few photos. This image is a section of downtown from a recent trip. There is a lot more to see and once I figure my way around I’ll take a few more. So now you know where I’m from, even if I’m not.