inspired photography with just enough perspective
I took this Saturday evening at the Riverwalk in Bradenton Florida. I love coming here this time of day, everything seems so mellow. This composition was the very first picture I took earlier this year after I purchased my Sony camera. I figured now that I’ve learned how to use it better I’d try again. It’s not uncommon to see a manatee or dolphin swimming by. Mostly people just come here to fish or stretch their legs with a little walk. Happy Wednesday everyone.
While in New York we stopped in here at Columbus Circle for a little snack after a day of walking and sightseeing. While I was working on a cookie I noticed this perspective from inside the ultra modern Time Warner Center out onto the older architecture of Central Park South. If I went back in time fifty or sixty years I could imagine a very similar scene as these buildings (at least from the outside) have changed very little. But alas I awoke from my time travel reverie to check my e-mail and send a text. It seems to me that I stood here somewhere in time between eras with a little bit of both mixed together. And all of this from a building that begins with the word “Time”.
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Last weekend I went to the World Trade Center in New York City. As I approached there was a lot of construction everywhere, a lot of noise, and a lot of people, …typical New York. But here, below the Freedom Tower at ground zero, despite the thousands of people gathered, it was hushed, the only sound was that of the water from the fountain. This is the reflection of Freedom Tower in the hushed silence of the fountain at ground zero.
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.
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.
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).
This was me. Long time ago but this was me. I really don’t know what to say about this. Go ahead picture, you do the talking. I’ll just listen, …and remember.
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.
This is a mangrove that’s taken over a sandbar just down the street from my home along the Manatee River in Palmetto. In the southern states along the Gulf Coast these mangroves are a natural defense against the erosion caused by hurricanes. As a result they are protected by the state and local governments. Basically you don’t mess with them, just leave them alone and let them do their job. Anyway, I thought the calm water created by the sandbar made for a nice reflection. Have a lovely day everyone.
This is view above Denman street in Vancouver a few weeks ago. If you’re not familiar Denman is one of those uber cool streets packed full of restaurants, cafe’s and shops. If you like Sushi restaurants you’ll love it here as it seems there’s one on every corner. I like this area just to walk around and soak up west coast vibes or grab a coffee at Starbucks and people watch. There are a lot of cool streets in Vancouver but this is probably my favorite.
On a side note, this is the last picture I took with my Nikon before it broke. As I write this it’s still in the shop on parts hold. No big deal, I used that partly as a reason to get a lighter Sony. I was planning on it eventually but the long wait at the Nikon shop accelerated my decision. So far I’m extremely happy with the new Sony.