After being closed for about six months for repairs, the Bridge Street pier in Bradenton Beach Florida was recently reopened. And so I turned up before dawn to check it out as any other time this would be full of fishermen and activity, not that that’s bad, but this time I just wanted a shot of the pier by itself. Every now and then I show up here and always go home satisfied having found something new and interesting. In this case it was the pier itself.
This is a snapshot of a kite ballet. Yes, you read that right. I never knew of such a thing either. A dozen kites, flying in unison, creating choreographed formations across the sky, synchronized to music. That is a kite ballet. And if you think that sounds crazy, you should see it in action. The skill level of the kite flyers is nothing short of amazing. Hand eye coordination is redefined to new levels; the people flying these are like puppet masters. Puppets, dancing across the sky to music; is that over the top or what?
Whenever I need a quick sunset but don’t have the time to drive to the beach or someplace for the “perfect shot”, I head down the street to Emerson Point for a little quickie. It’s a little peninsula that points west into the Gulf of Mexico and no matter how many times I go there, it never disappoints, it’s my secret sunset “go to”. Only it’s kind of an open secret, I almost always run into another photographer and half a dozen others who just come to watch the spectacle.
