Siesta Time

We walked down the road looking for a place to chill and found a quiet little beach bar with tropical beverages. It was our third stop, and it was a charm. It's called the Blue Angel, and it's about a mile south of central Cozumel. If you're in the area, you can't go wrong. It's a resort and dive shop, and from what I could see, very laid back. There were half dozen cruise ships in port, so this is a spot to get away from crowds. We've had a problem with red tide in Florida, so it was refreshing to see so many fish in the clear turquoise water. There were divers and snorkeling which we lazily watched all afternoon. It's the kind of place I could waste away in Margaritaville. I can envision myself napping in one of these hammocks half the day and the other half looking for my lost jigger of salt.

The Fritz

Ocean Drive in Miami Beach on a Monday night. And the later I stayed, the busier it got. I repeat, it was Monday. But then I shouldn't be surprised, because when I'm on vacation, every day is Saturday and most of the people in South Beach are on vacation. So it could be Sunday, Monday or Tuesday night and the place is still going to be full of life. As I look at this photo, I wonder why they had two TVs set up outside? I get it with TVs in restaurants, but to set two up on the sidewalk seems a little extreme. It's not enough that we are continually communing with our phones. I'm as guilty as anyone. But maybe it's a good idea to get unplugged, if even for a couple of hours while we eat. Perhaps I'll try that tonight, as long as there's nothing important on.

La Rambla Ice Cream

They have it all wrong because I think ice cream is the real gateway drug. And besides, it's highly addictive. I want to be in Barcelona at La Rambla on a warm night having an ice cream cone. I can be clumsy with food, so I got a small cup instead. There's something about walking around with ice cream; for the time it takes to eat, reality gets suspended, and you have not a care in the world. We were walking back to our hotel after spending time in the gothic quarter, and I was randomly snapping photos of people and vendors. For me, this captures some of the magic of that night, and believe me; there is always a bit of magic here. But now looking at it again, I think it might be time for ice cream. Not that I'm addicted or anything like that.

Now and Then

Now and then, without warning, the view from a cruise ship can be over the top. This is why I like booking a room with a balcony. The Oasis of the Seas was just leaving the dock at Cozumel, and everything came together. As the ships leave, smaller boats are returning to dock after depositing their tour groups. By six in the evening, all the ships have departed, and the little towns and villages become sleepy again. That's why I think Cozumel is the closest thing to Margaritaville. My apologies if this image seems overly saturated. I've desaturated the colors a couple of times because it doesn't seem realistic. Every now and then that happens. More and more I pay attention to the levels of color saturation while I'm taking the picture, and sometimes it's quite high. Then I have to tone it down in post-processing because it can look fake. This is one of those cases, but I'm still not sure if it's enough.

St Marks Water Level

Walking back to the ferry late at night I stopped in St Marks Square to capture reflections. To get this shot, I held the camera right above the water. Nowadays, days I use a Playpod which is similar to a tripod with a small base you attach to the camera. The first time I saw it I didn't know what to think, but I've had it for a few months now, and I take it everywhere. I like doing low perspective shots, and the Platypod excels at that, and it saves both time and the camera body. Before, I would use whatever I had in hand like a strap or iPhone to prop the lens up, and that takes time and patience to get it right. But the Playpod it's like having a mini tripod at ground level. Anyway, we had a late meal along the canals and walking back there were fewer people than during the day. The next time I go back, I'll probably sleep all day and walk around taking photos all night. And you can be sure I'll be carrying my trusty Platypod.

Morning Routine

On most mornings I have a routine, doing the same things I did the morning before. Once in a while, I take photos instead. I'm a creature of habit, and if I don't put my keys in the same place, I'd spend half my life looking for them. Habits and routines go hand in hand and can be good, or not so good. But you get my drift. It's a little like having an autopilot in our car. It allows us to do one thing while doing another. Again, nothing wrong with that unless we forget where we are going. I guess my point is that it might be a good idea to step outside our comfort zone now and again to see where we are. For me, that means getting out to take photos. For you, it would be something completely different, but just as important.

Fishing Pier 4.0

Some scenes like this I keep coming back to. But since the sky is different each time it counts as a new pic. I'm not trying to justify it, I'm just saying. I've posted this same scene at least three times. I considered not posting yet another, but I like it and so why not? It makes sense to repeat a composition over time to gauge subtle difference as your technique or gear changes. This is the first time I used the GM lens for this scene, and so now I can take the time to notice that. I'm doing that with a few repeat scenes, and I'm enjoying the results. I usually save the GM lenses for commercial or portrait work, but I'm starting to use them for landscapes as well. Anyway, here is the latest version of the pier in Bradenton's Riverwalk. Stay tuned for version 5.0 in about a year.

Bo De Gracia

Having only one night, we had to find the best tapas in town. Fortunate for us it was just around the corner. In Barcelona, that's any corner. I really don't think you can go wrong, but Bo De Gracia was especially right if that makes any sense. There were quite a few things we ordered, but I remember sardines and olives the most. My wife doesn't generally like sardines, but we both had to split the last one. And the fresh green olives have a taste and texture I've never experienced in America. It was all washed down with a local Spanish wine that complemented everything perfectly. But I'm a photographer, so I had to pick up the camera and take this quick shot from the bar where we sat. The only people here were us and this couple. Probably because it was early in the evening. Around nine or ten is when these places start to fill up. By "these places" I mean the worlds best tapas bars around every corner of Barcelona.

Elevator Bank

Why do we call it a bank of elevators? My guess is that at one time, only banks had lifts. Rest assured, this is no bank. Royal Caribbean ships have elevator banks that are functional, stylish and serve as a showcase for hanging art. No two banks are the same which is not only refreshing but helpful. Helpful, in that, on some of the larger ships, it's easy to get disoriented. Having distinct elevator banks helps with getting your bearings. I can't tell you how many times I forgot whether I was at the front or back of the boat. Unless you're up top or by a window, it's almost irrelevant, but knowing which direction to walk for a meal is an acquired skill. Also, each night the crew replaces a floor tile in each elevator with the name of the day. So not only do you know which part of the ship you're on, you're reminded the day of the week. Little orientation hist never hurt anyone. Anyway, if memory serves me, this was at the back of the Oasis of the Seas, or was it the front?

West Palm Beach

Over the holidays we jumped on a last-minute cruise of the Carribean. Living in Florida, these kinds of things are easy to do, just find a cheap ticket and drive to the port. The ship was Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which is one of the worlds largest. We've sailed on a couple of her sister ships, so we already had a good feel for the layout. I took a few photos that are of a more abstract nature than typical holiday snapshots. (1 of 7) On our first evening at sea, we sailed down the east coast of Florida from Cape Canaveral. The lights on the left are from West Palm Beach if I'm not mistaken. The first day is always a good time to look out to sea and decompress from life on land.

Leaving Falmouth

Over the holidays we jumped on a last-minute cruise of the Carribean. Living in Florida, these kinds of things are easy to do, just find a cheap ticket and drive to the port. The ship was Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which is one of the worlds largest. We've sailed on a couple of her sister ships, so we already had a good feel for the layout. I took a few photos that are of a more abstract nature than typical holiday snapshots. (3 of 7) We departed Falmouth, Jamacia in the evening after a very windy day. All day long I wondered how the captain would pull out in such conditions, but as the sun fell so did the wind, and we departed quite easily. I created this long exposure as the ship slowly moved past the dock. The jiggling of the light trails was from my unsteady hand as I held the camera (not necessarily from the Jamaican rum one may be obliged to try).

The Trail

Over the holidays we jumped on a last-minute cruise of the Carribean. Living in Florida, these kinds of things are easy to do, just find a cheap ticket and drive to the port. The ship was Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which is one of the worlds largest. We've sailed on a couple of her sister ships, so we already had a good feel for the layout. I took a few photos that are of a more abstract nature than typical holiday snapshots. (2 of 7) Here is another shot from the first night, looking to the back of the ship, as the smoke from the engine trails out. These first two shots are long exposures that were stabilized on the balcony railing.

After Hours

Over the holidays we jumped on a last-minute cruise of the Carribean. Living in Florida, these kinds of things are easy to do, just find a cheap ticket and drive to the port. The ship was Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which is one of the worlds largest. We've sailed on a couple of her sister ships, so we already had a good feel for the layout. I took a few photos that are of a more abstract nature than typical holiday snapshots. (6 of 7) The perfect symmetry of the bar stools caught my eye as I wandered around the decks at night. This is one of the outdoor bars that had closed for the evening.

OverDock

Over the holidays we jumped on a last-minute cruise of the Carribean. Living in Florida, these kinds of things are easy to do, just find a cheap ticket and drive to the port. The ship was Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which is one of the worlds largest. We've sailed on a couple of her sister ships, so we already had a good feel for the layout. I took a few photos that are of a more abstract nature than typical holiday snapshots. (5 of 7) One lazy pastime when leaving a port is to sit on the balcony and watch others board the ship. In Labadee Haiti, there are musicians and dancers on the dock as well. Here I'm aiming directly down at the pier as a passenger walks to the gangway.

Hot Tub

Over the holidays we jumped on a last-minute cruise of the Carribean. Living in Florida, these kinds of things are easy to do, just find a cheap ticket and drive to the port. The ship was Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which is one of the worlds largest. We've sailed on a couple of her sister ships, so we already had a good feel for the layout. I took a few photos that are of a more abstract nature than typical holiday snapshots. (4 of 7) There are large hot tubs on both sides of the upper deck that protrude out from the sides of the ship on deck fifteen. I didn't manage to try them out for myself, but that didn't stop me from taking an architectural shot from our balcony five floors below.

Port Side

Over the holidays we jumped on a last-minute cruise of the Carribean. Living in Florida, these kinds of things are easy to do, just find a cheap ticket and drive to the port. The ship was Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas, which is one of the worlds largest. We've sailed on a couple of her sister ships, so we already had a good feel for the layout. I took a few photos that are of a more abstract nature than typical holiday snapshots. (7 of 7) I snapped this as we left our last port of Cozumel. Another pastime for me is to sit on the balcony and read or listen to music. No agenda, no schedule, just free time to do anything or nothing at all.

Hometown AI

I hope you don't mind if I use a little AI in my sunset photos, I certainly don't. I did a bit of processing on this to bring up the shadows and reduce the highlights, I do that quite a lot. One thing that's a little new, however, is that I've started using artificial intelligence (AI) software. The AI is in Luminar 3 from Skylum. As AI gets better, it shortens the time it takes to get good results out of a photo. These days, AI is increasingly being built into everything, including your phone and camera. Computational photography is where we're heading. What AI does is interpret scenes for us and then make choices on how to improve it. It's not always right, but it's getting better. Sometimes it's no help, but more often than not it gets a bunch of stuff right. I then fill in the gaps with the vision that I had in my head, but the AI helped get me off to a good start. It's like having an apprentice do the prep work before you begin mixing the magic brew. I suppose that as long as the sorcerer's apprentice doesn't get too carried away, it should be all good.

The Swamp

This swamp is in Florida and is a good thing, meaning we don't want to drain it; instead, we want to protect it as a national resource. The swamps, marshes, and bogs are quite beautiful. I did not expect I would be thinking of the swamp as beautiful before visiting, I was wary of what I might find. But once I was inside, I was struck by its vastness, rich biodiversity, and remoteness. I am not a naturalist and know very little about the ecosystem of the Big Cypress National Preserve, but if you want to know more, one recommendation is to visiting Clyde Butcher's site (https://clydebutcher.com/). Not only is he a passionate advocate for maintaining our natural habitats, but his photographic legacy is considered a national treasure.

Lummus Park at Night

Here's a scene from Miami Beach's Lummus Park at night. I took some daytime photos here, but night time was way more fun. Sorry if I sound like grandpa talking, but it wasn't that long ago when shots like this were next to impossible. I shot this handheld without a tripod. In fact, the original photo didn't look like much. Nevertheless, I was able to recover most of the shadows thanks to software and the amazing sensor on the Sony A7RM3. The camera sensor saves things that are invisible to the naked eye. However, with post-processing, we can make much of it visible. I would say that low-light techniques like this are what got me back into photography. Back in the day (grandpa again) I used to shoot film but lost interest due to the amount of time I spent in dark rooms. Today, the only time you need to spend in the dark is taking photos of cool scenes.

Bayou Small Talk

Here is a scene from along the bayou nearby. A lot of wildlife lives here, in fact, I could hear a boar thrashing around not far from me. I've driven by here but never really noticed the vibrancy of the greenery. Maybe it was produced by the soft even light from the overcast sky. Whatever the reason, it was enough for me to pull over and captured it with my camera. While I stood in front of the car taking this, a fellow walking his dog came along and asked what I was taking a picture of. He thought maybe I had seen a boar, but I told him I was just impressed by the scenery of the bayou. He seemed to ponder this for a minute and then, agreed that I was on to something. He then proceeded to tell me stories about the boars and the local trappers. I suppose that's how you make small talk in the bayou.

Egret on a Tree

These egrets will sit on trees to preen while keeping an eye on the fishermen and their catch. I took this at a bayou that is also a state preserve. Florida preserves give wildlife a safe place to thrive outside of the urban sprawl. Egrets are opportunists that adapt to just about anything. Often I'll see them on the front lawn looking for lizards. It's not uncommon to see them perched on the roof of a car. However, just because they adapt doesn't mean they're not skittish. If you get too close, they'll fly away, so I had to keep a comfortable distance to capture this photo. That meant using a 70-200mm lens with a 2x converter for a total of 400mm. It's rare that I carry that combination, but I'm glad I did on this day.

Apartment Buildings

Something about the light at dusk, it can make a boring apartment building look like a million bucks. I drive by these buildings all the time and never take a second look, but look at them now. They're kind of attractive, now that I see them. My Instagram tagline is, "through photography, I see." I guess this is proof of that. I used a one-second exposure for the water on the bottom half which evens out the ripples. Usually, I use photoshop to get a similar effect but in this case, its straight out of camera (or SOOC as we say in the biz). I took this from a dock while walking my dog recently. He likes to come out here and survey the scene and sometimes I'll bring my camera. So it was, in fact, Mr. Wiggles who selected this scene. I should probably change my tagline to, "through my dog, I see."

Big City

When I see a big city, I'm like a deer in the headlights. I look up and can't stop staring. I'm fascinated by the perpendicular angles of construction, a million squares, layered and stacked in every direction. It's a sensory rush that quickens my pulse and speeds up time; a big city high. Maybe it's of all the lights, or the mass of humanity, or the scale of it all. Whatever it is, I'm in not much use until I snap out of its initial spell. Perhaps there's some part of our DNA that attracts us to a hive or colony or tribe. Or maybe, it just all the cool lights.

Village Across the Water

This is the back side of Bradenton Beach, the front side is, uh, a beach. The little beach town is surrounded by water because it sits on Anna Maria Island. The back side faces the intercoastal waterway and is the place where all the boats dock. It's also where you'll find a lot of fun things to explore, like restaurants, galleries, and fishing piers; not to mention other little villages like Cortez. I shot this picture at water level using a Platypod on a remarkably calm night; usually, there's a little chop. This is also a prolonged, thirteen-second exposure, so it makes the water appear even smoother. Then I stretched the lights a little downwards to accentuate them. But at the end of the day, if you squint your eyes a little, this is exactly what you would see on most evenings along the inter-coastal waterway. But if that doesn't float your boat, there is always the beach on the other side.