Longboat Key Public Pier

Docks are kind of a big thing here; everybody seems to have one. Dock Life is the new Salt Life; only you don't get wet. Not that I know the first thing about docks or salt. I'm one of three people that doesn't have one. Most of the docks in Florida are private, and they have No Trespassing signs posted. That's a shame, but I suppose it makes sense. Anyway, some of the best are public, like this one in Longboat Key. It's next to a couple of restaurants so you can dock the boat and have dinner. Near my home is a commercial marina with a couple of hundred yachts. It's also next to a restaurant, appropriately named Dockside Grill.

Lower Path

There are two paths along the river; one higher up and one lower down at the bank. The alligators prefer the lower one. The problem with the higher path is there is too much growth to get a clear shot of the river. So every fifty yards or so I'd make my way down here to set up for a photo. It's amazing how the sense of hearing becomes heightened at such times. I've been in Florida for a while, so I've become familiar with some of the animal sounds. I also carefully scan the water and banks all around to ensure I'm not disturbing them. Alligators don't want anything to do with us, and if you're mindful and steer clear, there will never be a problem. With this knowledge and care, I spent much of my time on the lower path.

Rainbow Chair

Where there are rainbows, there must be rain. In Florida at this time of year, you can count on it every day. Look close, and you'll see the Sunshine Skyway Bridge under the rainbow. I used a wide angle lens, so the bridge seems far away. I took this about five years ago at Fort DeSoto Park. Looking at it now I wish I'd used a smaller aperture so the foreground would be sharper, but I like the photo anyway. Sometimes I try not to sweat the little stuff if I like the image. Technically the picture is a bit subpar, but I like the shot anyway, and in my mind, that's what counts.

Bradenton Causeway

The Bradenton causeway has advantages over the beach. You can park at the water's edge, and there aren't nearly as many rules. At this spot, you can generally see horses in the water. But I was here on a Monday, and they weren't. The causeway isn't fancy, but if you want to spend time at the water without the parking hassles, this is it. Many people prefer the beach with its powdery white sand. However, a lot of the locals come here. Just drive up, pull out a lawn chair and Bob's your uncle.

Lone Oak

Whenever I drive these roads, I have my eyes peeled for lone oaks. They add a natural aesthetic to the interior landscape of Florida. Much of the state is agricultural and along the highways are pastures with these massive trees. They provide shade for livestock and, lucky for me, are not shy about posing for photos. There is a theory in science that consciousness is present in all things. It's tricky to know what to make of that given our limited understanding of the subject. Nevertheless, it's hard not to feel the presence of something when standing near these great living creatures. It makes me wonder what we'll eventually learn through science and if, it will validate that sixth sense we sometimes have about certain things.

Path Metaphor

A winding path is a metaphor, but in photography, it's a leading line — kind of like a leading lady, only more mysterious. We are influenced by symbols all around us. For me, a leading line like this describes something to come or, returning home. Anyway, whenever I find something with direction, I look for ways to incorporate it into the scene so that it hopefully resonates at an emotional level. I took this photo inside Hillsborough River State Park, which is just north of Tampa. It is somewhat typical of the parks we have in Florida, lush, full of vegetation, and with lots of trails that lead to mysterious places. Metaphorically speaking that is.

Venice Visit

Here is a picture from the other day at the pier in Venice, Florida. Isn't it interesting how so many places are named after a city in Italy? I suppose it's no surprise; it just makes me wonder what we'll name places on Mars should we ever begin to colonize there. If there are no bodies of water, Venice may not be high on the list. You never know. These are the kinds of silly things I think about when I have nothing better to do.

Shop Local

I was somewhere off La Rambla watching other people shop. Not something I'm fond of, shopping that is. There are a lot of things I'm not fond of, but having a camera turns the most hated activity into an artistic endeavor. Like taking pictures of shoppers, suddenly I can go shopping with my wife and have a good time. But nowadays the only place it seems you can take photos of shoppers is in Europe. Here in the states, shopping is in a mall and the last time I took my camera, the mall cop and asked not to take photos. He said I could use a phone, but not a camera. If that doesn't sound ridiculous, I don't know what does.

Neighborhood at Sea

This photo is the Central Park neighborhood aboard Oasis of the Seas. Personally speaking, it was my favorite place to hide. For whatever reason, this area gets less traffic than the other neighborhoods, and if you want to find a quiet space during the day, this is it. At night we had tapas at the wine bar and listened to live music in the courtyard. The setup of these mega ships are no different than cities; there is every facility of a small town and more. If we ever figure out how to make big spaceships, (and I'm sure we will), this is an early example of how to design one. Now fast forward two-hundred years into the future, and it would not be surprising to see Royal Caribbean cruises to Mars.

Big Banks

The big banks in Canada have done quite well. I know that because I see them everywhere in the United States. This image is from downtown Vancouver, BC. It's another one of the photos that I've reprocessed. Below is the first image from about six years ago. Boy, I miss that Nikon 14-24mm lens. I think the Sony version is next on my list. The distortion of the monochrome image is very close to how it appeared in-camera. In the color image, I corrected the tilt in Photoshop so that it is less warped. I'm not aiming for realism, rather the architecture and the visual elements like reflections. The sense of confusion is what I'm going for here if that makes any sense.

RR Crossing

If you've ever had a drink of orange juice, chances are it crossed these tracks. The Tropicana train crosses this river. I live within earshot, so I hear the horn in the morning and at night. It's part of the soundscape of my hometown. The idea of a town having a soundscape is new to me, but if I were blind, I'd know it very well. If you look closely at the patterns on the water, you can see the direction of flow. The eddies caused by the supports are on the downstream side. But as this river flows into the ocean, the direction changes with the tide. As the tide changes, the flow is non-existent. But that's another shot for another day.

Bank of Montreal

Original image of the bank building in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia.

Less Obvious

The other day I visited the pier at the beach in Venice, Florida. It's an excellent place to hang out at the end of the day. I took this picture from the patio of Sharky's, one of the best beach restaurants in the region. When guests come to town, this is where we go. From the terrace, you walk onto the pier to fish or look for dolphins. It's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it. What caught my eye was the sunlight through the grass. At the time, I thought to focus on the less obvious subject. It's the concept behind my website name. Sometimes, I focus on highlighting the underappreciated gems right in front of the more obvious choice. While I don't always succeed, that's the idea behind "Just Enough Focus" dot com.

Wave Motion

The best things about the water are the feeling of weightlessness and, the motion of the waves. Makes me wonder what it's like to be a dolphin. Speaking of which we see them all the time along the beach. Generally, dolphins swim by in pods or family groups. Many have returned since the end of the last red tide. I take a lot of these shots and just can't seem to get enough of them. It reminds me of times I visited Hawaii and would float for long stretches in the water, rocking with the waves. Now that I live in Florida, it's ironic that I can go whenever I want but seldom do.

Pirate Shells

When I see a bunch of shell on the beach, I want to hoard them like a pirate. At some point in history, these were money. This photo is reprocessed from an earlier version here. (https://justenoughfocus.smugmug.com/Portfolio/Full/i-MVVZNj3) The tools for post-processing are continually being updated, so lately I've been having a little fun going back to old photos to tease out a new look. I don't recall what tools I used back in 2015, but this time, I used the latest version of Skylum's Luminar. Nevertheless, what got my attention in this scene is all of the shells in the foreground; they must have been deposited after a storm. You can go to a store and buy a bag of shells for ten bucks, or you could just go to the beach and pick them up yourself. Better yet, send me the money, and I'll get them for you! (just kidding)

No Wifi

Something tells me that this AirBnB has no Wifi, no A/C nor Color TV. But it does have a stove and the South Dakota sky. This picture was taken from what was once the movie set of Dances with Wolves and is now a museum and tourist spot along Highway 90. A structure like this makes me very appreciative of modern conveniences. Back then, it was way different. Feeling a sense of gratitude for what we have goes a long way to erasing the thoughts and feelings of what we don't have. There are a lot of things I would like, but when I look at this house and imagine surviving through the long cold winter in the Dakotas, I'm pretty dang happy with what I've got: including Wifi, A/C, and a color iPad. (Nobody watches TV anymore).

Skyway Light

There's a reason they call it the Skyway Bridge. I like to think it has something to do with the sky. I'm just saying. I remember taking this after an afternoon rain. I pointed the camera from a rest stop along the highway facing northwest. I've been using different lenses lately, but I think I'll bring this old 24-240mm along with me more often. By the way, this is a fifteen-second exposure, so it must have been quite dark. According to the EXIF information on the photo, I took this on July 16th at 8:00 pm. But I think it's wrong because the sun sets around 8:30 at that time of year. I think the clock in my camera was off by an hour, and it was actually 9:00 pm. Inquiring minds need to know; I'm just saying.

Beach Dunes

This picture is another in a series of dunes on Anna Maria Island. This might not be the most exciting thing you see today. A lot of effort goes into protecting these dunes and the natural flora that grows here. There are signs every thirty feet or so warning people to use the bridges to cross over to the beach. Even so, I've seen a few idiots disregard the signs and walk over the plants. I guess not everyone has a brain. Anyway, I love taking photos of these because they are an additional dimension to the landscape of the beach. And for the most part, they are the only place that the plants have a place to grow freely. Unlike dunes in the Sahara, these don't blow away or change their shape. We have the untrampled plants to thank for that.

Carnon Visit

My recollection of the last time I visited here in Carnon is a little spotty. I seem to remember something about fresh croissants every day. That, and the scenery and the excellent food and, let's not forget the wine. My memory of the trip is a string of highlights all tied together. I've been thinking about it lately because I'll be heading back in a few months. I have no agenda other than to get reacquainted with the customs of that region which, as I recall, are quite reasonable. I'll be taking a lot of pictures, of course.

Mouth of the Manatee

I took this photo at the mouth of the Manatee River. I live further upstream in the esophagus. It's curious how we anthropomorphize everything. DeSoto National Memorial Park is in the heart of Bradenton. Having grown up in the west, I still find it odd to have a national park in an urban area. To see the sunset like this, you walk into the park after closing. Doing so I thought I'd be alone but found a crowd along the shore, all with the same idea. After sunset, I took a quiet trail back to avoid the crowds. However, the trails have lifesize cutouts of historical figures, and more than once, I was startled by conquistadores and aboriginals staring back at me. It was a little unnerving, to say the least.

Crew on Deck

The Platypod is a mini holder for the camera that allows you to get these low angles. If nothing else that provides a different perspective. The crew of our ship would wash the decks with hoses each morning. Because I have a habit of waking up before dawn, I'd see them and then use the Platypod to take photos like this. I guess we can call these types of shots low angle studies. There are a lot of things to take pictures of on a ship, but after a while, I was wracking my brain for something new. Once I discovered this little trick, I made a ton of these studies. Eventually, it got old, and so the next time I go on a cruise, I'll be looking for something else to keep me interested.

Week Ends

The feeling at the end of the week, knowing there's no work the next day, is pretty awesome. Before a long weekend, it's even better. This photo is a reminder of how good we have it here in Florida: that's directed at those of us that live here because it's easy to forget. Living along the coast, you develop a sense of normalcy about living where others vacation. So it's good to get away for some perspective and then come back. It's human nature; nothing lasts forever, even that feeling at the start of a long weekend.

Sunrise Under the Ringling Bridge

Original Version from 2013