Mood Swings

The weather can be a metaphor for emotions. It can be bright and sunny one day, gloomy the next. I can imagine wind as a metaphor for thoughts, blowing through the mind, never-ceasing. We draw on the forces of nature to represent our inner experiences. Maybe our internal environment follows some of the same laws of physics; like fluid dynamics. Anyway, this picture is of two people fishing at the pier on a foggy day. At least, that's what it appears to be on the surface. Beyond that, it could be something much closer to home.

Footprint

I would post this photo along with some original words. But it seemed a little too cliché. When I look at a simple thing, my mind wanders. That's a life long habit I've acquired. It's too easy to get distracted with the first thought that comes to mind. Maybe it sounds silly, but it's a measure of how life is when we cannot focus on something uncomplicated. When we were children, before our brains developed, we could be easily delighted. Some scientist suspect that the ability to be fascinated with simple things diminishes with the development of the default mode network in the brain. Whether that's the case or not, it does make me wonder what our developed brains cause us to overlook.

Florida Flora

Whenever I visit a preserve in Florida, I spend time trying to figure out what to shoot. Sometimes the answer is right in front of me. There is beauty in endemic flora that's easy to overlook. I tend to get preoccupied with subjects and the composition, but simple scenes like this are as vibrant as any mountain landscape; it's a matter of perspective and scale. There are realms within a tangled garden, micro-ecosystems that, while imperceptible to us, are just as alive. Our minds operate in familiar regions; we habituate our vision to the human society we know. But shift focus just a little, and there are other worlds in plain view we rarely acknowledge.

Going Somewhere

I took this one of the times I was in Vancouver. As I recall, the weather was terrible most of the time, so I got a lot of practice wearing cold weather clothing. I'm not complaining but, my wardrobe in Florida consist primarily of shorts and tee shirts. I am aware that most people who don't live here are envious of that. However, when I do leave town, it's fun to wear warm clothing. By fun, I mean for a week or two.

Carousel at Sea

Upon boarding one of these mega ships, the size plays tricks with your mind. Seeing a carousel in one little section doesn't help. I took this photo on the Oasis of the Seas last year. I was looking down from about eight decks above. And, there are another eight decks below that. So if your mind gets a little blown at the beginning, chances are it will last all week; which is about how long it takes to find your way around. These ships would be impossible without a lot of elevators. Of course, with the amount you eat, it would be healthier to take the stairs. However, when entering a reality bubble, the standard rules and concerns don't apply. At least that's how it works for me.

Bike Lot

I expected to see a lot of bikes in Amsterdam, and I wasn't disappointed. However, not until I visited the bike parking lot did it sink in. Surrounding the public transit stations are huge bike lots. Some of them are multi-stories high and comfortably house tens of thousands. Some like this were outside and stacked to make efficient use of space. Maybe it's not so strange, but I was amazed nonetheless. Since everyone is accustom to it, biking seems like a natural thing to do here. It made me wonder why we can't seem to get it together in places like Florida where I live. From a transportation perspective, we are like dinosaurs, relying on our cars to get everywhere. If we don't figure out a better way, we may soon end up like the dinosaurs.

Bok Path

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Tweet Storm

I have never been at the center of a Tweet Storm unless of course, we are referring to squawks on the beach. Maybe this is a good metaphor for that. Speaking of which, I just heard the in-depth interview of Jack Dorsey on Sam Harris's podcast. (https://samharris.org/podcasts/148-jack-dorsey/) The guy is pretty zen, way more than I expected. Long story short, Twitter is a work in progress and, from what I can glean, Jack has his heart in the right place. I'm not much of a Twitter guy, I just tweet my photos, but that's probably not the ideal use case. I do like to follow certain people, but I'm not really into participating in public discourse. I'm more contemplative and keep my thoughts to myself. I'm not sure if that's a good thing; but let just say, it is what it is.

Back to Normal

After the long red tide, it's nice to see the beaches back to normal. The fish have returned, and fishers are back at it. A lot of research has gone into determining the causes of the toxic algae bloom. Historically, this has occurred for decades if not centuries. It's possible that man is aggravating it, and it's likely there are other causes, such as colonies of it endemic to the deep in the gulf. Nevertheless, it wreaks havoc on coastal communities in Florida. It's gone for now, and we hope it stays away. But after the last eighteen months, everyone is a little on edge. Most importantly, it gives us a new appreciation for the years when we don't have it.

The Nest

This newly constructed building is a wedding venue at Robinson Preserve. If anyone objects to the union, they fall through a trap door and come out the bottom. When not used for weddings, it's available for corporate events or education. It's called the NEST which stands for Nature, Exploration, Science and, Technology. It's one of the more compelling structures to come along recently, so naturally, I had to take a photo. The preserve borders on the Gulf of Mexico so it's built up high on legs to avoid a tidal surge. I've seen a lot more of this type of construction lately. With the new summer storm season starting shortly, it's probably a wise idea.

Around the Corner

It's too easy to spend time in the future worrying about what's just around the corner. But "spending time" is a misnomer: we cannot spend what we don't have. Maybe one day we'll figure out how to time travel. When that happens, will we be in a memory or a moment? In our minds, we time-travel quite a lot. The irony is, it wastes time. I've heard and read that time is an illusion, something in our minds. Not being in the present is like a treadmill that never stops. Maybe it's better to just try and be present in the moment.

Bigger Than Us

One of the reasons I do seascape photography is that it reminds me of things bigger than myself. It's easy to forget that we are part of a much larger universe. When we are children, everything is new, and we are often in a state of awe at the world around us. Then we develop thought patterns and an ego. We get through life by constructing a story of who and what we are. But that inward-looking drive comes at a cost: we forget the awe. When I create images with a minimal theme, the open space is a reminder to myself, and anyone else, that we are part of something beyond the daily grind. Once in a while, I like to remind my self of that.

Sky with Diamonds

The highlights in the clouds remind me of the Beatles song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. I don't see Lucy, but I do see diamonds. In the sky, we see whatever we want to see. Psychoanalysts have been using this trick for years to pull things out of our subconscious. Clouds present a daily Rorschach Test, teasing out things we hold below the surface of awareness. The key is to notice what we see and then think about why. The more abstract something is, the less rational it is. While rationality is necessary to navigate life, suspending it from time to time allows us to experience a different perspective. In my mind, a little vacation from the demands of an overactive mind is probably healthy, and maybe even necessary.

Park Scene

On a typical evening at Bayfront Park in Sarasota, people are walking along a scenic path or merely sitting on a bench. Given the view, can't say that I blame them. Sometimes I come here to take sunset photos; other times I prefer to take pictures of people watching the sunset. I'm not sure which I like more, it depends on my mood I suppose. This is street photography, even though it's in a park. The idea is to freeze a moment in time to preserve the essence of movement, place, and people. Street scenes are studies; they take something fluid and solidify to be examined in detail later. In scenes like this, I see things that were not apparent at the time. I think there is value in that, like maybe an appreciation for the multitude and beauty of things unnoticed.

Beach Battle

There is a barrier of dunes that run the length of Anna Maria Island. Plants grow in the dunes and as a result, protect it from the onslaught of the sea. It's incredible how nature comes up with devices to protect one thing from another. The forces of nature are regularly at war, and the results of the conflict create a boundary that, in this instance, we call a beach. Sometimes I like to get down into the trenches with the troops. In this case, I found a path through the dunes at Manatee Beach. People came to enjoy the sense of peace and tranquility. However, as summer approaches, it will invariably bring new storms that test the resolve of these little dunes. May they hold fast and secure.

Old Seawall

This old seawall was part of the old bridge across Tampa Bay. It was hit by a ship and collapsed in 1980. The new bridge starts here as well but is virtually indestructible. Here is a link to the story with pictures of the event from forty years ago. (https://www.tampabay.com/photos/2018/05/09/the-sunshine-skyway-bridge-plunged-into-tampa-bay-38-years-ago/). These days this sea wall and the remnants of the old bridge are used for recreation and fishing. I took this photo about three years ago. However, lately, there is an on-going project to re-enforce the seawall so that it doesn't erode. Because I drive by it several times a week, I was getting tired of seeing the construction equipment. But upon reflection, and through a longer lens of history, it's probably good that they take all the time they need to get it right.

Amsterdam Night 1

Arriving into Amsterdam from Florida I had the advantage of my time zone. So I walked around the central section of the city late into the night. At that time I was doing some software work for a client. These days I do most of that type of work remote, so I felt it unnecessary to mention that I was out of the country. From my hotel, I could take meetings as if I was sitting at home. Then, when done, I would step outside and explore the city. What brought me there in the first place was a photo exhibit I was participating in just outside the city. I was able to attend the exhibition, explore the city and, for all intents and purposes, continue helping my client as though I was sitting right at home. It was a new experience that worked out well on all fronts.

Midnight Sun

This was taken about three years ago in Alaska. It was around eleven o'clock at night as the sun slowly inched down. Then, just a few hours later it would creep back up. I took the picture from a ship as we sailed north. This scene was repeated in an endless succession of mountains and untouched wilderness. I was blown away at the vastness of natural landscape here. Until you experience it yourself, it's hard to imagine. And it's equally hard for me to convey in writing. If you have never been to Alaska, put it on your list. There is nothing like a lot of open space and massive mountain peaks to clear out the urban cobwebs and refresh one's sense of perspective.

Miami Marina

I took this picture at three in the morning as our ship entered the port in Miami. I am surprised it turned out given that we were moving at it was dark. Its the second time I've taken this same perspective from a ship. The first time was a year earlier when I used an f2.8 lens; this time I used an f1.8: the f1.8 aperture is wider which allows more light and, creates a better result without too much noise. Anyway, we were arriving back from Europe, so the early morning hour didn't seem too bad. And, after being at sea for about ten days, I was not about to sleep in as we returned to civilization.

Timeless Scene

In one sense, the scene of children on the beach is timeless, it could have been taken a hundred years ago. However, the landscape might have changed quite a bit. Mechanically speaking, beaches are the act of erosion. The beach here probably looked quite different a hundred years ago. Because changes happen slowly, we don't notice much of it. But take a picture of anything year after year, and we begin to see changes. With technology, and from this point forward, we are recording the transformation of our landscapes accurately. Assuming we're around in a couple thousand years, we should have a high-resolution time-lapse recording of all the changes. That should be pretty awesome to watch because it will show the changes that span a human lifetime in just a few seconds. Then, maybe, we will have an appreciation for just how dynamic the changes on our planet really are.

Pass-A-Grille

I took this photo in Pass-A-Grille. The name is anglicized from the French: Passe Aux Grilleurs. It seems it's always been a favorite place to grill fish. http://www.pass-a-grille.org/history.php I've only been here a few times in the last decade, but I've never grilled fish. Nevertheless, it's just south of it's more famous cousin, St Pete Beach. And unlike the communities just north of it, has a distinct village feel. Anyway, I arrived just before sunset and, just like at all the other beaches in the region, people arrive to watch. In case you haven't noticed, that's a favorite photographic subject for me. I am attracted to the colors in the sky and, the scenes it creates of people watching the spectacle unfold. I think we like watching the sunset because, at a subconscious level, it's a reminder of our place on Earth as it moves through the heavens; and, that we are part of something much much more significant.

West Coast Anywhere

I am partial to the west coast. Any west coast will do, I'm not that particular. It just needs to be a coast on the west side of any land mass. I mentioned in a recent post that this has everything to do with how our planet spins. As we know, the sun sets in the west. However, if our world turned in the opposite direction, it would set in the east, and I'd have a preference as an east coast guy. Come to think of it; I'm not that attached to the west, rather, the direction that the sun sets. As for this planet, it's west. But over near Alpha Centauri, all bets are off. Back here in the United States, I live in the eastern part of the country on the west coast of Florida. In this way, should the Earth change its mind and decide to spin the other way, I should have my bases covered.

Low Hanging Branch

A branch hangs over the water along the Sunshine Skyway in Tampa. This image was taken at dawn one weekend. During the weekdays, the skyway is inundated with cars commuting to work in the various counties that surround Tampa Bay. I traverse three counties just to get to Tampa, one county twice. The weird way Tampa is carved up, Hillsborough County is on both sides of Pinellas County, on the same highway. Nevertheless, this is a long exposure that I took from Hillsborough County looking back at Manatee County. The Skyway is an impossibly long crossing of Tampa Bay. Not only is it a scenic drive, but it's also a recreation area and one of the best rest stops in Florida.

Obstructed View

There are so many mangroves along the water that quite often the view is obstructed. But maybe in some cases, it's a good thing. I was walking along a hidden shoreline at Emerson Point in the afternoon when I took this photo. I'm not sure what prompted me, but it seems the focus on the foliage is the subject of this image. Foreground elements are essential, especially in environmental or landscape shots. They're a good idea anyway because they tend to be the first thing we focus on. As our eyes wander, we travel from foreground to the background. The trick in photography is to make that journey enjoyable.