Photos under the Sun

Southwest Florida Pet and Wildlife Photography

Category Archives: Travel

Odd Duck Day (One)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 Posted in Music, Travel

The sunshine Skyway bridge that spans Tampa Bay in Florida is a magnificent structure. Usually, what I see from this bridge are vast vistas of the bluest of skies merging with the most gorgeous hues of blue and green waters. Last Sunday, however, was a different story. From DeSoto Park (a superb place to observe wildlife), you can see the bridge in all its vast dimensions. I was in the park in the middle of an approaching storm. I managed to shoot some shots before I had to run (with my camera under my shirt–what a sight that must have been) for shelter. Here’s an image done in HDR of the approaching storm over the bridge.

Well, I’ll just HAVE to go back again and get some shots when the sun is out!! So, y’all come back soon. Meanwhile, put on some music and dance, dance, dance. Here’s Bruce to help ya ;D

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If at First, You Don’t Succeed…

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Posted in Music, Travel

About a month ago, Jim and I set out to spend a few days in the Smoky Mountains. The rains came down and the forecast said in no uncertain terms: GO HOME, COME BACK LATER!!!!! And we did just that: came home and went back. For those who have not been to these glorious mountains and wondered why they are called “smoky”, here’s a clue:

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Like déjà vue, the day before we got to the foothills, the forecast was not very promising. But we forged ahead–sure that with rain gear and massive umbrellas, we’d survive the meanest tempest! Then, north of Atlanta, the sky started to clear and by the time we crossed the border into North Carolina the Fall colors were waving and beaming everywhere you looked. I spent the first afternoon battling with my tripod and filters to get some shots of waterfalls and streams:

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Next morning, we drove up the mountain to Clingmans Dome. Every twist in the road brought spellbinding vistas to light. (It also brought a stream of heavy traffic from the other direction. There had been an avalanche of boulders a few days before, so people had to take an alternate route to get to work.) Here’s my first view of Mountain Ash with only the berries left:

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I know I said I wouldn’t pepper my postings with animation but I just couldn’t help myself with these ones of the beautiful smokies:

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In the afternoon, we went on to Cades Cove and took a narrow road back to Bryson City. Driving that road was like driving through a cathedral of glowing, tiffany mosaics:

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Next day we had to leave but got up before dawn to catch the rising sun:

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On the way down the mountain, I HAD to take a shot of the misty ghost trees:

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I also had some fun with the colors. Here’s a zoom with a slow shutter speed:

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And here’s the original:

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And since it was a few days before Halloween, I thought this looked quite the part:

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On the way back to Georgia, we saw more waterfalls. Some wide and rushing:

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Some wispy and hazy:

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And, of course, we had to be copycat tourists and take pics of someone BEHIND the fall. Here’s Jim:

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And one last glance on the Carolina/Georgia border: Tree2-1

The rain started to fall then but the colors burst through the mist in all their vibrancy. I think I left a piece of my heart up there. Well, I’ll just HAVE to go back, now won’t I? Won’t you join me in listening to Vivaldi’s Fall in the Four Seasons by clicking here?

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It’s Always Best To Go with the Flow…

Saturday, October 17, 2009 Posted in Music, Travel, Wildlife

…even when that flow is rain and thunder and lightening. Even when it means that you cannot see the Fall colors in the Smokey Mountains. Even when you waited for months for this adventure. Jim and I set out to go to the Smokies via Savannah last Monday. The evening approaching Beautiful Savannah was fraught with scary downpours on unfamiliar, dug up roads that sizzled with whiter than white lightening. Thankful that we got there in one piece, I held out hope that the morrow would bring amazing light and that we could go on to savor rushing streams and waterfalls crowned with spellbinding fall colors. It was not to be. Deciding to head back home, we made the best of the day in Savannah.

Our first stop was Tybee Island to the east of Savannah. There, heavy skies presented an insipid landscape. Even the Laughing Gulls were listless:

[caption id="attachment_1273" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Hey guys, no tourists--no food. Let's go!""]

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A dreary mood covered everything until, suddenly, masses of Skimmers and Least Terns slashed the skies with their red and orange beaks:

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My mood changed into a “fever” of anticipation that photography always creates for me. We spent a wonderful hour with Pelicans, Skimmers, Gulls and Least Terns who, following the food, would swoop upward and swirl around until, in unison, they found more lucrative feeding grounds. Next came the Lighthouse on Tybee Island:

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But my favorite image is the startling red roof over grey walls:

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On we went to Bonaventure Cemetery which is infused with history. The sun made an appearance and provided some back lighting.

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I felt like a poet contemplating life amongst those grave monuments:

[caption id="attachment_1279" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="I know, I know--I just LOVE backlit Spanish moss. "]

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And there, I got a sighting of Fall colors:

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We made our way back to Tybee Island on the strength of those few rays of pale sun and would you believe that the sun came bursting out and infused the Low Country with gorgeous color:

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The butterflies came out and danced:

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And showed off their colorful patterns:

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To top it all off, I saw this Low Country Snowy Egret who still had a little wisp of mating feathers:

[caption id="attachment_1285" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption=""Oh, maaaaan, even up here we can't get away from Ms P. Dang!""]

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So, you see that it IS always better to go with the flow ! ;D Keep smiling, singing and dancing. And, to help you, here’s Kenny Loggins with “Footloose”. Enjoy!

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What’s Wrong with This Picture?

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 Posted in Travel

Last year Jim and I spent two days visiting Yosemite. As an ardent admirer of Ansel Adams, I’d waited 30 years to visit the site of his paean to Half Dome and its environs. Serendipity was in full swing because on the evening of our arrival, we rounded a bend and there was half Dome in all its smoky glory! Smoky because of the controlled burns the park was undergoing to prevent massive fires in the dry season. We continued the drive to the valley floor and spent the next few hours mesmerized by the magnificent views. On the return journey that evening, we found ourselves approaching our first view of Half Dome. This time, the smoke had somewhat evaporated and the ghost of a full moon was rising. I made Jim half deaf with screaming at the coincidence: FULL MOON AND THE HALF DOME. I continued to babble and shriek and that man—is he a saint or what?—promptly pulled over so that we could wait for the theater to disclose its magic. And wait, and wait AND WAIT!!! Two hours later, the butter-yellow moon made its full-blown appearance. By this time, the large crowd of spectators had dwindled to us and two lone photographers. One photographer was kind to give me long forgotten settings to capture a full moon and do a double exposure. All went fine with the first exposure: a perfectly crisp golden sphere. Now for the second exposure: DANG, DANG, DANG. You see, by this time, it was dark as a bear where we stood and I couldn’t see the settings on my camera and I didn’t have a flashlight!!!!!!!!! Moral of the story: before you go to Yosemite, take a flashlight. There’s a second reason for that advice which I’ll divulge in another post. But first, here’s my collage of two photos, taken at separate times that unforgettable evening:

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I promise, this animation thing is not going to become a permanent part of my posts. Here, I just wanted to illustrate the transition from color to black&white ;D!!! For those of you who are interested in how I did the composites: I made a selection on the moon (magnetic lassoo tool in Photoshop) and dragged that to the background photo (view of Half Dome). With the free transform tool I resized the moon and with the move tool made the placement. If you’d like more information, leave a comment and I’ll provide the how-to.

If you get a kick out of listening to music (I do!!) while you’re looking at photos, download Mark Knopfler’s Wild Theme in iTunes while you look at Half Dome. Sublime!

I’m STILL sorting huge batches of photos taken during nesting season. So, there are many, many stories to come of the goings-on in the wildlife world. Meanwhile, keep singing, dancing and whatnot!

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