When I made plans to travel to San Francisco for the first time, Baker Beach was at the top of my list for places to visit. As a huge fan of Ansel Adams, I had long admired his photos from Baker Beach of the Golden Gate Bridge. After a long day of traveling cross country with layovers in every time zone in between, my husband and I landed in San Francisco about two hours before sunset and made to Baker Beach just in time for this shot.  As one of the most internationally recognizable symbols of San Francisco, this photo of the Golden Gate Bridge is one of my favorites from that trip. We are planning to head back to the area this fall, and I might just have to visit Baker Beach again!

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While this photo may not suggest it, Greenhouse Frogs are in fact tiny. This one is only about the size of a quarter and had taken a dip in the pool before posing for this photo. Greenhouse frogs are one of the most common frogs in Florida and live anywhere that is warm and humid, as the name 'greenhouse' suggests. Fully grown they are about an inch long and are easily recognized by their chirpy song-like calls. This particular frog and it's family lives under a plant on my patio and sing most humid nights, or when the plants are freshly watered. 

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Afternoon Storm

Thanks to the sea breezes from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts that converge over the Florida peninsula and usually push westerly, storms pop up most afternoons along the west coast. On this day in early July, my family had been enjoying an afternoon with friends anchored just offshore at Three Rooker Bar at Anclote Key Preserve just west of Tarpon Springs, FL.  Around 3:00 pm, the sky started to cloud up and typical rainy season storms started to approach the Gulf from the east. Since the line was too long to outrun, we 'battened down the hatches' and prepared for the impending rain. The storm only lasted about twenty minutes and was by no means violent, but the cloudy skies beforehand made for some amazing photos. 

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Water Lilies

This water lily was photographed at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, FL. It was a typical late afternoon in rainy season and while out photographing the tropical plants in bloom, an afternoon thunderstorm moved through. During rainy season it's common for storms to move through quickly allowing the the sun back out within minutes to truly make things steamy. On this afternoon, it took a little while for the cloud cover to pass, giving me the opportunity to take a few photos with the freshly fallen rain without harsh lighting from the sun. As it turns out, the rain is what really added interest to many of my photos from that visit.

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Sea Kayak

This weekend we are expecting highs in the upper 80's and plentiful sunshine before our typical afternoon thunderstorms. With such warm temperatures, the only ways to stay cool are to be on the water or in the air conditioning!  Many people will be out this weekend in their kayaks getting some great exercise while enjoying the water like only they can. With little water needed to float and virtually no impact to the sensitive sea grass beds in along our shores, kayaking opens a whole new world that few others can reach. A favorite destination for many kayakers are Caladesi and Honeymoon Island State Parks. The mangrove lined coves along the sound side of the islands are only accessible via kayak and are teaming with wildlife, making them a must see.

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Pacific Sunset

My family and I just returned from a fabulous vacation in the San Diego area and are still talking about what a great trip it was! My husband and I have been to California several times, but this was the first trip for our daughter and she finally saw what we've been raving about.

The weather was positively refreshing with highs around 70 degrees and far less humidity than we are used to at home in the Tampa Bay area. By far, our favorite spot was La Jolla Cove, just north of San Diego. The coastline is beautiful with miles of rocky cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There are a few sandy beaches tucked here and there, and plenty of tide pools to explore at low tide. In addition to all of the beautiful views, there are harbor seals and sea lions that seemed to be at every turn which totally delighted my daughter. It will come as no surprise to most of you that  I just loved seeing the stunning sunsets each night.

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Osprey

As I've mentioned in the past, Ospreys are one of my favorite birds. Now that I think about it, my fascination started when my family would spend as much as we possibly could on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our trip from Virginia Beach included a drive over the Wright Memorial Bridge, named after the famous Orville and Wilbur Wright who first took flight in Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. Along that drive, Osprey nests were easy to spot on the power poles and eventually the platforms provided for them along side the bridge. For me, seeing an Osprey today is just as exciting as it was when I was a kid and when I drive along the local bridges and causeways in the Tampa Bay area, I've always got an eye out to spot one.

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Monterey Peninsula

The 17-Mile Drive along the Monterey Peninsula winds through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach, California. Touted as one of the most scenic drives in the country, the views absolutely lived up to their reputation. The rocky coastline hints at the uneven rocky surface below that help make the sea look especially restless here. Every now and then between the crashing waves I was able to catch a glimpse of a few sea otters  bobbing up and down and marveled at how adept they were at navigating those rocks. In addition to the treacherous shoreline, it was an extremely windy day when this photo was taken, making the waves seem particularly spectacular.

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Little Blue Heron

After a recent fishing trip, my husband was filleting his catch at the marina before heading home for the day. This always draws quite a crowd...not people admiring the catch for the day, but shorebirds hoping for a snack. The feathered opportunists of the afternoon were this little Blue Heron, a few Brown Pelicans and a Great White Egret, all watching intently looking for any chance that they might have a free lunch. While the pelicans are a given at any marina along the Gulf, Little Blue Herons are a treat to see. Little Blue Herons are small herons that are easily recognizable because they are as named, all blue. That is unless they are juveniles. In their first year, Little Blue Herons are actually all white. This heron is the only species to have such a dramatic color change as they age to adulthood. 

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Pigeon Point Light Station

On a trip to explore the coast of California, my husband and I took our time driving south along the Pacific Coast Highway taking in the scenery. While I expected Big Sur to be beautiful, I was just as taken with the beautiful rocky shoreline between San Francisco and Monterey. Pescadero especially was beautiful, with Bean Hollow State Beach as a stand out thanks to its "pebble beach". Another beautiful spot in Pescadero is at the Pigeon Point Light Station. When we turned towards the light station from the highway, the parking area was full, so we drove a little further along the coastal road looking for a place to turn around. While we meandered along the winding road, a huge mass of Ice Plants appeared that seemed to go right up to the Pacific Ocean itself. I decided to get out and snap a few photos, and then turned to see this beautiful view of the light station. As it turns out, this view from our remote stop in the road was much better than anything I could have had from the parking lot at the light station itself. Every now and then a detour is a good thing!

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Honeymoon Island State Park

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While the Grand Canyon was on my bucket list, I must say that I fell in love with Bryce Canyon. The intense colors of the hoodoos against the blue sky was simply beautiful, but the most memorable was the quiet  serenity of our day there.  We’ll be back for sure with much more time to explore. On a completely different note, Puerto Rico was a fantastic getaway, and surprisingly easy to get to. The ability to be in 2500 feet of crystal clear water in only a 20-minute boat ride was amazing! My favorite spots were the rain forest at El Yunque and streets of Old San Juan with the beautiful architecture and brilliant colors.

As usual, it was hard to narrow my favorite photos down to only ten this year. There isn’t really any rhyme or reason for why these photos are my favorites, but there is something about each one that I love. Enjoy the photos and have a wonderful 2012!

Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon, near Page AZ.

Kolob Canyon

Kolob Canyon at Zion National Park, UT.

La Coca Falls

La Coca Falls, El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico.

Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon, near Page, AZ.

Ponderosa Point

Ponderosa Point, Bryce Canyon National Park, UT.

"Garita' along the city wall of Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Powell Point

Powell Point. Grand Canyon South Rim, AZ.

Agua Canyon

Agua Canyon, Bryce Canyon National Park, UT.

Spanish Colonial Architecture in Old San Juan. San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon near Page, AZ.

Anyone out there speak Afrikaans?

About six weeks ago, I was contacted by the Editor of Culna – Magazine of the National Museum, Bloemfontein, South Africa, about the use of one of my photos for the magazine.  Yes, South Africa, as in the other side of the world from me in about every way.

Culna is published annually in November and is distributed free to all schools and libraries in the Free State Province of South Africa, all museum patrons and is also featured on the museum website. All articles are written by museum staff members and the content relates to current exhibits at the museum.

My photo, “Scallop Shells” was used to help illustrate an article entitled “Skulp - onbewoonde huise van die natuur” by Ancilia van Staden. The article touches on the importance of shells in history and promotes the museum’s shell exhibit. As the article is written in Afrikaans, I only know this because I was able to harness the power of Google Translate to read it!

Filed under: News Update, Photography Tagged: Magazine, Print, Shell

If you are avid reader of the PhotoBlog, you’ve likely been wondering if what rock I’ve been hiding under for the last few months. I wish that I’d been on some exotic assignment taking photos at the ends of the earth but I’ve just been busy juggling too many things at once and something had to give. While photography is my passion, it is unfortunately not how I pay the bills and my ‘real job’ was exceptionally demanding in the last few months. Add to that ensuring that I spent quality time with my family and it left little time for shooting new photos or blogging.

Fall hasn’t been completely devoid of new photos, though. There was a trip to Puerto Rico in mid-October, and a long weekend in Raleigh, NC to see some fall colors a couple of weeks ago. All of the photos from Puerto Rico are up on my website, and I’m hoping to have the fall foliage photos up soon. In the last few months I have also been sneaking in some time here and there to get through a backlog of photos that need to be edited, and feel good that I’m getting caught up.

Now that things aren’t so hectic, it’s time to start blogging again, and that brings me to this photo from San Juan, Puerto Rico. While strolling through Old San Juan and trying to take in all of the beautiful historic architecture, it seems like there was something new to see around every corner. The bright Caribbean colors with bright white trim and were absolutely beautiful and gave each building its own character. While admiring the intense school-bus-yellow on this building, a black and white cat wondered by and added a little of his own character to the photo.

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That weekend was filled with a typical tourist’s visit to the city including Times Square, Fifth Avenue, The Empire State Building, Central Park and of course Rockefeller Center to see the famous tree. I feel like we walked all over Midtown Manhattan and were exhausted and nearly frozen each night when we crawled into bed. On our last day in the city, we talked about visiting the Statue of Liberty, but wouldn’t have time before we needed to head back to the airport. We decided that a trip to see the World Trade Center would be a great compromise and could see the Statue of Liberty from there.

I choose to shoot with black and white film that day, hoping I’d capture some classic views of the city. Knowing that it would help me keep my photos more organized, I stopped to take a photo at the entrance to the south tower where we were headed to the observation deck.

My husband and I still can’t remember who then decided to look up and take a photo of the building itself, but I am so glad now that one of us had the foresight to do it.

On September 11, 2001, I was attending a training class in the Atlanta suburbs where I lived at the time. The class started at 8:30 am, and like all good participants ready to learn something new, my cell phone was off so that there were no interruptions in the class. At our first break just after 10:00 am, each attendee turned their phones on and found a quiet place to call their offices or loved ones to check in and talk to someone while stretching their legs. I called my husband to see if he wanted to meet me for lunch since he was scheduled to be near the location of my training class that afternoon.

Before I could even ask him about lunch, he told me about the events unfolding in New York. As he said that America was under attack and that one of the towers of the World Trade Center was gone. I couldn’t comprehend what he was telling me and asked him several times to repeat himself and to slow down. As I was trying to understand, I noticed that others on their cell phones looked confused and upset and someone inside had turned on the television. We all sat in silence and watched the second tower collapse and were then sent home for the day.

On this tenth anniversary of that horrific day in American history, my thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost loved ones. Our country changed forever on September 11, 2001 and we will never forget.

Spotted Jelly

In my previous post this week I highlighted a favorite image from the jelly exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Along with the enormous Pacific Sea Nettles and striking crimson Sea Nettles, there are several smaller displays that offer lots of character. This Spotted Jelly was going against the flow allowing the light from above to highlight the intricate detail in it’s tentacles. While crowds were gathered around the larger tanks, I enjoyed my time watching these little guys for a while uninterrupted.

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Sea Nettle

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has one of the largest live jelly displays in the country, and it is simply stunning. The entire aquarium is fantastic, but something about that exhibit made it one of my favorite parts of my trip to the west coast last year. While the huge Pacific Sea Nettle display is one of the most photographed and recognizable in the exhibit, I found this lone sea nettle to be striking against the blue background of the display and was captivated.

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Kolob Canyon

Like many other national parks in the Southwest, Kolob Canyon was formed over thousands of years thanks to several types of erosion. A combination of uplift along several fault lines and downcutting from nearby streams and creeks helped form the main finger canyons in Kolob Canyon and shaped the landscape.  This photo shows what is known as a hanging valley, formed when uplifting of the rocks along the canyon wall created a gap that water naturally runs through after it rains. After heavy rains waterfalls can appear, but they are usually gone within a few minutes. The dark streaks along the rocks are iron and manganese deposits and are an easy way to identify these sometimes waterfalls and hanging valleys.

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Kolob Canyon

As I mentioned earlier this week, Kolob Canyon at Zion National Park was a nice surprise on our trip through southern Utah last month. After traveling along a 5-mile scenic drive while also climbing 1000 ft, were were rewarded with this stunning view from Timber Creek Overlook. The photo I shared earlier was from the same location, but looking towards the north and this perspective is looking towards the northeast. Here you will see the two peaks of  Timber Top Mountain to the left and Shuntavi Butte to the far right. While Shuntavi Butte may look small in comparison to its surroundings, the elevation is a respectable 6995 feet.

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Kolob Canyon

Kolob Canyon is one of the little known sections of Zion National Park. While the park enjoys roughly 3 million visitors per year, only ten percent of those visitors ever see Kolob Canyon. The one hour drive from the main Zion National Park visitors center is likely the reason for fewer visitors, but those that do visit are in for a treat.

After absolutely falling in love with Bryce Canyon, my husband and I were headed south on Interstate 15 back towards Las Vegas, where we were flying out the next day to head home. I had seen on several maps that Kolob Canyon was on our way, so we decided to stop and were so glad we did. From the highway, there is no way to know the beauty that is waiting just around the bend known as Kolob Canyon. With steep red-rock cliffs and stunning views that go on for miles, I was delighted for the surprise views and it was an unexpected highlight. This view is one of many from the Timber Creek Overlook.

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I was lucky enough to be invited by fellow photographer Nick Chill, and have liked what I’ve seen so far. There are many similarities to Facebook in how things like photos and videos are shared. Like Twitter, you can follow anyone on Google+, even if they are a rock star. So with those observations, how is Google+ different and why should you care?

There are actually a lot of differences that make Google+ unique, but I have two favorites so far. First, on Google+ you are connected to people in circles. Just like we all have our social circles in life that might include friends from college, work and the PTA at school, you group your connections on Google+. When talking to college friends you may want to relive the days of your youth, but maybe not share all of those stories with the crowd from work or the PTA. On Google+, you can do just that. Thanks to the Circles feature, you have the ability to share and view content with different groups of people based on what circle they are in.

Second, the photo viewing and sharing features are awesome! Photographers especially are loving the ability to share photos and interact with others in different ways than other social networks currently offer.  I’m still getting used to how to use Google+ and finding people to add to my circles, but really do like it so far. If you are already a Google+ user, I’d love to add you to one of my circles! Check out my profile here. If you are curious and would like to check it out, comment below or send me an email with your email address and I’ll be happy to send you an invite!

Flats Fishing

Flats fishing is very popular in the summer months, especially here in the in the Tampa Bay area thanks to the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Since my family tends to do more offshore fishing, I had to do a little research about flats fishing and thought I’d share.  The term “flat” refers to any shallow area, and the Gulf is full of them. Usually a flat bottomed boat is chosen for the task and after the perfect spot is targeted, the engine is raised and the boat is pushed along the flat with a long pole, like the boat pictured here. This gives the fishermen a chance to effectively sneak up on larger fish like in the shallow water and with a raised platform like the boat pictured gives an even better view of the fish below.

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Great Blue Heron

After a slow start, it’s rainy season in Florida. Usually we can expect storms every afternoon thanks to the sea breeze collision from the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and the storms last for about a half an hour. In the last few weeks however, we’ve had some storms last the better part of a day and dump inches upon inches of rain. With swelling retention ponds and drainage ditches full of water making them look more like creeks, wading birds are loving it. Herons and Egrets that have been limited to larger bodies of water are now able to spread out a little and find food all around them. Birds like this Great Blue Heron photographed at John Chestnut Sr. Park are now easily seen in my neighborhood retention pond enjoying lunch.

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Antelope Canyon

As I’ve previously mentioned, Upper Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon created by water eroding the walls of the sandstone. From the ground above, the canyon looks like a large crack, or slot in the earth and things can easily fall down into the canyon. Throughout our tour we saw various tree limbs and tumbleweeds seemingly stuck between the walls of the canyon. This tumbleweed wedged between the canyon walls got my attention because of the contrast between it and the smooth canyon walls holding it in place.

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Antelope Canyon

Slot canyons are formed by erosion from rain water over many years. During the monsoon season especially, flash floods can be created with less than an inch of rain and can quickly turn into feet of water rushing through the sandstone walls of the canyon. This process has eroded away the sandstone and smoothed the walls over hundreds of years to create the beautiful slot canyons we see today. In this photo of Upper Antelope Canyon you can see the layers of sandstone reaching from floor to ceiling smoothed by the water into beautiful curves.

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Antelope Canyon

As I mentioned previously, the intense light shafts that shine through the open slots into Upper Antelope Canyon are a major draw in the summer. As incredible it was to see the light shafts for those fleeting moments, I really enjoyed my time in the slot canyon after the sun angle changed a bit and they were gone. With a lower sun angle, the light was more even and started to reflect off of the walls revealing truly beautiful colors. This shot is from one of my favorite locations in Upper Antelope Canyon, very close to the entrance. The reflected light really shows off the curves and lines of the walls as well as the colors and patterns of the sandstone.

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Antelope Canyon

Upper Antelope Canyon is one of the most popular slot canyons in the world, in part due to the incredible beams of light that shine through the openings above. Only when the sun is very high in the sky during the summer months does this happen, and even then, the light shafts only last a few minutes at a time. Sand is thrown towards the light and a fine dust lingers in the air to help illuminate the light shaft.

Even with the intense light, long exposures are necessary because the canyon is still rather dark. With any low lighting situation, a tripod and remote cable are a must and because it takes some time to get properly set up, timing is everything. We were very fortunate to have a seasoned tour guide that knew where the light shafts would appear almost to the minute, giving us time to get set up and ensure plenty of time for great shots.

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Antelope Canyon

I’ve never been anywhere as dusty as Antelope Canyon. I was lucky enough to visit this remote slot canyon a few weeks ago with my husband. Located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona, the canyon is only accessible via four-wheeled vehicle, and you must be accompanied by an approved Navajo tour guide. We chose to go in the summer when the sun shines through the open slots above  creating amazing light beams inside the slot canyon.

What you may not be able to tell through the photos is that in order to get those light shafts to show up, sand is thrown towards the light shaft and a fine dust is suspended in the air for a few moments really showing off the light. After two hours in the canyon with sand thrown into the air often, we felt like Chinchillas that had taken a dust bath! This photo shows one of the famous light shafts in the distance with some previously thrown sand falling off of the rock in the foreground. The end result is worth it, and it’s an experience I’ll never forget!

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Bald Eagle

Happy Independence Day! On this great day of national pride, it seemed like the perfect time to share an image of a Bald Eagle.  Now synonymous with the United States, the Bald Eagle became the unofficial symbol of our country in 1782 when the Great Seal of the United States was adopted with a Bald Eagle prominently featured. Not everyone was a fan, with Benjamin Franklin rallying hard for the turkey to be our national bird as he believed it was “more respectable”.  Thankfully, supporters of the Bald Eagle won in the end and when George Washington was made our country’s first president in 1789, the Bald Eagle was made the official National Bird.

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The route from Tampa to Las Vegas includes flying over the Grand Canyon, and after that glimpse I’m more excited than ever to see all it all up close. This photo is with my cell phone and from 38,000 feet, so it’s not my best, but is a preview of some of the landscape to come. We had already passed the Grand Canyon, so all I know is that this is somewhere in Arizona!

Steller's Jay

One of the things I’m looking forward to in Arizona and Utah this weekend is the opportunity to see all kinds of different flora and fauna. For me, air travel has made it easy to lose perspective about how large the United States is and how diverse the climates are. In just the 8 hour drive from my old home north of Atlanta to my new one in the Tampa Bay area, an entire new tropical world opened up with exotic plants, animals and birds. As I travel through some of the nations most beautiful national parks over the next few days, I hope to see a few new birds and would love to see some of the wildlife indigenous to the area.

As I try to study up on what birds and animals I may see, I was reminded about my surprise and fascination with the new plants and birds I saw in California a few years ago. My husband and I kept seeing beautiful blue birds, but they weren’t the Blue Jays we have on the East coast. After much research, I discovered it was a Stellar’s Jay, pictured here at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur, CA.

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Sunset

This week is the big trip out west to see what seems like another planet compared to the white sandy beaches of Florida’s Gulf Coast. I’ve spent the last few days reading more and more about the destinations for our trip and am excited about all of the opportunities for awesome photographs. While I’ve been worrying about how in the world to pack for 37 degree nights and 85 degree days, I started to think about all of the people across the country that would be heading here to my neck of the woods for their vacation and wonder if there is someone in Arizona planning a trip to my local beach. If you are out there, I hope you enjoy it…the weather will certainly cooperate for beautiful photos, but it will be hot and humid! This photo is of Clearwater Beach, FL, a very popular tourist destination in the Tampa Bay area.

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Red-bellied Woodpecker

While it may seem ridiculous to most people that I would feed squirrels on purpose, it does keep them off of my bird feeders and they are quite the entertaining bunch to watch. We also have Blue Jays and Cardinals that frequent the squirrel feeder and it ends up being the hub of all activity in the back yard. Yesterday I noticed a new visitor to the feeder, helping himself to a peanut or two. A male Red-bellied Woodpecker not only stopped by, but came back several times to visit and thoroughly inspected our wooden fence for any bugs that might be yummy. This female Red-bellied Woodpecker was photographed at Honeymoon Island State Park in Dunedin, FL.

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Reddish Egret

Reddish Egrets are considered medium to large herons at just under three feet tall. Common along the Gulf Coast, I had never seen a Reddish Egret until moving to Florida a few years ago. With blue-gray bodies and and reddish heads and necks, it’s easy to see where they get their name. Often found stalking fish in shallow saltwater, Reddish Egrets are truly entertaining to watch as they spin and flap their wings in effect “herding” the fish into the just the right spot before striking. This Reddish Egret was photographed at Caladesi Island taking a break from fishing to enjoy the view.

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Red-shouldered Hawk

Hawks are amazing birds. Perched high in the tree tops always watching for for thier next meal, I usually am delighted to see a hawk. Lately there has been a pair of Red-shouldered hawks in my neighborhood, making appearances a few times a day. I usually only see one at a time, but know the other is near thanks to it’s shrill call.

Remember when I said that I am usually delighted to see hawks? Do you also recall that I have an entire neighborhood of squirrels that I feed in my backyard? Per the “circle of life” it seems that my furry squirrel buddies are quite the desirable meal for a hawk. As far as I know there aren’t any squirrels missing, but they don’t exactly check in regularly. This Red-shouldered Hawk was photographed at the Homossassa Springs Wildlife State Park, not stalking any squirrels.

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Caladesi Island State Park

It’s hot out. More than half of the country is experiencing August-like temperatures in the beginning of June, leaving many to wonder where ‘spring’ went. Many of these places were in the 70′s not that long ago and managed soar right past the 80′s and settle in the 90′s this week. It has been hot in Florida for weeks now and every day there are hints that rainy season is due any day now, but isn’t here yet. So for those of you sweltering in the heat, a beach picture from Caladesi Island. As my husband likes to say, when it’s this hot out, there are only two places to be: in the air conditioning or in the water!

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A few months ago I let everyone know that I’d be heading out west to photograph some of the Colorado Plateau – a whole new type of landscape for me. I have a commitment in Las Vegas at the end of June and am tacking a few days onto the trip to explore the area. My husband will be my trusty companion as we attempt to do entirely too much sight seeing in too short an amount of time, a trend on our vacations.

On the itinerary: the Grand Canyon (south rim), Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Park’s Kolob Canyon. While we know there is way too much to see everything in detail, we are going to get an overview of several of the hots spots to help us better plan a longer family trip in the near future. Oh, and I might sneak in a few photos of Vegas, too.

Only three weeks to go now and I’m starting to get excited! I plan to post more than usual on our trip to show some of “behind the scenes” adventures we get into. There will certainly be posts here on the PhotoBlog, but I anticipate lots of shorter updates on Facebook and Twitter. If you aren’t already following, now is the time to start! If you are following, thank you! 

Honeymoon Island Sunset

I have some really exciting news…my parents are moving to Florida! Let me clarify – not just to Florida, but to my little city, only 2.4 miles away! Only for a short period of time a few years ago have I even lived in the same state as my parents since moving out of our family home to go to college. We’ve all moved several times since then and until today have been 1000 miles apart. To say that I am delighted that they are moving here would be an understatement!

My parents are under the impression that they will get to relax and enjoy the “Florida Lifestyle” when they get settled here. I don’t know if they realize how much my husband and I have planned for them when they arrive. My husband is looking forward to having my Dad as a fishing buddy every weekend until the fall. While the boys are busy, I plan to take my Mom with me to all of my favorite photography spots and we will surely see many sunsets like this one from Honeymoon Island State Park. However we all end up spending our time, it will be fantastic to be spending it together and I can’t wait! Now if I can just get my brother and sister-in-law down here..

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A few weeks ago I snapped this photo of our neighborhood rabbit, Peter Cottontail. He is an Eastern Cottontail rabbit and lives in the lush landscaping of my next-door neighbor’s front yard. I thought he was the only rabbit in my little part of our neighborhood which I realize is rather naive as they are known to breed like, well, rabbits. This weekend we met what I assume is one of his offspring in quite an unexpected way!

Early on Sunday morning my husband noticed ripples across the top of our pool, which was odd as the pump was off. It’s not uncommon for a small frog to get into the pool and make it’s way to the skimmer, and we rescue a few a year. Ready to scoop out the first frog of the season, my husband took the top off of the skimmer and found something furry instead. As it turns out, a small bunny had gnawed it’s way through our screened enclosure and ended up in the pool. We think he was in search of water since it’s dry season here and hasn’t rained for weeks, but who knows for sure.

We have no idea how long he was in the pool, but had thankfully made his way to the little floating flap in the skimmer and was perched on top, keeping his face out of the water. After scooping him out of the pool we realized he had hurt one of his front paws and called the best vet hospital in town for assistance. The fine folks at Blue Pearl Veterinary Services do some pretty amazing things, including working with a wildlife rehab organization that was delighted to help our little swimmer recoup from his big adventure.

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Pacific Sea Nettles

This photo was featured on March 23, 2011,  here in the PhotoBlog. ”Pacific Sea Nettles”  is also now entered as a contestant for Photo of the Month for May 2011. You may vote for it by visiting the link below and ‘liking’ through Facebook, ‘retweeting’ through Twitter, ‘liking’ on StumbleUpon or by making a comment.

Photo of the Day | May 27, 2011 | Pacific Sea Nettles by Elizabeth Brown

Caladesi Island State Park

While summer doesn’t technically start until late June, it has felt like summer here in the Tampa Bay area for weeks now. With highs in the low 90′s and little rain to speak of, it’s been sweltering! The combination of these above-average temperatures and Memorial Day in just a few days means area beaches will be busy this weekend. Any beach in our area is beautiful, but my favorites are Honeymoon Island State Park and Caladesi Island State Park. Honeymoon Island is the busiest state park in Florida, so I have no doubt that it will be full of sunbathers enjoying the cool waters of the Gulf. Caladesi Island will also likely be busy this weekend, but since it is only reachable by boat it should be a little less crowded. If you haven’t made your mind up yet about weekend plans, perhaps this photo will help. This photo was taken at Caladesi Island State Park a few years ago in late May and is likely what you can expect there this weekend. Happy Memorial Day!

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Anchored

If you are a frequent reader of the PhotoBlog, then you know my family loves to boat. Over the years we have had several different types of boats from a large aft-cabin boat that you could live comfortably on for a weekend to a small open bow boat that the kids loved to tube behind. Now that my husband has really gotten in to fishing, we have a center console boat that works perfectly for fishing in the Gulf. Regardless of what type of boat we’ve had, we have always been able to find a few places to anchor up and relax with friends, as most boaters do. A favorite spot in the bay area is Three Rooker. Sometimes called a “bar” and sometimes called an “island”, Three Rooker is nothing more than a sand bar that is technically part of Anclote Key Preserve State Park, just north of Honeymoon Island. This photo of a friend’s boat was taken there in May a few years ago.

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Niagara Falls

I have recently found that I need to be in Buffalo, NY, in July and plan to visit Niagara Falls when I am in town. I’ve been twice, once on the American side of the falls and once on the Canadian side. My first visit to see the falls was a few years ago when my husband and I ventured into Canada. Friends in Buffalo mentioned that the views were spectacular from the Canadian side, and they were absolutely right! I remember being simply amazed at the color of the water in the midday light. My visit last year to Niagara Falls State Park in Niagara Falls, NY, was at dusk to capture the sunset and the illumination of the falls. I’m not sure which side I’ll be visiting this July, but know that either will produce some great photographs. This photo is a view of Horseshoe Falls from Victoria Park in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

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As an avid bird watcher, my back yard is filled with bird feeders. There are all kinds of visitors including several Northern Cardinal families, a pair of Tufted Titmice, many Blue Jays and a couple of Mourning Doves. In addition to all of these feathered visitors are the squirrels that seem to spend their days plotting and scheming to steal all of the specially selected birdseed right out of those feeders.

Rather than fighting a loosing battle, I decided that if I fed the squirrels something they liked better than my birdseed, perhaps they’d leave the feeders alone. This plan appears to be working, thus my weekly visit to the local pet food store for “squirrel food” that goes in a special feeder just for them on the fence. To be honest, watching all of the neighborhood squirrels fight over who gets the last peanut of the day is more entertaining than you might think, and I’ve grown attached to those furry little thieves.

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Lone Cypress

This photo was featured on May 4, 2011,  here in the PhotoBlog. ”The Lone Cypress”  is also now entered as a contestant for Photo of the Month for May 2011. You may vote for it by visiting the link below and ‘liking’ through Facebook, ‘retweeting’ through Twitter, ‘liking’ on StumbleUpon or by making a comment.

Photo of the Day | May 17, 2011 | The Lone Cypress by Elizabeth Brown

Osprey

As I’ve mentioned in the past, Ospreys are one of my favorite birds. Now that I think about it, my fascination started when my family would spend as much as we possibly could on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our trip from Virginia Beach included a drive over the Wright Memorial Bridge, named after the famous Orville and Wilbur Wright who first took flight in Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. Along that drive, Osprey nests were easy to spot on the power poles and eventually the platforms provided for them along side the bridge. For me, seeing an Osprey today is just as exciting as it was when I was a kid and when I drive along the local bridges and causeways in the Tampa Bay area, I’ve always got an eye out to spot one.

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Willet

Willets are one of the taller shorebirds you may see feeding at the edge of the surf. Here in Florida they are prevalent in the winter and are often seen alongside Sanderlings and various Plovers. While most Willets breed further north in the summer, you can generally still find a few of these shorebirds year round in our area. This Willet was photographed at Caladesi Island State Park, a natural barrier island teaming with shorebirds. The virtually untouched beach at Caladesi Island provides a quiet haven for many wintering shorebirds and fantastic opportunities for bird watching.

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Water Lilies

It wasn’t until I moved to Florida a few years ago and was able to see water lilies more frequently that I realized how much I like them. They not only add color to the ponds they reside in, but offer opportunities to see various wildlife. I often see frogs perched on top of lily pads with bees and dragonflies buzzing nearby . It’s not uncommon to find a bird or two wading through thick clusters of lilies  looking for fish that must like to hide underneath their broad leaves. While I think all colors of water lilies are beautiful, this particular variety with the contrast between the vibrant magenta petals and the yellow center is one of my favorites. This photo was taken at the Florida Botanical Gardens one afternoon, where just enough sun filtered through the trees to really highlight this single water lily.

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American Flamingo

These two American Flamingos looked to me as if they were trying to find some peace and quiet amongst all of the hustle and bustle around them at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Living amongst Wood Storks, Brown Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes and White Ibises, the Flamingos at the park certainly stand out in the crowd. As one of the loudest inhabitants of the bird habitat, they are even more vocal in the spring when it is mating season and are often seen giving beautiful displays of their colorful feathers to attract a mate.

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Goldstripe Maroon Clownfish and Anemone

This photo was featured just last week on May 2, 2011,  here in the PhotoBlog. ”Goldstripe Maroon Clownfish and Anemone”  is also now entered as a contestant for Photo of the Month for May 2011. You may vote for it by visiting the link below and ‘liking’ through Facebook, ‘retweeting’ through Twitter, ‘liking’ on StumbleUpon or by making a comment.

Photo of the Day | May 7, 2011 | Goldstripe Maroon Clownfish and Anemone by Elizabeth Brown

Lone Cypress

The 17-Mile Drive along the Monterey Peninsula winds through Pacific Grove and Pebble Beach, California. One of the most recognizable landmarks along this drive, and quite possibly the most photographed tree in the world is the Lone Cypress. Set atop its perch above the Pacific Ocean, the Lone Cypress is thought to be roughly 250 years old. The tree is special not just because of its location, but because it is a Monterey Cypress which is listed as Threatened by the IUCN. Once found in large forests along the California coast, the Monterey Cypress is now only found on the Monterey Peninsula. Now supported by a stone wall and cables to prevent it from falling into the ocean, the hope is that the tree will remain a local landmark for many years to come.

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Goldstripe Maroon Clownfish and Anemone

While the Goldstripe Maroon Clownfish (premnas biaculeatus) is naturally found in Sumatra, this one was photographed in my family’s home aquarium in our living room. Named “Sashimi”, she was the first addition to our saltwater tank several years ago. Although this variety of clownfish is considered to be one of the most aggressive of the species, Sashimi coexists peacefully with the other inhabitants of our tank. The Goldstripe Maroon Clownfish is also known to rearrange items in the tank to their liking, which Sashimi does on a regular basis, making her one of the most entertaining fish in the tank to watch.

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Update: This photo was featured on May 7, 2011, as the Photo of the Day by the online photography magazine, Light and Composition Magazine. See the photo online and vote for it as a contestant for the Photo of the Month for May 2011.

Pigeon Point Light Station Last fall I was honored to have several of my photos selected as a Photo of the Day for Light and Composition Magazine. I am excited to announce that several additional photos have been selected to appear in the coming weeks. See the first of these new photos, “Pigeon Point Light Station” featured on Monday, May 2, 2011.

This photo was previously featured on March 11, 2011,  here in the PhotoBlog. ”Pigeon Point Light Station”  is also now entered as a contestant for Photo of the Month for May 2011. You may vote for it by visiting the link below and ‘liking’ through Facebook, ‘retweeting’ through Twitter, ‘liking’ on StumbleUpon or by making a comment.

Photo of the Day | May 2, 2011 | Pigeon Point Light Station by Elizabeth Brown

Avalon Pier

The Outer Banks of North Carolina are a relatively remote, and very seasonal band of barrier islands along the Atlantic Coast. Heavily reliant on tourism, many of the hotels, restaurants and shops close up for the winter when visitors are few and far-between. On my last visit in January, these seagulls at the Avalon Pier were just about the only signs of life on the beach! As the signs of spring start to show and more visitors begin venturing back into town, the sleepy little towns of the Outer Banks start to come alive, and by now are back in full swing. With beautiful weather this time of year, it’s a great time to visit and enjoy the beaches and local flavor before the summer rush brings oodles of tourists!

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Like many photographers, I have a trip to Africa to photograph the amazing animals found there on my bucket list. The chance to see lions, leopards, zebras and elephants in their natural environment would really be the trip of a lifetime. There are still many exciting and beautiful places in the US that have on my list to visit, so my dream trip to Africa will have to wait a few years! In the meantime, I do have the bug to see some animals a little bigger than Peter Cottontail that lives in the neighbor’s front yard.

One option is the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park which offers opportunities to see animals and birds native to Florida like this bobcat. A truly wonderful opportunity to see endangered native species up close, this park is on the top of my list for a weekend in the near future!

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American Oystercatcher

Last week, I shared a photo of a pair of American Oystercatchers taking a stroll down the beach. The stark contrast between the pale green water of the Gulf and the bold colors of these shorebirds was evident, even from a distance. Today I wanted to share another photo of an American Oystercatcher that really showed off the detail of this beautiful bird. Their bright red beaks are usually spotted straight away, but what I really love are their eyes. Set against their jet black heads, their vibrant yellow eyes and bright red eye rings truly stand out.

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With Easter Sunday just around the corner, it seemed fitting to share a photo of a bunny today. The Eastern Cottontail is one of the most common rabbits in North America, and this one lives in my next-door neighbor’s front yard amidst their lush landscaping. Known as “Peter Cottontail” around our house, we see him often around dusk venturing out for some dinner.

Rabbits have long been a symbol of fertility and abundance due to thier ability to breed large litters often, especially in early spring. In ancient times, rabbits were the favorite animal of the Germanic goddess of spring, Eastre, symbolizing renewal and fertility in the spring. The exact history is a little vague, but the tradition of a rabbit delivering brightly colored eggs to children on Easter Sunday is thought to have began in Germany in the 1500′s. The tradition was introduced in the United States in the 1800′s by German settlers in Pennsylvania Dutch country. As the tradition spread across the country, the modern day Easter Bunny was born.

I hope you each have a wonderful weekend and a very happy Easter!

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Brown Pelican

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the BP Deepwater-Horizon explosion that caused the largest accidental oil spill in history. There will likely be many retrospectives in the news today recapping the the disaster and it’s affects on the environment. I have no doubt that there will be footage of oiled birds, many of them pelicans, used to help punctuate the severity of the effect that the oil had on wildlife. With that in mind, I wanted to share a photo of a clean, happy, healthy Brown Pelican today.

Brown Pelicans might not be the most beautiful birds and are certainly not the most graceful, but they are unique. As the only dark pelican of seven worldwide species, the Brown Pelican is also one of few birds that incubates their eggs with their feet. They also hold the distinction of the only pelican in the world that dives into the water head-first to catch fish. It turns out that that what I thought was an ordinary shorebird isn’t so ordinary after all.

Days like today remind me to appreciate the beauty of nature and all of the wildlife in it, especially healthy pelicans.

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American Oystercatcher

American Oystercatchers are one of my favorite birds. They are so very exotic looking with their long red beaks, it’s hard not to notice them on the beach. I knew of one pair of American Oystercatchers that lives on Caladesi Island State Park, and the day that I went out to shoot it was my goal to get a few new shots of them. Much to my surprise, there was not one, but two pair on the beach that day! One pair was quietly resting on the beach, not really wanting to pose for many photos while a little further north, this pair was walking along the shoreline while feeding.

After my first encounter with these magnificent birds a few years ago, I learned that they mate for life. While many birds mate for life, what always strikes me with American Oystercatchers is that I rarely see one without it’s mate. They are usually very close to each other, very conscious of the other, and seem to be rather devoted to each other. I loved this photo because to looked to me like these two were on a “date” having a nice stroll along the beach, talking about whatever it is American Oystercatchers talk about these days.

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Limpkin

In the last year I have been introduced to many new bird species, the Limpkin being one of them. At the far northern end of it’s range in Florida, Limpkins are more commonly found throughout South America and the Caribbean. While Limpkins look like they might be members of the heron family, they are actually in a taxonomic family all on their own, but are distant cousins of the rail family. They feed almost exclusively on apple snails and have specialized beaks just for the task. Limpkins live in swamps and freshwater wetland areas, like this one at Kapok Park in Clearwater, FL.

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Reflections by the Sea is a unique weekly devotional that incorporates coastal photography in its message.  Reflections by the Sea is published in a local newspaper in the Outer Banks of North Carolina and can viewed online by clicking the link below.

Reflections by the Sea | Butterfly| April 13, 2011