The Lucky One(#36)

Some folks are destined for good luck,



even in the rain.

Bob

Persistent Color (#35)

Even after an ugly freeze, some color remains.



Bob

The Underside (#34)

Under the pier.



Images like these have become popular this year - I've seen several such images on various photography websites.

Bob

Familiar Territory (#33)

Back home, where the fishing pier is one of my favorite subjects.



Luckily, different weather, times of day, seasons, etc. keep it interesting for me.

Bob

The Light (#32)

A windy night in Ft. Myers.



Quality of light is everything.

Bob

Arriving in Moore Haven (#31)

DeFever 49 Raised Pilothouse "AURORA" arriving in Moore Haven.



I waited until the rock pile in the foreground roughly paralleled the boat's hull.

Bob

Library (#30)

Public Library, Moore Haven, FL.



Another 30 second exposure.

Bob

30 Seconds (#29)

The marina - a 30 second exposure.



Long exposures can be fun. The image captures subtle sources of light that the eye misses.

Bob

Leaving (#28)

Three views of a beautiful boat leaving a marina. The varying angles of light give a different mood to each view.









In the first two images, the Topaz Adjust Clarity filter helps "pop" the subject.

Bob

More Deck Hardware (#27)

Bob

Fishy Statue (#26)

Tribute to a feeding billfish.



Bob

John Crevalle (#25)

Well, actually, Jack Crevalle. These Jacks were 2-3 feet below the surface, by a fish cleaning station in the Palm Beach area.



Bob

Strange Cloud Formation (#24)

Looks sort of like a pebble fell into a puddle.



I think that the pink reflected sunlight in the center is lower than the surrounding blue-gray clouds.

Bob

Man's best friend (#23)

Bob

Deck Hardware (#22)

Rain,



...the photographers friend.

Bob

Me and My Shadow (#21)

Bob

Under the Bridge

...at 5PM



...at 7PM



Bob

Us (#19)

This is our boat at a marina in Stuart.



The lighting is so much more interesting at night. Several weak light sources compete for exposure, as opposed to one huge source - the sun.

Bob

Bridge (#18)

Not much else to say.



Bob

Tupperware Boats (#17)

Older boat builders were used to working with wood earlier in their careers. They decry the emergence of Fiberglas as the prime construction material, and call the products "Tupperware" boats.

Well, most of us cannot maintain wooden boats, especially in subtropical climates. Our boats are easily recognized as Fiberglas by the compound curves that are unachievable with wood. But a few boats have classic lines that make construction material difficult to identify from a distance. Here's one:



It is Fiberglas.

Bob

Fleet's In (#16)

The sportfishing fleet is in.



It's 31 degrees - of course the fleet is in!

Bob

Sunrise Over the Mountains (#15)

Mountains? This is looking toward Sewell's Point, near Stuart, FL. The "mountains" are masses of sea fog over the Atlantic. Twenty eight degree temperatures must be playing a part.


Bob

Intergalactic Yacht Brokers (#14)

Well, not quite Intergalactic, but International. In Ft. Myers? To compete in a Global Economy, the employees must be multilingual to appease global clients. So, employees of this establishment apparently can converse with clients from Spain, Latin America, Russia, and...



Oklahoma?!?

Bob

Highway 1 Bridge (#13)

Stuart, FL



Bob

Gullible Birds (#12)

For some unknown reason, whenever we cross Lake Okeechobee by boat (how else?), dozens of sea gulls follow in our wake. An onlooler would assume that we are either cleaning fish, or throwing garbage overboard. Neither is true. Only He knows why gulls behave like this.



Fred, eat your heart out!

Bob

The (Frozen) Tiki Bar (#11)

Fresh water fishermen are familiar with the name Roland Martin. As a well known, successful guide on Lake Okeechobee, he built a fish camp in Clewiston, FL. The proximity is adjacent to the Okeechobee Waterway, so he configured some docks to cater to passing cruising boats. I think (but I am not positive) that the property now belongs to Mrs. Martin. These things happen.

Anyway, Roland Martin's Marina has a well used Tiki Bar that stays open in near freezing conditions. The first photo was at sunset, and the second two hours later.






Both were shot hand-held, the first at ISO 800 and the second at, 1600. Both were at 85mm, f1.8. Sure, there's some noise, although Topaz Denoise helped. A tripod is a cruel joke when shooting from a boat - even under calm conditions.

Bob

Uh Oh (#10)

I'm glad that I don't live in this Ft. Myers condominium.



I'm afraid that God has it earmarked for something bad.

Bob

AM Reflections (#9)

Got these shots leaving Venice Yacht Club just after dawn.






Bob

Pathetic (#8)

This is the South Jetty parking lot. Venice Inlet is 50 yards away, and the Gulf of Mexico is 100 yards away.



And this guy calls himself a SEA Gull?

Bob

Life at the Tiki Bar (#7)

This was taken along with the image in the previous post. In other words, it was cold. Tiki Bar or no Tiki Bar, these folks want to pretend that it's tropical feeling.



I'll be traveling with intermittent Internet access, so time to double up on posts. If I hit #365 by Thanksgiving, I'll be able to take December off! Not likely.

Bob

Wanting It Bad (#6)

Florida or not, it's COLD! Couples who watch the sunset on the beach have to really want to see a Florida sunset.



Their bodies pay the price (of course, the photographer's does too).

Bob

And It's Not Even Miami (#5)

I like the way that morning light is hitting these rather ordinary pine trees. The moon was a bonus.



It was really there - I didn't "add" it. With the 85mm prime lens, I had to get the relationship between the trees and moon the old fashioned way - walk.

The blog layout is goofy today. The Blogspot upload engine is taking the day off.

Bob

Soft Leaves (#4)

These Pitch Apple leaves make a decent abstract.



Somehow, the B&W version makes the leaves look softer to me.

Bob

Portrait Practice (#3)

If you are going to practice portrait photography on Teddy Bears, it pays to have a handsome model.



Bob

More 85mm Practice (#2)

It ain't no macro lens. but it will do in a pinch.



Anyway, I like the light. The bokeh is pretty good, although not as good as the Micro Nikkor 105mm f2.8.

Bob

A New Toy (#1 post for 2010)

My post Christmas present to myself was a Nikkor 85mm f1.8. Fast is good. It's supposed to be a good portrait lens. Let's see...






Yup, that works. These were only slightly cropped, so the "model" was pretty close. In the second image, the f1.8 aperture results in a sharp eye, but slightly soft bill. Gotta be careful here.

Bob