Soft Florida greens

While moving photos around in the computer I came across these three, made in Florida a few years ago. I was struck by the soft green colors in all three. The first one is an agave imprint; when the leaves begin unfurling, the design of one is imprinted on the one below. The result in this case is the impression of three thorns.

The second two photos were created by panning the camera slightly as the wave hit the beach.

Serene colors, a serene morning. May you have a serene day. ©Carol Leigh

Catching up

It seemed like such a good idea at the time, but when packing my suitcase to leave Sanibel Island last year, that big bag o' shells I'd collected/purchased weighed a ton. And have I done much (photographically) with them? Nope. Except for this one and these, and this, I've not made the most of these oh-so-cool subjects.

I handpainted a background texture and used it to create a soft, warm look for this shell. Now, just 4,261 more shells to shoot... ©Carol Leigh

Osprey

An osprey in Florida sits on a branch, talons curling under, the shape of the beak echoing the curl of the talons. Beautiful bird, quiet morning. ©Carol Leigh

Public Indecency Prohibited

I gotta say . . . those Floridians have a good sense of humor! ©Carol Leigh

Florida signage

While in Florida I saw lots of signs warning me about alligators. But did I ever see one? Of course not. And the gopher tortoise? Nope. I'm thinking that this is akin to looking for snipe, or the elusive desert pupfish in Death Valley, or Bigfoot ... and Bruce K., don't even THINK about gloating about your South Carolina 'gators!

I've gotta say, however, that Chris and Rich did see ONE alligator. One more than CJ and I ever saw... ©Carol Leigh

Florida palm

©Carol Leigh

Boldness

The Hotel Casa Playa in Ft. Myers Beach is amazingly painted with lush plants and cool pots. It caught our eye as we came over the bridge and we made a beeline for it. The owners were kind of perplexed at seeing four of us shooting like crazy (only a fellow photographer could possibly understand), but were quite agreeable with us taking photos. Perspective control was tough because we could get only so far away from the building, but the artwork, the repeating patterns of the balconies, and the bright colors make up for the wonkiness. What a terrific introduction to Florida. We must consider staying there next visit. ©Carol Leigh

Softness

Out on the beach in the late afternoon, I was playing around with "sweeps," selecting a small aperture, forcing a long exposure, and then slowly moving my camera right/left or left/right, seeing what would happen. The top photo is a good example of that. I love the softness, the pastel yet tropical colors. Then I spotted a couple as they walked the beach, collecting shells, all crisp in their red/white/blue colors. Without changing my camera settings, I took a slow-speed photo of them, not caring that they would blur out, thinking the blur might (a) anonymous-ize them and (b) might indicate a feeling of movement. The final photo was taken the same way — slow shutter speed, no details, just shapes, forms, colors of people walking on the beach.

And isn't this the beauty of digital photography? How we can play, experiment, try things, without spending anything but our time ... ©Carol Leigh

A touch of Florida

Having spent most of my adult life in California, I'm no stranger to palm trees. But in Florida, well, these are FLORIDA palms! So yeah, I took a bunch of photos. I'm such a tourist... I found one against a yellow wall and had a bit of fun with it, putting together this image which to me looks like a weird tropical flower (that one might find on an aloha shirt). ©Carol Leigh

Egrets on Sanibel Island

It's rare that I previsualize an image (and yes, it's a flaw — I probably won't feel like a "real" photographer until I can), but when I saw these egrets all hunkered down against the wind at water's edge, I knew that I wanted a desaturated, sort of high-key look to accentuate the stark "sticks" formed by their beaks and legs. I therefore turned the image into black and white, softened it, and then let some of the yellow at the base of their beaks and on their legs come through a little bit — just what I was hoping to do when I originally took the photo. The beauty of photographing on Sanibel Island is the opportunity to be close to birds like this, birds who are aware of you, but you don't seem to matter much to them. ©Carol Leigh

Moon snail shell from Sanibel Island

Another shell from Sanibel Island, which I think is a moon snail shell. So simple. So elegant. So lovely. ©Carol Leigh

Sea shells from Sanibel Island

On-location photography can (for me) often be difficult. On Sanibel Island, I had to contend with sand, no-see-ums, light, wind, people walking by, no-see-ums, and minimal camera gear. So I brought these three little shells home where I could photograph them under more controlled circumstances.

Is this cheating? Is it more "proper" to take the photos on scene? Perhaps. But if you've got an idea of what you want, and that "vision" can't be achieved under bad light, surrounded by little biting bugs, and with inappropriate equipment, well, take the subject matter home with you (if you can legally do so) and do it justice there.

And that, my friends, explains all the little glass jars I have on my shelves that contain rocks, feathers, marbles, shells, twigs, eggs, metal letters and numbers, and clock parts. Not to mention the Priority Mail box full of magnolia tree "parts" that I sent myself from North Carolina and STILL am not sure how to photograph! ©Carol Leigh

A few from Florida

Misty morning our first day on Sanibel Island -- just gorgeous. And then snowy egrets wade in the surf while pelicans roost in the trees, catching the morning sun. The trees were FULL of pelicans! Sometimes as many as 24 in one tree. Cabby, was thinking of you while seeing all this. More to follow -- Internet access has been spotty and my photo processing extremely rudimentary. Have experienced no-see-ums for the first time. Ha! Having a swell time. Wish you were here. --Carol Leigh