"Sea Grass" - Bunche Beach, FL

"Sea Grass" - Bunche Beach, FL

This image was shot early one evening as I was walking the beach in search of sunset photos... which weren't happening.

Turing my camera and attention inland and away from the ocean, I shortly came upon this composition.

What makes this photograph appealing to me is the sense of warmth, peacefulness and tranquility it conveys... which were the exact feelings I had while walking the beach that evening.

Over a year later I can still feel the gentle breezes off the water swirling around me and the warmth of the setting sun on my back.

A combination of compositional elements come together to make this image work.  Shooting somewhat tight on the grasses gives the photo an abstract and texture while the alternating strips of shadow and sun creates an almost 3 dimensional sense of depth.

Shot handheld with a Nikon D90 camera and Nikkor zoom lens... although I forget which one :-)

"Sunset Stroll" - Bunche Beach, Fort Myers, FL

Sunset Stroll - Bunche Beach, Fort Myers, FL

This shot was made a couple of years ago during a casual evening of shooting at the beach.  It’s an example of what can happen with a little luck.

I had made about a dozen shots of this fairly dramatic sunset… trying to catch different patterns in ripples of water to play off the composition and shape of the clouds above.  All were good, but not great shots.  Something was missing but I wasn’t quite sure what.

However as soon as this young girl came into the left of my frame and continued walking down the beach… I knew that the missing element was the “human” element.  She added a sense of scale, motion and tranquility to the photo.

I shot 3 frames of her walking away from me down the beach… with this being the best.  The playful position of her arms, foot just catching the splash of a passing ripple and her reflection in the water make this photograph complete.

Shot with a Nikon D90 and 18-105 Nikkor lens.  

"Barnacle Encrusted Shell" - Sanibel Island, FL

Barnacle Encrusted Shell - Sanibel Island, FL

This photo was shot on an early morning walk along the "City Beach" on Sanibel Island.

I had forgotten to pick-up my cameras before driving from Fort Myers to the beach and only discovered I didn't have them when I got there.

"Midly" upset and armed with only an Android device I decided to try and make the best with what I had.

Although not of nearly the technical quality I would have gotten with my DSLR's... I still think this is a decent shot and an example of what can be done by anyone with the technology commonly available today.

Follow the Leader...

"Follow the Leader" - Sanibel Island, FL

This is one of my favorite images from a trip to Sanibel Island off Florida's gulf coast a couple years ago.

It was comical to watch this little bird follow around the gull... imitating it's every move.

It was like watching a kids game of "Simon Say's" or "Follow the Leader".  That, or the little bird was thinking "I want to be just like you when I grow up".

Either way I spent about five minutes photographing this "bird ballet" with a Nikon D90 and 300mm lens before the gull finally broke off and flew away.  

This photograph incorporates different elements of composition including the use of a shallow depth of field, 3/4 lighting and a low angle of view to bring you down to eye level with the gull.