Moving Pictures

It is fairly easy to check the tides. I have an ap on my phone in fact. But it is not always convenient to visit certain places at the exact right time. Now that I live relatively "around the corner" at 30 minutes away, and have completely free days,,,,, I have zero excuses to do this right. Blowing Rocks Preserve is a somewhat unique bit of Florida beach. Solid limestone rather than endless sand that comprises most of the Florida beaches. For the first time I've captured the waves actually blowing out of the holes that have been drilled into the hard rock over the last hundred thousand years. There is even a low whistling sound as the air is pushed out ahead of the waves. It's hard to tell from the photos but this was a very breezy and rainy day. I was forced to return to the car more than once because of showers. Even though the weather was not the best for my camera, it was perfect for this bit of beach. The surf was crashing rhythmically and specta...

The last time I visited the Jupiter Lighthouse to take photos was in 2012. I brought along my only quality camera, the Nikon D70 and the 18-70 mm lens that came with it. [click here] to see that set. Now that I have all the time in the world I decided to go back with a newer camera and lens and try again. My Nikon D3100 with the Tamron 18-270 mm lens has been my go to camera for fairs and festivals. To find the complete set from this weeks shoot, [click here] . Honestly I don't know if I did any better than last time. I brought along a big flash which I struggled with right in the beginning so I went to the pop up. Also you have to go along with the tour so there is a limited amount of time to get a shot with no people in it. That and my never ending struggle with vertigo and fully open staircase lead me to be more cautious about tumbling down the stairs than setting a proper shot. I did time my visit perfectly to see the rainbow effect from the Fresnel lens cascadin...

I used to keep track of my visits to Walt Disney World but I stopped counting at 150 days at the parks. I'm sure I'm over the 200 mark by now. My first visit was 1976 and a drive all the way down from Philadelphia. It's a little easier to get to since the move to Fort Lauderdale in 1978. Disney's Magic Kingdom - Cinderella's Castle That said, it's been a long time since I've had an annual pass. Until a few months ago that is. I took a few years off as life got in the way a bit and there was way too much of the rest of the world to see. In the last two months I've made 4 solo trips. Mostly to take it all in at my own speed and take the kind of photos I can't enjoy trudging around in a group. I also like to ride all the thrill rides and I don't know hardly anyone who can bounce from one to the next as fast as I can. One of the unexpected things was the flood of memories, the excitement of new rides, sights, sounds, food, and attractions,...

I should rename this post to "I Flew in a Huey"!! That's pretty much how I've started every conversation this week. Sure I managed to take some of the best air show photos I have to date but for a mere $75.00 I took and unbelievably amazing ride. The Stuart Air Show  has had my attention the last 3 years. The first time I went I was very impressed. I even took a $40.00 helicopter ride at the end of the day. The show has only grown each passing year. For my photos from the show [click here] But let's get back to my helicopter ride this year. The  Army Aviation Heritage Foundation  provided the flight. I did not get a chance to do this last year so I was first in line this year. Well 11th actually. They take ten riders at a time and I was on the second trip. You can see from the photo I took of the group ahead of us, there is not a lot between the seat and the ground in the door gunners position. Just a little old vintage seat belt. I was using...