Moving Pictures

I have such a fascination with the brick fortresses of Florida and Georgia I sometimes wonder if I'm channeling feelings from a past life. More likely I'm just astounded by the beauty and incredible waste of these structures. They were built so strong yet rendered useless in such a short time. Fort Pickens is one of many I've toured with my daughter. Even though this fort has a longer history than most, it is still a relic never to be more in the future than a tourist attraction. The bricks fired to create it could have been churches, warehouses, bridges, restaurants, skyscrapers, apartments, or even homes. But no, they were created to defend a political agenda then destroyed or abandoned by a sudden advance in technology. What is left behind is a footnote in history that barely registers the tremendous human effort and sacrifice to create them. I stayed at a beautiful beach hotel then drove my car right up to the fort and walked in through the gaping hole in the...

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...

Pensacola Lighthouse This seems as good a place to start as any. I took this shot a few years ago while exploring Pensacola with my daughter. Little did I know this is where she would land her first job after college.  A little while before I took this shot, the sky was clear blue. Shortly afterwards it was clear again. Only for a few short moments was the scene this ominous. Such is the unpredictably of life and Florida weather.