Month: July 2012

Pine Glades Lake Reflections

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Yesterday afternoon I drove out to Everglades National Park to see if I could capture some of the dramatic storm clouds we had moving through the area.  Soon after I got into the park, I spotted some great dramatic storm clouds and good foreground subjects to shoot.  Unfortunately, I also realized I had left my tripod at home.  By the time I went home to get my tripod and made it back to the park, the shot was long gone.  I proceeded to drive around and explore some trails I had not been on in some while but the rain kept chasing me back to my truck for shelter.

I tried shooting a lone cypress tree with a storm in the background but was not thrilled with the final product.  It was starting to get late so I headed to old faithful Pine Glades Lake for the sunset.  I was hoping to get some vibrant skies to contrast with the dark storm clouds.  The only problem was a storm moved through just in time to completely block the sunset.  I still was able to get some interesting reflections of the storm clouds across the smooth lake but never got the color I was looking for.

Key West Sunrise

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This past weekend I took a trip down to Key West with my wife for the 4th of July Holiday.  I did not spend much time taking pictures but did get up early Sunday morning to capture a sunrise.  I chose a pier in Key West as my primary subject.

I checked the azimuth and realized that the sun was going to rise a little farther north than I had hoped for.  As a result I did not get the shot I envisioned but still captured two (2) shots I was happy with.  I was hoping for more colorful skies but due to the sun rising to the north only got the fringes of the color.

I used some nearby rocks as a foreground subject and then used a long shutter speed to smooth out the water and crashing waves.  Both images are HDR (high dynamic range) and result from combining three images into one to capture the full exposure of the scene.

I also shot a sunset from Fort Zachery Taylor State Park using the channel markers as my main subject.  I did not get any shots of the actual sun setting thanks to the sunset cruises parking in front of my vantage point and blocking the sinking sun.  I did get some good twilight shots after the sun had set and the party boats had started back in.  These are also HDR shots, with one long exposure to blur the water in the foreground.

Long Pine Key Campground Sunset

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I ran out to Everglades National Park yesterday after work to try and capture a sunset.  Yesterday was very hazy due to the Saharan Dust in the air and I was hoping this would translate into a vibrant sunset.  I decided to try a spot I know near Long Pine Key and capture the sun setting behind the pine trees.

Due to all the rain we have been getting this year, the water levels are up and most of the normal low areas have at least a few inches of water flowing over the land.  This was the case at my sunset spot as the walking trail was covered in up to six (6) inches of water.  I used the flooded trail as a leading line in my photo taking the viewer to the setting sun.  I tried to balance the scene with a yearling pine tree that was growing next to the trail.  I was pretty happy with the results, capturing one shot with a sunburst and another after the sun set with the glowing thunderhead in the distance.

After the sun had set I turned around and shot the rising moon over the pine trees using the same flooded trail as a leading line to the moon.