Photo101

Triumph

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Pelicans fly through the air, dive into the ocean but sometimes they just want to sit and be.

They are very chilled out birds but it was a triumph for me to capture these images without disturbing their rest.

A pelican having a rest by the Miami Beach Marina
A pelican having a rest by the Miami Beach Marina

Dixon Lanier Merritt (1879–1972) was an American poet and humorist. He was a newspaper editor for the Tennessean, Nashville’s morning paper, and President of the American Press Humorists Association. He penned this well-known limerick in 1910.

A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill will hold more than his belican,
He can take in his beak
Enough food for a week
But I’m damned if I see how the helican!

or:

A funny old bird is a pelican.
His beak can hold more than his belican.
Food for a week
He can hold in his beak,
But I don’t know how the helican.

The limerick was inspired by a post card sent to him by a female reader of his newspaper column who was visiting Florida beaches. It is often misattributed to Ogden Nash and is widely misquoted as demonstrated above. It is quoted in a number of scholarly works on ornithology, including “Manual of Ornithology: Avian Structure and Function,” by Noble S. Proctor and Patrick J. Lynch, and several others.

Having a rest by the bay
Having a rest by the bay

Double

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Your twin sisters. Your neighbor’s two poodles. Your vision during a dizzy spell. Your doppelgänger.

Double can be interpreted in many ways. Here’s my take on seeing double.

A couple of signs on the famous Duval Street, Key West, FL
A couple of signs on the famous Duval Street, Key West, FL
No longer connected - a section of the old railway bridge going to Key West, FL
No longer connected – a section of the old railway bridge going to Key West, FL
Double sided flags at Bayside, Downtown Miami
Double sided flags at Bayside, Downtown Miami

Glass

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Here’s a picture that was taken inside The British Museum in London. It has an amazing glass ceiling.

The British Museum in London has an amazing glass ceiling.
The British Museum in London has an amazing glass ceiling.

Designed by Foster and Partners, the Queen Elizabeth II Great Court transformed the Museum’s inner courtyard into the largest covered public square in Europe. It is a two-acre space enclosed by a spectacular glass roof with the world-famous Reading Room at its centre.

The courtyard had been a lost space since 1857. The re-design of the Great Court meant that this hidden space could be seen again.

The design of the Great Court was loosely based on Foster’s concept for the roof of the Reichstag in Berlin, Germany. A key aspect of the design was that with every step in the Great Court the vista changed and allowed the visitor a new view on their surroundings.

Work on the Great Court’s magnificent glass and steel roof began in September 1999. The canopy was designed and installed by computer. It was constructed out of 3,312 panes of glass, no two of which are the same.

At two acres, the Great Court increased public space in the Museum by forty per cent, allowing visitors to move freely around the main floor for the first time in 150 years.

 

 

Treasure

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In the absence of a wooden chest full of gold doubloons, any object or experience that is deeply meaningful can be a treasure. Items, places, people — we all cherish something, or someone.

My friend introduced me to the world of Pandora Charms. Each bracelet ends up being very personal and different from others who may be making a charm bracelet. Each individual charm tells a story.

A collection of charms - each one tells a story or marks a special occasion.
A collection of charms – each one tells a story or marks a special occasion.

How to create your own Pandora Bracelet

First you need to decide which bangle you would like to hold your charms. They come in silver or leather so you can pick your own style. (Click on any of the images for prices and more information)

Silver bangle with clasp
Silver bangle with clasp
Double twisted leather bangle
Double twisted leather bangle – this one is black but there are lots of colors to choose from.

Once you have selected the type of bracelet you would like, the fun can begin – adding the charms.

There are so many different charms depicting life events, special occasions, animals, sports etc that you can really have fun creating your own special keepsake that you will treasure for years to come.

The bracelet is made up of three sections separated by  two raised pips. As you pop your charms onto your bracelet you will need to twist the charm around a few times so that they can pass over these pips. Each pip allows you to add clip charms so that you can keep your charms in different sections on your bracelet.

I hope you have fun creating your first Pandora Bracelet and if you are new to creating this type of bangle, I hope you have fun uncovering the many fun charms to make your own special keepsake that you will treasure and enjoy for years to come.

 

 

Landscape

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Today, let’s walk in the footsteps of masters like Ansel Adams and focus on landscape photography.

Landscapes generally focus on wide, vast depictions of nature and all of its elements, from formations to weather. In this genre of photography, you won’t find much of a human presence: nature itself is the subject.

 

South Pointe, Miami Beach
South Pointe, Miami Beach
A watery oasis near Oleta State Park, FL
A watery oasis near Oleta State Park, FL
Lifeguard Hut Miami Beach
Lifeguard Hut Miami Beach
A Magnificent View
A Magnificent View – Bill Baggs State Park, FL
Interesting Shapes formed by nature
Interesting Shapes formed by nature

Scale and Observation

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Today it’s time to play with scale and observation – here’s a macro picture I’ve taken of a small one cent coin.

This tiny coin is super-sized using a macro lens. Playing with scale and observation is fun
This tiny coin is super-sized using a macro lens. Playing with scale and observation is fun

From this angle it looks extremely large and if you didn’t know how small an actual one cent was in real life, your mind could easily be fooled into believing this coin is much larger than it really is.

Moment and Motion

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Our lives are made up of big events and tiny moments. Ultimately, life is fleeting, and often it’s these small moments we love to document.

I was so lucky to be facing the right way and have my camera ready just as this heron took flight. Look at all those feathers and the size of his wings.

As there was no planning or set-up – it all happened very fast – it’s not the best focus in the world but I’m still pleased with the results. I would have loved a blue sky too but once I’d looked at the picture, the grey sky actually makes the white bird stand out more.

A heron in the everglades taking off into the sky
A heron in the everglades taking off into the sky

Off he goes

Flying away
Flying away

Architecture and Monochrome

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From geometric patterns on skyscrapers to the ironwork on historical buildings, there are many opportunities to capture the beauty and complexity of architecture.

One of the tallest buildings in Miami Beach (and one of the most expensive places to live) is the Portofino. Even though it’s a tall skyscraper of a building, it still manages to look Art Deco in style. You can’t fail to miss the bright orange and blue building reaching into the sky.

The iconic Portofino

In the day the next building is nothing special but at night it comes alive with a spectacular light show. I think it really shows the architecture of the building better at night.

Colorful Lights

The next buildings are examples of some of the art deco hotels and buildings we have here in Miami Beach. The height restrictions are preserved in the art deco district so we’re lucky not to have high rise condos and hotels ruining the area.

Original
Original
Breakwater Hotel

Picture a dreamlike setting complete with exquisite, hand-painted frescos on barrel-vaulted ceilings, brilliant travertine floors, fine marble columns, intricate leaded glass fixtures, carved mahogany furnishings and lavish gardens. Then picture this all in the shadow of a spiraling Moorish Giralda tower. The Biltmore Hotel

Is it a Spanish castle or a grand Venetian palazzo?

Although The Biltmore in Coral Gables, Fl does resemble the finest in classic Mediterranean architecture, it is neither an Italian palazzo nor Iberian castle. Instead it is the centerpiece of George Merrick’s vision of Coral Gables as an elegant, stately suburb, which he called “The City Beautiful.”
Combining his deep affection for lush South Florida landscape with a high regard for Italian, Moorish and Spanish architectural influences, Merrick realized his dream in the construction of his masterpiece.

You can find out more about the Biltmore Hotel here

Architecture and Monochrome

The above buildings work really well in color but what happens when you turn them black and white. Which do you prefer?

Read more

A Pop of Color

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The colors in our photographs are evocative and rouse emotions within us. Color can elevate a mundane image into something intriguing and meaningful, and can tell a particular story within the frame.

The blue of the sky really makes the pink flowers pop and stand out from the old rusting car.
The blue of the sky really make the pink flowers pop and stand out from the old rusting car.
Peacocks have amazing colors not only on their feathers but their whole body. This blue is so electric.
Peacocks have amazing colors not only on their feathers but their whole body. This blue is so electric.
Even though the blues of the sky and ocean are very noticeable I think the bright red waverunner breaks up the blue color.
Even though the blues of the sky and ocean are very noticeable I think the bright red waverunner breaks up the blue color and helps draw your eye to that part of the photo.