Here is a photograph of some tall buildings I captured years ago while on a stay cation to Miami from St Pete. Its downtown on the riverfront, just some of the tall buildings, appearing to lean due to the exaggerated wide angle lens used.
Architecture is one of my favorite subjects to photograph, old or new. Big or small.
Here is a black and white photograph of the old pier in downtown St Petersburg Florida. It was taken shortly before its demolition began.
When I moved to St Pete in the early 2000’s one of my favorite things to do was walk to the pier and hang out. There were still shops and restaurants, people fishing, boating, the old wooden sailing ship from the movie “The Bounty”.
It was to me a representation of the Florida people came to visit while on vacation.
Even though I lived in downtown St Pete, it gave me the feeling I was on vacation every time I visited.
I have never visited the new pier, having moved to Colorado in 2018. Someday maybe, or not.
The memories of the old pier will always stay with me as one of the bright spots of my time there, and this image condenses my feelings of missing that in one image.
One of my favorite “walk around” places in Pinellas County was the Heritage Village Museum.
There were tons of historic old buildings that were saved and transplanted there to preserve their history.
One that enjoyed photographing was the Old Lowe Barn. Especially the interior. Old buggy’s and carriages, wooden spoke wheels, colors. The difficulty was the lighting, always dark interior and bright outside lighting in the doorway.
I had become adept at shooting bracketed exposures for hdr, but post processing this one was different, compositing my best interior with the best doorway outside one to make the above image.
On a weekend staycation in Miami I was able to walk around the downtown riverfront area. One of the things that caught my attention was this tall, older building illuminated in red light. up untill this point i was not aware of any history or meaning, just that it looked pretty cool, and a perfect opportunity to set my camera up on its tripod and take a long exposure.
I found out later it was the original headquarters for the Miami news and then later as a Cuban refugee center, nicknamed the Ellis Island of the South.
Being a second generation descendant of Polish/Italian immigrants via Ellis Island myself, I thought that was pretty cool.
Fort Myers is just a short drive south of St Petersburg where I lived. Which made it easy for a weekend staycation, overnight stay, and yet another pier on the Gulf Coast of Florida that allowed me to practice my long exposure sunset photography.
Here is a capture from one of those visits. The gulf coast of Florida consistently produces some colorful sunsets, slightly changing my environment allowed to to not limit myself to a portfolio full of the same piers. I think over the years I was able to visit almost every pier in southwest Florida and get at least one keeper!
This photo taken from the rock jetty on Passagrille Beach Florida started out as just another attempt at a colorful sunset, but turned into capturing an approaching storm seemingly swallowing the vivid yellows, oranges and reds, replacing them with ominous purples, blues and greens!
Passagrille Beach is one of my favorite places to visit, regardless of whether I have my camera or not, any time of day.
It is the stereotypical old Florida small beach town, that also so happens to be one of the best places on the Gulf Coast to capture (watch) sunsets.
I just so happe3ned to be there on this evening when a storm front approached changing the entire character of the sky, which in itself was also super rewarding , and a change of pace!
Fort de Soto is a must see destination on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Located in the southwestern portion of Pinellas county it stretches along the coast, beautiful undeveloped beaches, white sand, mostly clear waters (some days it can get cloudy based on tides and storms).
This was my back to nature recluse spot while living in St Pete. Never once did I visit Fort de Soto, which was just a short drive from downtown St Pete, and I have a bad experience.
If you are looking for a natural beach, you will find it here, along with a little history.
Avoid the crowds and the commercialism.
Revenge of the JPEG 
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