I've been away for a while, dealing with what my son's culture calls RWI, "real world issues". I'm most sorry that I have missed so many of the great images from the FM landscapers. I hope to have a bit more time to spend here for at least a little while.
I took a fall color trip but haven't processed hardly anything from that, and hardly shot anything until late January. Business has taken me to Florida twice in the last couple of weeks, once to south Florida and once to central Florida. In both cases I was able to add on some time to visit the local scenery. I visited Everglades NP, Big Cypress Natl Preserve and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve in south Florida; and Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP, Lake Wales Ridge State Forest and Catfish Creek Preserve SP south of Orlando. Though I came away with thousands of images (a lot of birds), this wasn't the best landscape trip I've taken and I don't expect to unearth anything extraordinary. I don't expect to have much processing time in the near future, but here is a selection of what I can offer so far.
(I'm also experimenting with a new frame style. What do you think?)
The sky was kind of muddy and I didn't expect a great sunrise to develop (and it didn't), but a layer of ground fog formed right before the sun rise and give a different take on a silhouette through slash pines. From Copeland Prairie in Big Cypress. http://www.pbase.com/dsjtecserv/image/141216666/original.jpg
My time in central Florida was mostly cloudy with intermittent sprinkles so lighting was disappointing the whole time. But the clouds broke up enough one evening for a fairly nice sunset. This was shot from the grassy bed of a seasonal pond (dry this time of year), which provided a foreground for the pinelands behind. These two were taken about 4 minutes apart; the colors on the clouds developed rapidly and didn't last long. http://www.pbase.com/dsjtecserv/image/141455286/original.jpg
[Wow. While I was writing this a neighbor's tree blew over and sliced through the roof unimpeded, pinning the wife in her bed. It took the FD more than an hour to free her. But miraculously she wasn't seriously injured. I think I'll post this before anything else happens.]
Having lived in FL most of my life, I am rarely inspired to shoot landscapes here. I do love to visit the very same areas you mentioned for the birding opportunities. I like these shots, especially those with the fog. Good luck on your schedule.
Number two FTW. Print that one large. These are excellent shots in an area that doesn't often see a lot of dramatic landscapes due mostly I guess to the flat terrain. Very nice series.
Thanks everyone. Stan and Richard, I agree that landscapes don't come as easily in Florida is they do in say, the mountains or southwest. But the swamps and prairies (not to mention the coastline) do offer interesting challenges and opportunities. Clyde Butcher and our own Jose (jsuro), as well as some other FMers, have given me benchmarks to shoot for when I'm down there.
Spectacular set. I think that the first is the best IMHO. Not that any of them are less than stellar,but more because it is more subtle and unusual. I hope you weren't wanting much critiquing because these stand as is. Rick
Hi David, nice to see you back here.....this is a great series, I enjoyed them all, particularly as we are heading there in April, its given me a great taste. Look forward to seeing a few more posts from you in the future!
cheers Andrew
PS formerly redsoxdesign!
Thank you, everyone. FG, not my wife fortunately, but the neighbor. Bad enough, though. We neighbors stood around holding our breaths until 3:30 a.m. when they were able to free her and bring her out. She was apparently just bruised; nothing broken.
Andrew, I'll be back in Florida in late April, doing something out of the Tampa area; haven't decided what. I had a nice trip there last April.
Dan, I know, I've seen some spectacular sunrises/sets in FL. But I haven't had good luck over the last few visits. But I still plan my day around where I want to be first thing and last thing.
Great shots. I especially like the first two. The third has a touch of an HDR look to me, but it's beautiful. Maybe a shot taken sometime between the 3rd and 4th would have been perfect.
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