Story Behind the Photo: Golden Gate Bridge

When I made plans to travel to San Francisco for the first time, Baker Beach was at the top of my list for places to visit. As a huge fan of Ansel Adams, I had long admired his photos from Baker Beach of the Golden Gate Bridge. After a long day of traveling cross country with layovers in every time zone in between, my husband and I landed in San Francisco about two hours before sunset and made to Baker Beach just in time for this shot.  As one of the most internationally recognizable symbols of San Francisco, this photo of the Golden Gate Bridge is one of my favorites from that trip. We are planning to head back to the area this fall, and I might just have to visit Baker Beach again!

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Story Behind the Photo: Greenhouse Frog

While this photo may not suggest it, Greenhouse Frogs are in fact tiny. This one is only about the size of a quarter and had taken a dip in the pool before posing for this photo. Greenhouse frogs are one of the most common frogs in Florida and live anywhere that is warm and humid, as the name ‘greenhouse’ suggests. Fully grown they are about an inch long and are easily recognized by their chirpy song-like calls. This particular frog and it’s family lives under a plant on my patio and sing most humid nights, or when the plants are freshly watered.

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Story Behind the Photo: Afternoon Storm

Thanks to the sea breezes from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts that converge over the Florida peninsula and usually push westerly, storms pop up most afternoons along the west coast. On this day in early July, my family had been enjoying an afternoon with friends anchored just offshore at Three Rooker Bar at Anclote Key Preserve just west of Tarpon Springs, FL.  Around 3:00 pm, the sky started to cloud up and typical rainy season storms started to approach the Gulf from the east. Since the line was too long to outrun, we ‘battened down the hatches’ and prepared for the impending rain. The storm only lasted about twenty minutes and was by no means violent, but the cloudy skies beforehand made for some amazing photos.

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Story Behind the Photo: Water Lily

This water lily was photographed at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo, FL. It was a typical late afternoon in rainy season and while out photographing the tropical plants in bloom, an afternoon thunderstorm moved through. During rainy season it’s common for storms to move through quickly allowing the the sun back out within minutes to truly make things steamy. On this afternoon, it took a little while for the cloud cover to pass, giving me the opportunity to take a few photos with the freshly fallen rain without harsh lighting from the sun. As it turns out, the rain is what really added interest to many of my photos from that visit.

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Story Behind the Photo: Sea Kayak

This weekend we are expecting highs in the upper 80’s and plentiful sunshine before our typical afternoon thunderstorms. With such warm temperatures, the only ways to stay cool are to be on the water or in the air conditioning!  Many people will be out this weekend in their kayaks getting some great exercise while enjoying the water like only they can. With little water needed to float and virtually no impact to the sensitive sea grass beds in along our shores, kayaking opens a whole new world that few others can reach. A favorite destination for many kayakers are Caladesi and Honeymoon Island State Parks. The mangrove lined coves along the sound side of the islands are only accessible via kayak and are teaming with wildlife, making them a must see.

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Story Behind the Photo: Pacific Sunset

My family and I just returned from a fabulous vacation in the San Diego area and are still talking about what a great trip it was! My husband and I have been to California several times, but this was the first trip for our daughter and she finally saw what we’ve been raving about.

The weather was positively refreshing with highs around 70 degrees and far less humidity than we are used to at home in the Tampa Bay area. By far, our favorite spot was La Jolla Cove, just north of San Diego. The coastline is beautiful with miles of rocky cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. There are a few sandy beaches tucked here and there, and plenty of tide pools to explore at low tide. In addition to all of the beautiful views, there are harbor seals and sea lions that seemed to be at every turn which totally delighted my daughter. It will come as no surprise to most of you that  I just loved seeing the stunning sunsets each night.

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Story Behind the Photo: Osprey

As I’ve mentioned in the past, Ospreys are one of my favorite birds. Now that I think about it, my fascination started when my family would spend as much as we possibly could on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Our trip from Virginia Beach included a drive over the Wright Memorial Bridge, named after the famous Orville and Wilbur Wright who first took flight in Kitty Hawk on the Outer Banks. Along that drive, Osprey nests were easy to spot on the power poles and eventually the platforms provided for them along side the bridge. For me, seeing an Osprey today is just as exciting as it was when I was a kid and when I drive along the local bridges and causeways in the Tampa Bay area, I’ve always got an eye out to spot one.

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