GULF SHORES, AL; March 6, 2020 – It was 68° F, there was no ice on the water, but it felt as if there could have been. Young folks were down at the edge of the shoreline, a few wading, some playing volleyball, many just lying in the sun, determined to get a tan before the end of their vacations. But elderly folks sheltered themselves from the northerly wind behind a public building, soaking up the sun’s warmth, glad for the reprieve of shoveling snow back home.
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We were here first. There’s plenty of room; do you have to sit so close? Or maybe the story is: Come! Join us we’ll all have a good time. But more likely it’s, “How’s the water, Mabel? What does George have in his hands?
I’ve often read that “great photos always tell a story.” But I don’t think a single photo can ever tell a complete story. Stories have a beginning, middle and end. A single photo can only capture a small fraction of the story. Without context, this is simply a photo of a group of people at a beach with a vast ocean of water in the background. Are they family? Friends? Recent acquaintances? Are they stranded on a desert island? What is the story?
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Took a drive down to Gulf Shores this morning to capture some photos for my Alamy collection. Surprisingly, it wasn’t overcrowded. A beautiful day, just right for being on the beach.
Clear green water and briliant white sand line the beach of Santa Rosa Island, Florida.
The beach at Santa Rosa Island, Florida, yesterday, March 12, 2019.
Perdido Pass and the Gulf of Mexico on a cool, stormy November day. A few people were on the beach, but nobody was in the water.
Despite its incredibly fierce passive/aggressive defense, the Prickly Pear Cactus sprouts a very delicate flower about this time every spring. These are a few growing around the perimeter of the Snow to Sun RV Resort’s leash-free dog park and birding center. Prickly Pear blossoms begin opening in the Rio Grande Valley late March. By the end of June to the middle of July tunas will be ripe for harvest and turned into a delicious wine.
The day Hurricane Irma ravaged Florida, I was at Orange Beach, Alabama – just a couple miles from Florida’s westernmost border in the panhandle. The circular bands of clouds give only the barest hint of the massive scale of the storm. Winds were relatively calm in Alabama and nary a drop of rain fell all day.
Photo taken from the wedding venue at Cave B Winery in Washington State
Even old people do it. Texting! Seated so close to each other, you would think they could just talk.
Trailer Park Fog and a Supermoon yesterday morning.
Now hiring at the El Dorado Restaurant in Alamo, TX.
Panoramic view of Sleeping Bear Dunes from the top of Pierce Stocking Driving Trail in the park. On the horizon to the left are the Manitou Islands; to the right is Glen Lake with the parking lot and visitor center in the middle of the photo. It was a mostly overcast, but delightful day in the park.
Waves on the Gulf were 5 to 6 feet high with 20 m.p.h. winds following a very stormy night in late January. The photo was taken with my cell phone from the beach in front of the Sea-n-Suds Restaurant where we had breakfast.
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You can probably tell, I like the result of this process. I can imagine applications for promotion, illustration and advertising. The beautiful violinist was performing with a chamber quartet on 8th Street in downtown Holland, MI. No matter which angle I chose, the background distracted from the feeling of a soft, pleasant afternoon surrounded by beautiful strains of the music. By dropping out the background, using a few Photoshop processes and a single filter built into Photoshop CS5, I came up with this image. It’s a much more flattering and descriptive illustration of the lovely young woman’s talent.
