The Most Amazing Sunset at the Pier in Venice, Florida

The fishing pier in Venice, Florida is a great place to watch the sunset at the end of the day. The pier extends 700 feet out into the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and is very tall. It is located in Brohard Park at the southern end of the island of Venice. There is a restaurant called Sharky's on the end of the pier. Caspersen Beach is just down the road where fossilized sharks teeth can be found. This is one of the most popular landmarks in Venice. On this night the clouds hung low enough to the horizon that when the sun came down below them the color burst into very bright colors.

Moon Over Sharky's, Venice, Florida

Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of two restaurants at the pier: Fins and Sharky's. Fins (on the left) is elegant dining with a view of the Gulf of Mexico. Sharky's (on the right) is a casual restaurant with live music at night, a tiki bar, and second floor terrace with an amazing view of the pier as the sun sets. This is a popular place with tourists and locals especially on the weekends and in the winter. The pier was renovated in the summer of 2019 to repair damage from a past hurricane. It extends hundreds of feet out into the Gulf of Mexico and sits very high above the water. It's a popular place for fishing. Venice is known for its wonderful main street area and love of the arts. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port. A slight oil paint effect has been added to this photo to bring out details. Natural setting (uncropped) is recommended for printing this photo.

Sarasota Night Life

I have been wanting to get this photo for a few years now: a night time panorama of the Sarasota skyline with the Ringling Bridge lit up with colored lights. Everything has to come together to get a photo like this: gear, location, timing, weather, and lighting. I have been to this location a couple times the last few years, and sometimes the sky just doesn't cooperate, or it's too windy to get a sharp photo for a very long exposure, the water is choppy, or the bridge lights are not on. The colored lights on the Ringling Bridge do not come on until after sunset during late blue hour when it's dark, so I have to use the right camera settings to get a good exposure. On this night I was so happy the water was smooth like glass and reflected the buildings nicely. I bracketed my 3 photos with three different exposures to create an HDR. In this skyline of Sarasota you can see some iconic buildings: in the center lit in yellow is the Ritz Carlton hotel, and the tallest white building at the far left side of the Ringling Bridge is the Westin hotel. To the right of the Westin is the glass building One Sarasota Tower which holds Chase Bank, Raymond James, and other companies. The Sarasota Skyline has changed the last couple years with many new buildings. This photo was taken on July 17, 2022. The Ringling Bridge connects downtown Sarasota with Bird Key, Lido Key, and Longboat Key. Sarasota sits on the shores of Sarasota Bay which connects to the Gulf of Mexico. It's a beautiful area on the Gulf Coast of Florida in Sarasota County south of Tampa. Nearby cities are Bradenton, Nokomis, and Venice.

A Pedestrian Street In Old Town Nice, France

The Old Town area of Nice, France is a charming place to visit. I really enjoyed walking down the narrow pedestrian streets seeing the colorful buildings with many shutters, balconies, and flower pots. They were full of character. This area is near the base of Castle Hill. Nice is a beautiful city in the southeastern part of France, in the Cote d'Azur region, sitting on the Mediterranean Sea. It is near Monaco, Eze, and St. Paul de Vence. Nice is nicknamed, "Nice la Belle", which means "Nice the Beautiful". In the second half of the 18th century the beauty and mild Mediterranean climate attracted the upper class English who spent winters here. The main walkway along the coastline is called the Promenade des Anglais (Walkway of the English). The waters of the Mediterranean Sea are bright blue. The clear air and soft light of the region attracted artists like Marc Chagall, Henri Matisse, and others. Nice continues to draw many tourists. Some popular squares and pedestrian areas in the city are Place Messena, Place Garibaldi, Place Rossetti, Cours Saleya, and Place du Palais.

Clyde Butcher's Tree, Myakka River State Park, FL, BW

This image is an HDR panorama I created by merging 12 photos together to capture the entire scene and all the details in the bright and dark areas. This is a large live oak tree in Myakka River State Park. I like how it frames the view out to the prairie with palm trees and yellow wildflowers. I also have a color version of this image. I was inspired by Clyde Butcher, a well known photographer here in Florida who photographs nature and the Everglades. He took a photo of this tree in black and white. Myakka River State Park is one of the largest and oldest parks here in Florida with 37,000 acres at the Myakka River near Sarasota, Bradenton, and Myakka City. The park is known for its wildlife and alligators and its boardwalk into the river which is good for birding. Myakka River State Park is a beautiful area full of large oak trees. It feels like Old Florida where you are walking back in time.

Myakka River State Park Prairie, Florida, BW

This image is an HDR panorama I created by merging 9 photos together to capture the entire scene and all the details in the bright and dark areas. This is a pair of trees in Myakka River State Park. I like how they come together to frame the view of the prairie with wildflowers. I also have a color version of this image. Myakka River State Park is one of the largest and oldest parks here in Florida with 37,000 acres at the Myakka River near Sarasota, Bradenton, and Myakka City. The park is known for its wildlife and alligators and its boardwalk into the river which is good for birding. Myakka River State Park is a beautiful area full of large oak trees. It feels like Old Florida where you are walking back in time.

Windmill Sunrise, Holland, Michigan

There is an interesting story behind this windmill. It's named De Zwaan, which in Dutch means "The Swan" or "Graceful Bird". It was first built in Krommenie, the Netherlands, in 1761 and later moved to Vinkel, the Netherlands. In the United States, there is a town with many Dutch immigrants from the late 1800's. It's Holland, Michigan. Two residents of the town, Willand Wichers and Carter Brown, wanted to bring a Dutch windmill to Holland to pay homage to the city's Dutch heritage. But many windmills in the Netherlands were damaged in World War II, and the Dutch government put a ban on selling them outside of the Netherlands. But Wichers and Brown were able to get around that by purchasing a very heaviliy damaged windmill, the De Zwaan, which had an uncertain future. So the Dutch government sold it to Wichers for $2800, and it was the last windmill to leave the Netherlands. So in October 1964 the De Zwaan was transported by the Prins Willem van Oranje ship to the harbor of Muskegon, and then by truck to Windmill Island in Holland. It took around 6 months to reconstruct the mill, and in April 1965 it was dedicated. Windmill Island sits on 36 acres of reclaimed swampland on the eastern end of Lake Macatawa. De Zwaan is 125 feet tall and its blades are 80 feet long. It is still in use today. De Zwaan windmill is one of the prominent landmarks of Holland along with the Big Red Lighthouse which sits at the opposite end of Lake Macatawa at Lake Michigan.

Venice Beach Lifeguard Stand, Florida

Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port. This photo was taken at Venice Beach. It portrays the quiet peacefulness you feel on the beach at sunset. As the sun goes down the sky lights up with beautiful colors, and an aqua lifeguard stand catches some of the light. A sailboat sails off into the distance, silhouetted against the bright warm colors of the sky.

Skyline of Sarasota, Florida

This is a view of the Sarasota, Florida skyline from Lido Key. The water of the bay is very calm creating a glassy reflection of the sky and city. The Ringling Bridge connects Lido Key, Bird Key, and Longboat Key to Sarasota. The views from the bridge are amazing as you cross the water. The sun is setting in the west creating a warm glow over the city during golden hour. This photo is in a 16 x 9 dimension to create a panorama look.

Sun Centered Under Venice Fishing Pier, Florida

The fishing pier in Venice, Florida is a great place to watch the sunset at the end of the day. The pier extends 700 feet out into the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and is very tall. It is located in Brohard Park at the southern end of the island of Venice. There is a restaurant called Sharky's on the end of the pier. Caspersen Beach is just down the road where fossilized sharks teeth can be found. This is one of the most popular landmarks in Venice. This is the moment the sun set lined up with the end of the pier, adding warm colors to the sky. This photo is an HDR long exposure that softened some of the water movement.

Long Exposure Sunset at Venice Fishing Pier, Florida

I waited months to take this photo. I knew on a very specific day and time that the sun would set centered right at the very end of the Venice Fishing Pier in Venice, Florida. As the day grew closer I watched the weather and was thrilled the cloud percentage would make it a beautiful sunset that night. I got there early and found other photographers waiting to capture this very special moment. It was important to stand lined up centered with the pier, so we all stood behind each other at different heights with our tripods. I was in the very front at the lowest level to the water, with my knees in the sand. This actually benefited me because I got much closer to the water for a stronger image. Afterwards I went to the side by myself and captured this image as a very long exposure around 4 seconds. I love how it stretched the clouds in the sky and softened the water. The soft pastel colors were breathtaking! I love the warm yellows of the golden light and bright aqua color of the Gulf of Mexico. The fishing pier in Venice, Florida is a great place to watch the sunset at the end of the day. The pier extends 700 feet out into the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and is very tall. It is located in Brohard Park at the southern end of the island of Venice. There is a restaurant called Sharky's on the end of the pier. Caspersen Beach is just down the road where fossilized sharks teeth can be found. This is one of the most popular landmarks in Venice. It's a wonderful place to put your feet in the sand, listen to the waves of the Gulf of Mexico gently coming into the shore, and live tropical music playing from the tiki hut of Sharky's.

Sarasota, Florida Skyline at Night

I have been wanting to get this photo for a few years now: a night time panorama of the Sarasota skyline with the Ringling Bridge lit up with colored lights. Everything has to come together to get a photo like this: gear, location, timing, weather, and lighting. I have been to this location a couple times the last few years, and sometimes the sky just doesn't cooperate, or it's too windy to get a sharp photo for a very long exposure, the water is choppy, or the bridge lights are not on. The colored lights on the Ringling Bridge do not come on until after sunset during late blue hour when it's dark, so I have to use the right camera settings to get a good exposure. On this night I was so happy the water was smooth like glass and reflected the buildings nicely. If you zoom into the photo you can see some water birds posing in the shallow water along the coastline. I bracketed my photos with three different exposures at different angles and stitched together 12 photos to create an HDR panorama. In this skyline of Sarasota you can see some iconic buildings: in the center lit in yellow is the Ritz Carlton hotel, and the tallest white building at the far left side of the Ringling Bridge is the Westin hotel. To the right of the Westin is the glass building One Sarasota Tower which holds Chase Bank, Raymond James, and other companies. The Sarasota Skyline has changed the last couple years with many new buildings. This photo was taken on May 21, 2020. The Ringling Bridge connects downtown Sarasota with Bird Key, Lido Key, and Longboat Key. Sarasota sits on the shores of Sarasota Bay which connects to the Gulf of Mexico. It's a beautiful area on the Gulf Coast of Florida in Sarasota County south of Tampa. Nearby cities are Bradenton, Nokomis, and Venice. I also have another version of this photo that is longer containing the area from the Ritz Carlton to the far left up to the Van Wetzel theater.

Big Red at Blue Hour With Sailboat, Holland, Michigan

In Holland, Michigan stands a beautiful big red lighthouse on a channel that connects Lake Michigan with Lake Macatawa. "Big Red" is also known as Holland Harbor Light. The original structure was built in 1872 and the current structure was built in 1907. It has a gabled roof which reflects the Dutch influence in the area. This is a view of the lighthouse across the channel from Holland State Park at blue hour right after sunset.

Venice Fishing Pier Sunset, Florida

The fishing pier in Venice, Florida is a great place to watch the sunset at the end of the day. The pier extends 700 feet out into the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and is very tall. It is located in Brohard Park at the southern end of the island of Venice. There is a restaurant called Sharky's on the end of the pier. Caspersen Beach is just down the road where fossilized sharks teeth can be found. This is one of the most popular landmarks in Venice. On this night the clouds hung low enough to the horizon that when the sun came down below them the color burst into very bright colors.

Storm Clouds Over the Louvre, Paris

This photo was taken during the week of continual rain before the June 2016 flood in Paris. On this day the rain had stopped briefly, the storm clouds hung over the Lourvre, and tourists walked on wet pavement in the courtyard. The Louvre (Louvre Museum) was my favorite place to visit in Paris. It's grand architecture is impressive. It is located on the the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement of the city. Nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited at the Louvre. The Louvre was originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. You can see the remnants of the fortress in the basement. The Louvre was a palace and was extended many times. In 1682 Louis XIV left the Louvre and made Versailles his palace, making the Louvre a place to display the royal collection. In 1692 the Academie des Inscriptions et Belles Lettres and the Academie Royale de Peinture et de Sculpture occupied the Louvre and held salons. The Academie remained at the Louvre for 100 years. During the French Revolution the Louvre became a museum to display the nation's masterpieces. Under Napoleon the collection was increased, but after his abdication some of his works seized by armies were returned to their original owners. The Museum has 3 wings: Sully, Denon, and Richelieu. Inbetween the Richelieu and Denon is the main court, the Cour Napoleon, which has a new main entrance under a glass pyramid built in 1988. From this courtyard you can see Napoleon's Arc du Carrousel, behind it the Tuileries Gardens, and in the distance the ferris wheel at the Place de la Concorde. From inside the Louvre upstairs you can see the Eiffel Tower in the distance.

Warm Sunset in Historic Venice, Florida

Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of downtown Venice on Venice Avenue. It's the historic main street of downtown, full of charm. I love the architecture here, especially the buildings from the 1920's. Venice is known for its wonderful main street area and love of the arts. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port.

The Charm of Venice, Florida

Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of downtown Venice on Venice Avenue. It's the historic main street of downtown, lined with palm trees and full of charm. I love the architecture here, especially the buildings from the 1920's. Venice is known for its wonderful main street area and love of the arts. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port.

Downtown Sarasota, Florida Sunset Panorama

This is an image of a pond reflection at the One Sarasota Tower (a 12-story glass building) in Sarasota, Florida at sunset. It is a prominent landmark in the city because of its central downtown location and proximity to the harbor and beaches. The glass exterior creates beautiful reflections of the colorful sky as the sun goes down. The One Sarasota Tower houses businesses like Chase, Raymond James, Gates Construction, Blalock Walters, Todd R. Stern, Baird, and others. There are incredible views of Sarasota Bay, the Ringling Bridge, and the harbor from this building. Across the street is a high rise hotel, the Westin, which has a rooftop bar view of the city, the Ritz Carlton Hotel, and the famous "Unconditional Surrender" kissing statue. The One Sarasota Tower was built in 1988. This photo is a panorama made by stitching 6 photos together. The image is 11586 x 7100 pixels.

Donnelly Street in Mount Dora, Florida

I woke up really early to take this photo of downtown Mount Dora, Florida. I wanted to capture this quaint city when the streets were quiet to create a peaceful photo. I just love the historic architecture here! I got here on Donnelly Street before the sun came up and watched the colors of the sky grow brighter as the sun rose. It was absolutely beautiful! This was an epic moment when the city lights were still on and the sky bursting in color. I took 20 photos at different angles and exposures and blended them all together to create this very large HDR panorama. The original file is 100024 x 5639 pixels. Mount Dora is a small town in central Florida known for its southern charm. It began in 1880 and is known for its historical architecture and antique shops downtown. It sits on a mountain overlooking Lake Dora. It's nicknamed the "New England of the South" because of its historical charm and rolling hills like up north. Mount Dora became a popular retreat in the winter for fishing, boating and hunting. In 1883 the Alexander House (now known as Lakeside Inn) opened and in 1975 was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

A Night at Sharky's, Venice, Florida

If you are dreaming of a tropical vacation and want to hear the sound of ocean waves and lively music under a tiki hut, with a breathtaking view of an amazing Florida sunset with your feet in the sand, with a cool refreshing drink in your hand, then Sharky's at the Pier in Venice, Florida is the place to be! Sharky's is one of the most popular tourist attractions here in Venice, Florida. It sits at the end of the Venice Fishing Pier with an incredible view of the calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The fishing pier in Venice, Florida is a popular place for fishing and a great place to watch the sunset at the end of the day. The pier extends 700 feet out into the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and sits very high above the water. The pier was renovated in the summer of 2019 to repair damage from a past hurricane. It is located in Brohard Park at the southern end of the Island of Venice. Caspersen Beach is just down the road where fossilized sharks teeth can be found. This place has a fun tropical vibe. It's a wonderful place to put your feet in the sand, listen to the waves of the Gulf of Mexico gently coming into the shore, and live tropical music playing from the tiki hut of Sharky's. Venice is an amazing city in Florida. It sits on the Gulf of Mexico on the west coast of Florida in Sarasota County and has a beautiful beach, jetty, and pier. You have a couple places at the coast to watch beautiful sunsets each night. This is a view of two restaurants at the pier: Fins and Sharky's. Fins (on the left) is elegant dining with a view of the Gulf of Mexico. Sharky's (on the right) is a casual restaurant with live music at night, a tiki bar, and second floor terrace with an amazing view of the pier as the sun sets. This is a popular place with tourists and locals especially on the weekends and in the winter. Venice is known for its wonderful main street area and love of the arts. Venice is just south of Sarasota and is near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port. A slight oil paint effect has been added to this photo. This photo is an hdr created by merging 5 photos of different exposures together to capture all the details.