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.

Tranquil Majesty of Myakka, Florida, BW

I just love live oak trees! I have been trying to capture the perfect photo of a live oak tree reflecting over a pond, and after coming to this area of Florida many times for years I finally captured it! Everything has to come together for this type of photo: the soft morning light, the fog, the time of year later in the summer rainy season, the ferns being green after a fresh rain, and enough flooding of the nearby river to create a pond around the trees. Too many times I had been here in the dry season when everything was brown and no water, or the light was too harsh later in the morning. My husband and I got up really early that morning and drove out into the foggy Florida countryside when it was still dark. As the sun rose above the horizon the mist hung over open fields and sparkled on the cobwebs along tree branches and fence posts. We had a huge storm the night before, and we were curious how much the Myakka River flooded. Usually this time of year it overflows into huge fields and into the road. Would the road be closed? Our favorite area to drive was on the other side near Myakka River State Park. As we got closer we saw the river level had grown quite high, covering branches that stretched over the river, but not high enough to cover the road. It flowed very fast, and very close to the top of the bridge. So we pressed on! On our way we saw thousands of water birds, mostly ibis, wading in flooded fields. We saw a deer jumping through a citrus grove, and cattle grazing. We smelled the damp swampy air. That morning was my very first time seeing these trees in dense fog. The light and mood was amazing!! And it was right after a huge storm, so the Myakka River flooded the area surrounding the trees creating beautiful reflections in the calm water! I got the best photos of live oak trees that morning! This is Myakka City, a rural area east of Bradenton, Florida that has some of the most beautiful countryside I have seen in Florida. It is one of the most scenic areas of Manatee County. Thousands of acres of open space are filled with cattle ranches and farms. Many areas of have live oak trees with Spanish moss hanging down creating that Old Florida look that people love so much. The ferns growing on the large live oak branches are resurrection ferns. During the dry season they are brown, but after a big rain they "resurrect" quickly overnight to a beautiful green. This image is available in both color and black and white.

Colosseum at Night, Rome, Italy BW

Seeing the Colosseum in Rome in person was incredible! It is huge! It is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built, and the largest one still standing in the world. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions. It was built in the center of the city between 72-80 AD during Emperor Vespasian and completed during Emperor Titus. It was modified by Emperor Domitian. The three emperors who were patrons of the building are known as the Flavian dynasty, so the colosseum was named the Flavian Amphitheater. The Colosseum could hold 50,000 to 80,000 spectators and was used for gladiator contests, public spectacles, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas of Roman mythology. Earthquakes damaged the colosseum and stones were removed from it. Some of the outer wall came down and now the inner wall can be seen as the exterior. In 2013 the colosseum had its very first full cleaning and repair in its history. It took three years to complete. Because the colosseum is so popular and busy with tourists I woke up very early in the morning and got here in the dark before sunrise to take photos. There were two other photographers already there at the same spot, but we patiently worked around each other so we could all get the angles we wanted. I made this image by merging 15 vertical photos of different angles and exposures to create a large hdr panorama. The original image is 10177 x 6727 pixels and can be printed quite large. This image is available in both color and black and white.

Starry Night Over Arch of Constantine, Rome, Italy BW, Horizontal

The Arch of Constantine sits between the Colosseum and Palatine Hill in Rome. It is a triumphal arch dedicated to the emperor Constantine to commemorate his victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in AD 312. The arch spans across the Via Triumphalis, the road victorius emperors would enter the city in a triumphal procession. The arch was dedicated in 315 and is the largest triumphal Roman arch. It is 69 feet high, 85 feet wide, and 24 feet deep. The arch is decorated with incredibly detailed sculptural reliefs, round reliefs, and a horizontal frieze. They depict historic scenes of Constantine's victory. An inscription at the very top of the arch used to be in bronze letters, but you can still read the remaining recessed letters. It says, "To the Emperor Caesar Flavius Constantinus, the greatest, pious, and blessed Augustus: because he, inspired by the divine, and by the greatness of his mind, has delivered the state from the tyrant and all of his followers at the same time, with his army and just force of arms, the Senate and People of Rome have dedicated this arch, decorated with triumphs." The Colosseum next to the arch was built 235 years earlier in 80 AD. Seeing it in person was incredible! It is huge! It is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built, and the largest one still standing in the world. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions. Because the colosseum is so popular and busy with tourists I woke up very early in the morning and got here in the dark before sunrise to take photos. There were two other photographers already there at the same spot, but we patiently worked around each other so we could all get the angles we wanted. This image is available in both color and black and white. I also have a vertical version of this image.

The Charm of Venice, Florida 2 BW

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. This image comes in both painterly with brush strokes and non-painterly, each in color and black and white.

Centennial Park Gazebo, Venice, Florida BW

It's golden hour in Venice, Florida, and downtown is breathtaking in the warm light. This is the gazebo in Centennial Park. In the background stands the KMI Building on Tampa Avenue (formerly the campus of the Kentucky Military Institute which wintered here earlier in the 1900's). Now it is apartments and shops. The military students used to practice marching here in the park. This gazebo is a popular place for locals to gather for music and entertainment. This photo was taken after the gazebo was renovated. Venice is in Sarasota county on the west coast of Florida, and is known for its love of the arts and wonderful beaches. Many of the buildings were built in the 1920's which give the town its charm. I created this photo as an HDR by merging three photos together that were different exposures. I also have another version of this image that is painterly where I used impressionist brush strokes and canvas texture. Both photos are available in color and black and white.

Sun Centered Under Venice Fishing Pier, FL, BW

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. I love the water movement that creates patterns. This photo is an HDR. I also have color images similar to this photo. 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.

Sunset at the Train Depot in Venice, Florida, BW

The train depot in Venice, Florida opened in 1927 and sits at the southern end of the Legacy Trail. It is also known as the Venice Seaboard Air Line Depot. It was built in a Mediterranean Revival style with simple arches, yellow stucco surfaces and red tile roofs, which was very popular in Florida because of the warm climate and Spanish heritage. A 400 foot long platform was built quite large for the small new town of Venice hoping the town would grow. In the 1960's the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus used it for shipping their equipment around the United States after moving to Venice. When Amtrak formed passenger service to the Venice station stopped. In 1998 Sarasota County purchased the depot and restoration was done. Now the structure houses the Venice Area Historical Society Musuem, and the arcaded waiting area is used for bus service. In 1989 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. I have another version of this photo that is cropped differently to fit a standard size frame. I also have a color version of this image and a painterly style version.

Kilwin's Ice Cream in Venice, Florida, Painterly, Black and White 2

This photo is a 15 shot panorama I took at sunrise in downtown Venice, Florida. I did 5 vertical HDR shots (3 exposures each photo) and merged the 15 photos to create this image. Then I edited it in a painterly style. I also have another version of this photo that is in color and another one not painterly. 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 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. On the right is Kilwin's Ice Cream store. Venice is known for its love of the arts. A lot of architecture design here is influenced by Venice, Italy. Venice, Florida is known for its wonderful main street area and is just south of Sarasota near Englewood, Nokomis, and North Port.

What a Beautiful Morning in Venice, Florida BW

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. I have both color and black and white versions of this photo.

Under The Eiffel Tower, Black and White

This photo was taken from underneath the Eiffel Tower looking up past the wide support legs towards the top of the tower and dramatic cloudy sky. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most recognizable structures in the world. It was designed and built by the company of Gustave Eiffel, and completed in 1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World's Fair. It sits on the Champ de Mars and overlooks the Seine River across from the Trocodoro. In the beginning there was much criticism for the design of the Eiffel Tower, with concern that it would overshadow the other magnificent sights in Paris, but now it is the most visited paid monument in the world with 6.91 million visitors in 2015. The Eiffel Tower is 1,063 feet tall ( 324 metres); the top level's upper platform is 906 feet (276 metres) above ground, making it the highest observation deck for the public in the European Union. During construction pieces of the tower were riveted together in a nearby factory and arrived on site on horse-drawn carts. No drilling or shaping was done on site; if it didn't fit it was sent back for alteration. A total of 18,038 pieces were joined together using 2.5 million rivets. Names of 72 French scientists, engineers, and mathematicians were engraved on the Eiffel Tower to recognize their contributions to the building of the tower. The tower was painted in 3 shades of brown: lighter at the top and getting darker towards the bottom to complement the Parisian sky.

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.

Colosseum with a Moody Sky, Rome, Italy BW

Seeing the Colosseum in Rome in person was incredible! It is huge! It is the largest ancient amphitheater ever built, and the largest one still standing in the world. It is one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions. It was built in the center of the city between 72-80 AD during Emperor Vespasian and completed during Emperor Titus. It was modified by Emperor Domitian. The three emperors who were patrons of the building are known as the Flavian dynasty, so the colosseum was named the Flavian Amphitheater. The Colosseum could hold 50,000 to 80,000 spectators and was used for gladiator contests, public spectacles, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas of Roman mythology. Earthquakes damaged the colosseum and stones were removed from it. Some of the outer wall came down and now the inner wall can be seen as the exterior. In 2013 the colosseum had its very first full cleaning and repair in its history. It took three years to complete. Because the colosseum is so popular and busy with tourists I woke up very early in the morning and got here in the dark before sunrise to take photos. There were two other photographers already there at the same spot, but we patiently worked around each other so we could all get the angles we wanted. I made this image by merging 15 vertical photos of different angles and exposures to create a large hdr panorama. The original image is 11148 x 7909 pixels and can be printed quite large. This image is available in both color and black and white.

Castel Sant' Angelo at Night, Rome, Italy BW

It was my first night near the Tiber River in Rome, and I couldn't wait to explore the area. My husband and I discovered this bridge at the Castel Sant' Angelo. It has an incredible view of the city and the Vatican. We were here at night when the city lights were on and the city just glowed, it was beautiful! The view of Rome from the Tiber River was so majestic and impressive. I flew from far away to get this photo and waited for the right moment to capture it with beautiful lighting and mood. This was one of my top photos I wanted to capture on this trip. A few mornings later I got up at 4:00 am to arrive at the bridge when it was more empty. I walked through quiet dark cobblestone alleys to get here. But I almost didn't get this photo! I arrived only to find a movie crew emptying a large trailer to film on top of the quiet bridge. The camera man tried to keep me off the bridge because they were already filming a few actors on the bridge. My heart sank, all this work to get here and the lighting was so beautiful! But when he heard it was my last photoshoot before leaving Rome, and all the effort I took to get there, he took mercy on me and allowed me to stay at the end of the bridge to quietly capture a few images before I walked down the river. I am thankful he let me stay for a few minutes because this is one of my bucket list photos I wanted to get! And I am so happy how it turned out! The Ponte Sant' Angelo is a bridge built in 134 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. It has elegant sculptures of the apostles and 10 angels holding different objects of the passion. In 1669 Pope Clement IX commissioned Bernini to make these sculptures. Pilgrims used this bridge to reach St. Peters Basilica. So the bridge was known as the bridge of St. Peter. In the sixth century there was a legend of an angel that appeared at the roof of the castle to announce the end of the plague, so the name of this bridge and the castle were changed to Sant' Angelo. This image is available in both color and black and white.

The Majestic Tiber, Rome, Italy, BW

It was my first night near the Tiber River in Rome, and I couldn't wait to explore the area. We discovered this bridge at the Castel Sant' Angelo. It has an incredible view of the city and the Vatican. We were here at night when the city lights were on and the city just glowed, it was beautiful! This view of Rome from the Tiber River was so majestic and impressive. I flew from far away to get this photo and waited for the right moment to capture it with beautiful lighting and mood. I am so happy I captured it! The Ponte Sant' Angelo is a bridge built in 134 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian. It has elegant sculptures of the apostles and 10 angels hodling different objects of the passion. In 1669 Pope Clement IX commissioned Bernini to make these sculptures. Pilgrims used this bridge to reach St. Peters Basilica. So the bridge was known as the bridge of St. Peter. In the sixth century there was a legend of an angel that appeared at the roof of the castle to announce the end of the plague, so the name of this bridge and the castle were changed to Sant' Angelo. This image is available in both color and black and white.

Sarasota Night Life, BW

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. This image is also available in color where you can see the color of all the lights. In this skyline of Sarasota you can see some iconic buildings: in the center lit 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.