Floridiana Gloriana

'Train Station' by Don Jones | Melbourne | Creative Commons

This is a photograph of the train station in Melbourne, Florida ("The Harbor City") (also see this). I love the contrast between the terracotta-tinted stucco and the lighter apricot shade, and the tint of the flagstones.  The bright red stop sign in the background is a nice counterpoint to the green....

"Train Station" by Don Jones |  To see his other Flickr photos, click here | To see the full-sized image, click here

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license. The license is here.

'South Beach Skyline ---Looking Up at Dusk' by Miz Shoes | Used by Permission

As will eventually become clear, I have a thing for white buildings against a particular indigo blue color of sky.  This is particularly beautiful, more like a painting than a photograph.  Every frond of each palm branch stands out sharply.  The sun striking the side of the building illuminates it; the rest is in bluish shadow.  The sky is that soft, even tint that gradually intensifies to an eerie crystalline color before fading to violet. 

A perfect moment:

 

Photograph by Miz Shoes | click here to see her other photos | website: Girly Shoes.  | Click here to go to Flickr for the larger version

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it with the permission of the owner.  Please do not save or use it without first getting her permission. 

More Fabulous Jax: Photograph by Tim Vo | Used by Permission

You know I love the bright lights along Jacksonville Landing....You see a million photographs of Miami, but what about this night-time waterfront scene on the beautiful St. John's River?

 

"Jacksonville, Florida" by Tim Vo | To see his other photos, click here | website:  Patterns of Nature | To see the full-sized version of this photo, click here

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license.  The license is here.

Mount Dora, Florida by Gerry (Twoblueday)

Here are the details you'd see walking round downtown in the charming Central Florida town of Mount Dora.  I love this photographer's eye for color---if you check out his photo page, you'll see some of the brilliantly colored and artistically satisfying photographs  you will find anywhere.

 

"Window with Shutters" by Gerry/Twoblueday   (website:  www.twoblueday.wordpress.com
I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license. The license is here.

 

"Cottage in Mount Dora" by Gerry/Twoblueday   (website:  www.twoblueday.wordpress.com)

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license. The license is here
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 The photographer says:  "This gate had these peculiar keyhole decorations. Only a happy accident, I suppose that the two little stripes seen through the left one were also green."

"Green Gates" by Gerry/Twoblueday (website:  www.twoblueday.wordpress.com) 

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license. The license is here.

Mount Dora, Florida | photographs by Joel Mann | Creative Commons

Mount Dora is a Central Florida town which I visited years ago.  It's as charming as it appears in these photographs. "At an elevation of 184 feet above sea level, Mount Dora is Florida’s equivalent of a mountain top town," a city website says.      

 

"Donnelly House, Mount Dora" by Joel Mann.  You can read about this historic house here.

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license.  The license is here.

"Donnelly House, Mount Dora" by  Joel Mann.

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license.  The license is here.

The photographer comments:  ". A 14-foot alley offers separate entrances from the main street (to the left of the photo): the surprising grade of the main street means these buildings' primary entrances are a floor above these in the photo." 

Photograph by Joel Mann.   

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license. The license is here

'Bright Yellow, Downtown Melbourne' by Lin | Melbourne | Creative Commons

Is this not gorgeous?  I love the glossy effect of the paint, the cobalt blue of the 'bus stop' sign, and the shadow of the sign on the wall.

"Bright Yellow:  Downtown Melbourne" by Lin/Karma Blue (website: Karmablue.org).

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license. The license is here.

'Sun Setting over Clearwater Beach' by Kathy

Photograph ("Sun Setting Over Clearwater Beach") by Kathy | To see all her photographs, click here |  To see a full-sized version of this photograph, click here |

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using the photograph, please consult the terms of the license.  The license is shown here.

Tampa: Studies in Silver, Blue, & Platinum by Various Photographers | Creative Commons

As most of my photo essays show, I am all about the hidden Florida.  But that doesn't mean that I don't think the cities have their own beauty, if you can just step back far enough to see it.

Here's the silver and blue Bay city of Tampa---marvelous shots; it makes me think of the paintings I saw as a child of "The Celestial City ."  It looks as if angels should be flying around those towers.  These photographs are sterling examples of the principle of the power of photographer to transfigure the commonplace. Is Tampa just a city like any city?  If so, these photographs absolutely fail to convey it.  Seen through these lenses, it appears an extraordinary place, a shining city on a bay.

 

Tampa Skyline 4  by  Kyle Schaper | KyleSchaper.com |  To see more of Kyle Schaper's photographs, click here | 

I do not own the rights to this Creative Commons photograph, but am using it in compliance with the applicable license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the license.  The license is shown here.

"Les grattes-ciels du centre ville de Tampa reflétent le ciel bleu azur de la Floride," remarks the photographer.  (For a translation, click on the link) |  To see more of his photographs, click here | To see the full-sized version of the photograph, click here. 

Tampa Sky Reflection by Laurentlecoutre (website:  Urbanisme et Tourisme).

I do not own the rights to this Creative Commons photograph, but am using it in compliance with the applicable license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the license.  The license is shown here.

 "L'architecture des grands immeubles ressemble à tout ce que l'on voit ailleurs dans les grand ville. C'est une mondialisation de l'architecture, chaque ville doit rentrer dans une "norme" architecturale afin d'être reconnue au niveau mondial, au détriment de l'innovation et de la diversité culturelle," he notes.  True, in a way, but also---as these photographs show---not true in another way.  Each city is more than the sum of its parts.  

"Architectural Homogeneity" by Laurentlecoutre (website:  Urbanisme et Tourisme) To see more of his photographs, click here | To see the full-sized version of the photograph, click here.

I do not own the rights to this Creative Commons photograph, but am using it in compliance with the applicable license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the license.  The license is shown here.

"Domed Church Downtown Tampa" by Saffana | blog | To see her other photographs, click here | To see the full-sized version of this photograph at Flickr, click here | 

I do not own the rights to this Creative Commons photograph, but am using it in compliance with the applicable license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the license.  The license is shown here.

 

"Clock Tower Downtown Tampa"by Saffana  |  blog | To see her other photographs, click here |  To see the full-sized version of this photograph, click here

I do not own the rights to this Creative Commons photograph, but am using it in compliance with the applicable license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the license.  The license is shown here.

 

"Rivergate Tower in Downtown Tampa" by  Jen |  To see her other photographs, click here |  To see the full-sized version of this image, click here

I do not own the rights to this Creative Commons photograph, but am using it in compliance with the applicable license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the license.  The license is shown here.

"Minaret through architectural detail at University of Tampa II" by by  Jen |  To see her other photographs, click here |  To see the full-sized version of this image, click here 

I do not own the rights to this Creative Commons photograph, but am using it in compliance with the applicable license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the license. The license is shown here.

Cedar Key: Some Scenes from the Past (c.1997)

These were all scanned from photographs of Cedar Key, circa 1997.  My late husband made most of them and I scanned the photographs into my computer.  Although some of the buildings have had face lifts or been painted, the town still looks very much the same now.  Furthermore, I think these photos, despite their imperfections, managed to capture the light and color of the town (which remain unchanged, despite surface tweakings).

This little building is still there, but last time I saw it it wasn't an ice cream stand anymore.  I was sad that it had been repainted.

This restaurant is still there and is still a great place to have a meal while sitting right over the Gulf.

And, of course, the Captain's Table---where you can watch the sunset sink into the Gulf---is still there.  It's one of my favorite places on earth.  The last couple of times I was there the pier was closed, but maybe that's changed by now....

A scene from Cedar Key's Main Street.  Despite the (very cool) old cars, it was actually only 10 years ago!

Jacksonville Skyline, Jacksonville Lights (Creative Commons)

This is a gorgeous feast for the eyes and brain.   Jacksonville is usually not considered by friends of mine who live there as the world's most exciting city, but this photograph suggests possibilities they might not have considered...

 

Jacksonville Lights Up by Craig O'Neal | Craig O'Neal does photography for Jacksonville.com.  To see more fabulous photographs, click here or take a look at his albums at Jacksonville.com! |  To see the full-sized version of this photograph, click here |

I do not own the rights to this Creative Commons photograph, but am using it in compliance with the terms of the license.  Please don't save or use it without first consulting the terms of the applicable license (here).