Floridiana Gloriana

'Showered in Sunlight' by Ralph Orona | Miami | Used by Permission

In addition to his glittering or glowing cityscapes, Ralph Orona does beautiful in-her-face studies of Nature manifesting herself subtropically.  Or, to be more accurate, he sees God manifesting himself in nature. He writes:  "This is an orchid I found glowing this morning at Pinecrest Park in Miami."

These orchids---filled with light like a pair of translucent lamps so that you can even see their veins---do indeed have a numinous quality.  They practically give off a scent:  that scent of white petals in the sun.  To see this glorious flower in detail, click the link below. 

Showered in Sunlight  by Ralph Orona | To see other photographs in his Flickr photostream, click here | Website:  Ralph Orona Photography | To see the largest version of this photograph at Flickr, click here

Used by permission---all rights reserved to the owner.  Please do not save or use without his express written permission..

'The Florida Theater' by Craig O'Neal | Jacksonville | Creative Commons

Here is a beautiful night shot by Jacksonville photographer Craig O'Neal.

 

The Florida Theater 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 a restricted license.  Please don't save or use it without first consulting the terms of the applicable license (here).

'Subtropical Noir' by Caleb | St. Petersburg | Creative Commons

Here's another richly colored, intricately textured photograph from Caleb's 'Subtropical Noir' collection of St. Petersburg scenes.  I am fascinated by the golden shimmer of the bricks.  The mortar appears to be made of gold.  The bricks vary in color from chocolate brown to maroon to burgundy.  You can see the slate blue of the sky reflected in the windows.  Really an amazing use of Florida's late afternoon light.

'St. Pete' by Caleb | To see other photographs in his Flickr photostream, click here | website:  calebism; subtropicalnoir.com | To see the full-sized version of this photograph, click here

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it pursuant to a restricted Creative Commons license.  Please do not save or use it without first consulting the terms of the applicable license.  The license can be viewed here.

'After Hours' by Don Jones | Orlando | Used By Permission

Here's a companion piece to Don Jones' 'Downtown Fog.' This is a city made out of gold and strung with stars. This piece, like all the work I admire, perfectly illustrates the principle of 'the transfiguration of the commonplace' (a phrase I am borrowing from Muriel Sparks.)  The one thing that no amount of training or equipment can give a person is the ability to see that perfect moment.



After Hours by Don Jones | To see his other photographs, click here | To see the full-sized image at Flickr, click here |
I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it with the permission of the photographer.  Do NOT save or use it without first requesting his permission.

'Cement Library' by Vince (Kitsu) | Mount Dora | Creative Commons

"Books formed in cement at a closed bookstore in Mount Dora, Florida," the photographer explained.  I'm really grateful to the photographer for preserving this fascinating detail.  I would love a world in which commerce united with art in the external details of buildings, but I suppose it's not practicable.

 

"Cement Library" by Vince/Kitsu (website:[relax]). 

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.

'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.

'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.

Baby Alligator (Creative Commons)

And I thought my baby alligator photo was cute!

"Alli Baby" by Stefano | To see more of his photographs, click here | To see the full-sized version of this photograph at Flickr, click here

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

Two Bridge: Bridge #2--St. Augustine

The second is the old Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine (of which there are some much better photographs here).  The Bridge of Lions is currently undergoing rehabilitation.

The old house in the late afternoon (c. 1998).

IMAGE HOSTING BY FLICKR.

I'm fond of photographing old buildings in the late afternoon sun.  For example, there's this.

I took this picture in or around 1998.  I'd been wanting to get it for months, but it stands on a highway between one frequently-visited Florida town and a smaller outlying town, and that road was always busy.