Floridiana Gloriana

'Flyby' by James Good | Florida Keys| Creative Commons

Entrancing---and unique--- as I find James Good's Miami cityscapes, it's really hard (in fact, impossible) not to get sidetracked by his other work.  This, for example:

'Flyby' by James Good |To see his other photos, click here | To see the full-sized version of the photograph, click here 

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it in compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license which allows limited noncommercial use.  Do not save or download it without consulting the terms of the license (shown here).

'Palm' by Lucian Badea | Used by Permission

I love all of Florida, but Northern Florida is where I'm from, so naturally I am particularly moved by photographs which portray its beauties.

Photographer Lucian Badea of Twisted Visions has created some beautiful and artistic photographs reflecting his own special vision of  North Florida.  I loved this one because of the way he managed to capture the light reflected on the palm leaves---each one has its own reflections against the violet/indigo sky. 

'Palm' by Lucian Badea |  See his work at Twisted Visions (!):  Landscape Photography, Fine Art Photography, Black and White Photography, Nature Photography, Abstract Photography, Experimental Photography, and More! | 

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it with the express written permission of its owner, Lucian Badea.  Do not save or use it unless you first obtain his permission.

Tree & Sky by Allen Whitson | De Bary, Florida | Used by Permission

This is just so beautiful....

Photograph   by Allen Whitson  | click here to see his other photos | Click here to go to Flickr to see the full-sized version

I do not own the rights to this photograph but am using it with the express permission of its owner.  Please do not save or use it without first getting permission from the owner.  Flickr users may contact the owner through his Flickr mail.

Gazebo by Allen Whitson | St. Johns River, De Bary, Florida | Used by Permission

Here is a beautiful gazebo on the St. Johns River in the town of DeBary or Debary or De Barry (it seems to be spelled all different ways).  It is a small town in Volusia County, Florida, along the Atlantic Coast (see the website; read some fascinating history).

 

Gazebo  by Allen Whitson  | click here to see his other photos | Click here to go to Flickr to see the full-sized version

I do not own the rights to this photograph but am using it with the express permission of its owner.  Please do not save or use it without first getting permission from the owner.  Flickr users may contact the owner through his Flickr mail.

The St. Johns River by Allen Whitson | De Bary, Florida | Used by Permission

I have posted photographs from along the St. Johns River (Wikipedia says that this is the correct spelling, which I did not know).  The river runs south to north and goes right through the center of Jacksonville.  I've posted some I made near the little town of Palatka and some wonderful "beauty shots" of the Jacksonville waterfront by other photographers. 

These shots were taken in the town of DeBary or Debary or De Barry (it seems to be spelled all different ways).  It is a small town in Volusia County, Florida, along the Atlantic Coast (see the website; read some fascinating history).

This panoramic photograph perfectly captures the crystalline blue-green color of the sky in these parts on some days.  You really ought to see the full-sized view.  Just click on the link below. 

 

St. Johns River Panorama by Allen Whitson  | click here to see his other photos | Click here to go to Flickr to see the full-sized version

I do not own the rights to this photograph but am using it with the express permission of its owner.  Please do not save or use it without first getting permission from the owner.  Flickr users may contact the owner through his Flickr mail.

A Florida Bench by Miz Shoes | Used by Permission

 "This little bench sits below a rainbow eucalyptus and the bark of the tree contains all the same colors as the tiles on the bench," the photographer says.
 

"Miami Fairchild Bench" by Miz Shoes | (click here to see her other photos) | website: Girly Shoes.

I do not own the rights to this photograph, but am using it by permission of the photographer (to whom all rights are reserved).  Please write for permission before saving it or using it. 

Fanning Springs State Park (Creative Commons)

This is an incredibly beautiful photograph of a place I used to frequent quite a long time ago now.  I'm pleased to see that it has only improved.  That water is as exhilarating to swim in as it looks.  It's a very different experience, I can tell you, from swimming in a pool.  In the hot season, this is where you want to be.   The photographer has a marvelous blog called " Florida Springs" (A blog dedicated to the 700+ springs located throughout Florida and those rivers that are spring-fed.)  Florida's springs are the true "hidden Florida."

"Fanning springs State Park, Levy County, Florida" by Systems Librarian | click here to see other photos by Systems Librarian | click here to see the full-sized version of this photo at Flickr

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).

Cedar Island at Twilight | Taylor County

I stumbled across this quiet town 10 years ago when I used to do a lot of travelling around western Florida for recreation and photographs.  It's a beautiful place in Taylor County.  Most of the cars, I noticed, had Georgia license tags.  None of the Floridians I know seem to know anything about it and I've never been back.

The Lake in the Summertime | Lake Lochloosa

Here's an example of what I mean about the way the world changes not only with the season but with the perception of the viewer: this is Lochloosa in the summertime a year or so later. It's every bit as beautiful, but the delicate silvery look is missing; the colors are stronger and warmer.

I always wanted to recapture the surprise of that first visit; it seemed as if I---or we---had discovered a place that nobody knew about or talked about. It seemed almost sacred.

The second time, it felt familiar. The sense of excitement was missing. I could see that Don felt the same way, and was disappointed. It wasn't that the lake was less beautiful; it was just not the same lake.

The gazebo in Winter | Lake Lochloosa

  This is another photograph taken on the same day a the previous one, or at least I'm pretty sure it was the same day. It's extraordinary how much the look and feel of the two differ. For both of them we were using a not-good/not-terrible camera that really did all of the work and made all the decisions for us.Nevertheless, through serendipity I guess, we did get a few shots that really captured the feel of that afternoon. This is one of Don's that he felt really nailed it. I love it because it has the look and feel of a Japanese print. The gazebo looks very fragile and delicate here, which is certainly not the case in the previous one.Photography has made me aware of how much the world out there changes from day to day and moment to moment. Heraclitus was right: You can never step into the same stream twice. Regardless of how much you might try to recapture an experience, it's never going to be the same again.