Floridiana Gloriana

Bottle at Sunrise by Judy Malley | Tampa | Creative Commons

Even a discarded or a forgotten bottle can make art for a photographer who has the artist's eye.   Without the bottle to pull this together, would we notice the reflection of delicately tinted sunrise clouds in the reflected blue of the water or the weathered browns and greys of the dock?  The slight unsteadiness of the bottle's position keeps you looking, as does the flash of green in the label (subtly picked up by the post on the right. 

The one that follows is, of course, the same bottle.  I couldn't decide which I preferred so I decided to use both. 

The photographer took these photos in the course of a day of recording her life in Tampa.  She took this one and the one after it at sunrise at Davis Island. 

'Bottle' by Judy Malley | 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 photograph, but am using it in compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, consult the terms of the applicable license (linked here).

'Someone Liked Smirnoff Ice' by Judy Malley| 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 photograph, but am using it in compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, consult the terms of the applicable license (linked here).

'Pineda' by Don Jones | Brevard | Creative Commons

Photographer Don Jones, who does such amazing night shots and such evocative photos of old Florida houses, took this vintage-feeling and very painterly shot of State Road 404, the Pineda Causeway.  It's the primary access road to Patrick Air Force Base.  It made me feel very sentimental when I saw it----it's so like the postcards of Florida from the 1969's, with those pastels and all that intense green. 

'Pineda' by Don Jones |  To see his 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 photograph.  It is subject to a restricted Creative Commons license, permitting certain limited noncommercial uses.  Before using or downloading it, consult the terms of the applicable license.  You may view it here.

'Brass Door' by Sara Mooney | Lake Wales | Creative Commons

Here is the magnificent golden door to the Carillon Tower (see a photograph here) at Bok Sanctuary Gardens in Lake Wales.  There's an almost dreamlike aspect to this photograph, with the reflecting pond, the jewel like green of the ferns, the darker palm branches, the delicate rose tints and blues of the stones, and that magical golden door, very like the one that Alice went through. 

Brass Door by Sara_Mooney   |  To see her photostream at Flickr, click here | Website:  Stage Domain | To see the 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 that permits restricted use.  Please do not save or download it without first consulting the terms of the license.  A  link to the license appears here.

'Orange Beach Sandcastles' by Kevin 'Elvis' King | Pensacola | Creative Commons

The flags are a nice touch:  they look like an add-on.  There's a weird 3-dimensional effect to this photograph in consequence.  It's a surreal effect:  everything in the picture seems much more 'present' and much more detailed than it would look in the real world.  Magic realism?

'Orange Beach, Sandcastles' by Kevin 'Elvis' King |  Website | To see his other photographs, click here |  To see the full-sized version of this photograph at Flickr, click here

A February Scene--North Florida Spring | Melrose, FL

Here's a scene from the pretty little town of Melrose (Putnam County). This building was once a church; back when I took this---in dogwood and azalea season---it was a Homemaker's Club.  Isn't it pretty?

Downtown Coral Gables by Roland Pozo | Used by Permission)

Extraordinary photo---the dense, but fast-moving sky as a background for the Florida tints of sand, green, coral, and blue---which has won much acclaim among the various Flickr groups.  There's something slightly surreal about it...I think it's because the clouds have so much depth---almost a 3D look---compared to the delicate pastel tints of the buildings, which have a slightly bygone, Old Miami feel, almost like a postcard...

"Downtown" (Coral Gables, Miami northwest view) by artist/photographer Roland Pozo|Photorolandi | See other Flickr photos here. Some of his works of art can be purchased at RedBubble and Photorolandi.com.

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.  

Miami Beach Light Show: Photograph by Courtland | Creative Commons

One of those pictures you wish you could just step into....To see a larger version of this much-admired photograph, click here.   

"Miami Beach" by Courtland (click to see other photos)  (website: I Dream in Infrared)

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 can be viewed here.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge by Various Photographers | Creative Commons

It's a beautiful name, isn't it?  And the bridge lives up to it.

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, spanning Florida's Tampa Bay, is the world's longest bridge with a cable-stayedfeet (exactly 5.5 miles or approximately 8.85 km). It is part of I-275 (SR 93) and US 19 (SR 55), connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing through Hillsborough County waters....In November 2005, an act of Florida Legislature officially named the current bridge the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, after the Governor of Florida who presided over its design and most of its construction. According to sources, he was inspired to suggest the current design by a visit to France, where he saw a similar cable-stayed bridge....The Travel Channel rated the Sunshine Skyway #3 in its special on the "Top 10 Bridges" in the World. The bridge is considered the "flag bridge" of Florida.  (read more: Sunshine Skyway Bridge)

 

"Sunshine Skyway Bridge" | Photo taken at Fort DeSoto Park near St. Petersburg, Florida") by Bac Clin |  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 in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license.  The license is shown here.

"St Pete 08" (The Sunshine Skyway) by  Carl Fogg, Jr | carlfoggjr.com | To see his other photographs, click here |  To see the full-sized version of this 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 shown here.

"Sunshine Skyway" by Kahlil |  To see his 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 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 shown here.

 

"Sunshine Skyway Bridge" by Bac Clin | 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 in compliance with a Creative Commons license.  Before saving or using it, please consult the terms of the applicable license.  The license is shown 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

'Highway Sunset' by Eric Jaegar | Clearwater | Creative Commons

This is what I remember from when I first visited Clearwater Beach in 1992.  As we drove along the causeway, this is what I saw out of my car window.

Highway Sunset by Erik Jaeger | ErikJaeger.com |  To see 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 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.