Floridiana Gloriana

'Palm & Shadows' by Zen Sutherland | DeLand | Creative Commons

Here is a piece of art created by a North Carolina photographer who visited DeLand on vacation.  It's one of those photographs that just makes me gaze and gaze. As I've often said, I'm all about the strange lighting effects.   

 'Palms and shadows' by  Zen Sutherland |  Website:  Zenscription  | To see his Flickr photostream, click here | To see the largest version of this photograph available on Flickr, click here

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

'Navarre Beach' by Heather Rasley | Creative Commons

As I said, I don't know western Florida well and I don't know Navarre at all....but I am entranced by the slightly rosy cast of the sand under that sky and in that light; and by the translucent blue tint of the sky.   

'Navarre Beach' by Heather Rasley | To see her other photographs, click here | Websites: Heather is Watching; The H. Line | to see the largest 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.  Do not save or use it without consulting the terms of the license (link shown here) 

'Navarre Beach Bridge' by Jason Humphries | Navarre | Creative Commons

One of the best things about this project is seeing places in Florida I've only heard of, but never visited.  The Panhandle, glorious though it is, is a long way from where I live.  People in the peninsula often seem to know little of the beauties of western Florida.  Looking at this photograph made me long to be in a car driving across this bridge.  Navarre Beach, which I've never even heard of till today, is in Santa Rosa County way out west, on the border of Alabama.  All I can say is: wow.  And well done, Jason Humphries, to have captured it!

'Navarre beach bridge' by Jason Humphries  |  To see his other Flickr photos, click here | 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 restricted Creative Commons license.  Do not save or use it without consulting the terms of the license (shown here) 

'Americana' by Greg Turner | Micanopy | Creative Commons

Here's a wonderful shot by Greg Turner of the American Cafe in the beautiful little North Florida town of Micanopy (accent on the third syllable).  Micanopy is Florida's oldest inland settlement and---as the link will tell you---an excellent place to see alligators as well as to shop for antiques.   I particularly love the touches of color added by the umbrellas, the stained glass, and the flag....

'Americana' by Greg Turner |To see his other photographs, click here |  To see the full-sized photograph at Flickr, 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.

"Downtown Lakeland" by Josh Hallett | Lakeland | Creative Commons

Since I love photographs of buildings against that indigo-tinted Florida sky, I was immediately drawn to this photograph by photographer Josh Hallett of a golden-colored building in downtown Lakeland.  From this angle, it is striking, monumental, like one of the pyramids.   

'Downtown Lakeland' by Josh Hallett |   To see other photographs in his Flickr photostream, click here |  Website:  Hyku | 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 compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license.  Please do not download or use it without first consulting the terms of the applicable license. The link to the license is here. 

'Winter Haven Sunset Celebration' by Josh Hallett | Winter Haven | Creative Commons

Another magnificent shot by Josh Hallett of the sun setting over Winter Haven, the 'Chain of Lakes' City.   The darkness of the reeds and the shadowy foreground gives this image a wild vibrant quality. 

'Winter Haven Sunset Celebration' by  Josh Hallett |   To see other photographs in his Flickr photostream, click here |  Website:  Hyku | 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 compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license.  Please do not download or use it without first consulting the terms of the applicable license. The link to the license is here.

'Winter Haven Sunset Celebration' by Josh Hallett | Winter Haven | Creative Commons

A sunset enormous lake in the little Central Florida town of Winter Haven in Polk County Florida, home of Cypress Gardens.  Having once been engaged to a man who was living there---and who lived right on the lake--- I spent quite a bit of time there back in the early Nineties.  Josh Hallett, who wonderfully captures the towns of Central Florida, took this radiant sunset scene, complete with all those Florida peach and apricot tints. 

Winter Haven Sunset Celebration by  Josh Hallett |   To see other photographs in his Flickr photostream, click here |  Website:  Hyku | 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 compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license.  Please do not download or use it without first consulting the terms of the applicable license. The link to the license is here.

'Bok Tower' by Josh Hallett | Lake Wales | Creative Commons

Here is another marvelous photograph of the Bok Sanctuary Carillon Tower----before we had its golden door; now we have the summit reflecting the color of the sun at sunset.  Photographer Josh Hallett (Hyku)  has produced some wonderful photographs of Central Florida and has kindly authorized me to feature some of them----this is the first I've published, with more to come.

'Bok Tower, Lake Wales, FL' by Josh Hallett | To see other photographs in his Flickr photostream, click here |  Website:  Hyku | 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 compliance with a restricted Creative Commons license.  Please do not download or use it without first consulting the terms of the applicable license.  The link to the license is 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.

'Florida Scrub Jay = Yoda' by Daniel Godwin | Lake Wales | Creative Commons

This photograph was sent to the photographer by his brother and posted at Flickr under a CC license (yay!)  The photographer's brother explained why this little nestling is be-robed for the photo:

I banded the first brood of Florida Scrub-Jay nestlings at Lake Wales Ridge State Forest (southeastern Polk County) this past Wednesday. One of the nestlings didn't want to come out of the weighing bag (aka a trimmed panty hose), so I had to "peel" the bag away from it. Suddenly the jay looked very much like a well-known, very wise ("Wars not make one great"), and much loved old ... bird (?) [links added fyi by me]

Don't his little claws look like little taloned hands?  This photo has won a certain amount of well-deserved acclaim on Flickr....  This species is under threat due to habitat loss, by the way.   Let's hope we don't lose yet another species of animal people.  I would hate to lose little Yoda.  No wonder he looks a bit annoyed.  Or maybe he just had to deal with an unpromising trainee.

"You worthless at learning Jedi techniques are!  I fed up to the beak with you am!" 
Heh. 

'Florida Scrub Jay = Yoda' by Daniel Godwin | To see his Flickr photostream, click here | 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 restricted Creative Commons license.  Please do not save or download it without first consulting the terms of the applicable license.  A link to the license is shown here.