Birding Paradise

Ever since we arrived in Tampa, we can't help but notice the abundant wildlife all around, especially the birds. Tampa and Florida in general is a birders paradise, and even if one is just casually interested in birds, this is the place to be. There are over 800 species of birds in North America, and more then 480 of them can be found in the state of Florida.

Florida is considered a warm weather state, and even sub-tropical in the southern portion, and this makes a haven for thousands of birds, both permanent residents, and the large amount of migratory birds that pass through from South America and the Caribbean regions. Many other species make Florida their winter home, giving the name "snowbird" it's famous phrase.

Since we arrived, we have been not only fascinated by the large amounts of birds, but we also have been trying to photograph and record them for study. While I doubt we will ever see all 480 types of species, it is rewarding to see these beautiful creatures in their native habitat.

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Manatees In The Wild

Today was beautiful. Low humidity, temperatures in low 80's, it was perfect. Not being one to miss such a day like today, I headed down to the Manatee Viewing Center at the Tampa Electric Plant in Apollo Beach, Florida. Since we are in winter season (if you can call 70-80 degrees winter), Manatees make their way into the bay and gather where the electric plant releases clean exhaust water that is much warmer then the surrounding waters. They gather in the hundreds, and the electric plant set up a viewing center to observe these gentle creatures.

It was awesome to see them so close in the wild, some very large, and I even saw several small young Manatees, just floating around within several feet of the observation deck and piers. I gave up very early to make any photos of "National Geographic" style, since it was midday light, which is extreme in Florida. I reserved myself to just document the moment, and enjoy the time just being outside in nature learning more about these amazing animals.

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Off Topic: I Pinch

It's been a while since I've seen a good commercial on TV, but the latest one from Honda titled "I Pinch" is the funniest I've seen in a long time. I think the voice of the crab is hilarious.

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I Pinch Commercial   (QuickTime Format - :30 - 1MB)

End Of An Era

Today was the end of an era. Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins announced his retirement from NHL Hockey. It was especially sad for us, for he was one of our all-time favorite hockey players, and was without a doubt, one of the greatest legends in our time.

Back in 1991, my first exposure to hockey was an "offsite" game played between the Edmonton Oilers and the Pittsburgh Penguins at the old Richfield Coliseum outside of Cleveland, Ohio. I had barely heard of hockey at the time, much less even seen a game, live or on television. But there he was, in his prime, along with Jaromir Jagr, and they were on their way to win back-to-back Stanley Cups. I will never forget that game, and even to this day have the ticket stubs and hockey puck I bought at the game, even though I had no clue how the game was played, but it was exciting to watch.

Fast-forward to several years ago while we still lived in Cleveland. We don't (and most likely never will) have a hockey team in Cleveland, so we would go to numerous games in Pittsburgh to watch the Penguins play. One year I called the front office about getting some good seats, and they offered me seats directly behind the bench, more importantly, behind Mario Lemieux. We sat just inches behind the Penguins bench, and got to see and photograph Mario in some of the most unbelievable shots one could get. Not to mention have the opportunity to witness him play so close and personal, it was an experience we will never forget.

We went to numerous other games, and each time sat directly behind the bench in the "Igloo Seats", and saw some of the best hockey we have ever witnessed. We will miss watching his magic and finesse on the ice.

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The Perfect Picture

Several weeks ago, I received an email from Bryan Peterson, a world-renowned photographer, author and teacher for the past thirty years about a new project he is starting up. Bryan is well know for two best-selling books on photography, "Learning To See Creatively" and "Understanding Exposure", and his latest book, "Understanding Digital Photography". I have had the pleasure to meet and work with Bryan at two of his workshops here in Tampa and Miami, and have taken his courses on photography the past few years.

Fast forward to today. That dream is now a reality with a new online school of photography launching, The Perfect Picture School of Photography. Bryan has assembled some of the most creative and talented shooters in the industry today. The courses include "Understanding Exposure", "The Joy of Digital Photography", "Wildlife Photography", "What Lens Should I Use?", "Photographing People", "Photography That Sells", "Essential Photoshop and Camera Raw Workflow", "Photoshop Basic", "Creative Use of Photoshop", "Make Movies Like a Pro" and "Composition and the Elements of Design".

So why am I excited? Well, in that email I received several weeks ago, I was invited to assist in the course at the new school, "Composition and the Elements of Design". I am truly honored to be assisting at the Perfect Picture School of Photography, and here is a brief part of what the course will cover:

"Based in part on Bryan's world-wide best selling book, Learning To See Creatively, this course utilizes a number of eye-catching and thought provoking images that will take you on a remarkable and revealing journey into the psychology of 'seeing'. Of course most of us can see in the conventional sense, but most of us don't 'see' in the creative sense because, quite simply, we are blind to it. This course will open your eyes to the vast and inspiring world of the elements of design and their emotional messages: LINE, TEXTURE, COLOR and PATTERN. These very elements are at the root of artistic vision and having your eyes opened to them will unleash a level of visual perception of the world around you in ways you had never before imagined."

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To learn more about the course, check out:
Composition and the Elements of Design

To see the complete courses being offered, you can visit:
The Perfect Picture School of Photography
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Classes start March 31, 2006, and hopefully I will see you there!

Day Four: Art Deco

It was cold. The morning brought some colder temperatures, and a wind blowing off the Atlantic Ocean that felt like it was in the low 50's, so we decided to only spend about an hour down on Ocean Drive to take a few photos of the Art Deco architecture of the hotels and the infamous life guard towers on Miami Beach.

One of the cooler things in front of the hotels are some classic cars to add to the drama, to recreate what it was like back in the 1950's when Miami beach and Ocean Drive was at it's peak. We walked around for a while, then headed back to the hotel to pack up the gear to head back home to Tampa. It was an exciting past few days, filled with some outstanding photo opportunities, making the road trip to Miami Beach a huge success.

We took off towards Tampa Bay later in the day, and along the way, stopped at several Orange Groves and stocked up on Oranges, Grapefruits and Strawberries along the way, for they are in peak season, and there is nothing like fresh fruit right from the groves, picked just hours ago. We made it in Tampa Bay just as the sun was setting in the west, and was the perfect ending to an outstanding road trip.

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Day Three: Ocean Drive

Getting to bed last night early was a good thing. I got some well needed rest, and was ready to roll at 5:30am on the dot. We headed down to Ocean Drive to do some more exploring and really get into the Art Deco that made Miami famous. The early morning light was not very co-operative, as a low lying cloud formation was on the horizon, so we spent the early morning hours doing detail work and enjoying the fresh morning air.

While I was photographing the Breakwater Hotel, I was approached by an elderly woman curious as to what we were doing so early in the morning. I stopped for a while to talk to her, and explained we were out enjoying the beautiful views up and down Ocean Drive, and taking the opportunity to photograph some of the more famous landmarks in Miami Beach. A little later, we stopped for some breakfast, and the lady I met earlier was there with her two friends also enjoying the beautiful morning. I walked over and we struck up a wonderful conversation with Edie, Lois and Marianne, and we got to know one another. We had a great conversation, from where we were all from and I learned that Lois was a former runway model for Bill Blass and Sergio Valente in the 1950's in Italy. Wow. My first encounter with a model, and in Miami Beach. I asked permission from the three ladies to take their photographs, and we had a great time talking.

After breakfast, we walked around for a bit more, then headed back to the hotel to head back into the heart of Miami and search out some architecture. We made our way down to Miami, and did some walking around downtown, grabbing some shots of some of the more interesting sights we ran across. After awhile, we then jumped back into the car to head out to Key Biscayne to take in the beautiful sunset in Miami. While were going over the bridge to Key Biscayne, we spotted several Dolphins out in the bay, and made it to the beach just inside Key Biscayne to set-up for the show.

While were where there and watching the Dolphins playing just off-shore, I spotted a small dog playing out in the water, a British Bull Terrier. His owner, Miami Fire Fighter Robert, was yelling at him to come back in, but the Terrier wasn't having that, for he was going crazy playing, jumping and swimming in the water. It was amazing to watch him have the time of his life, just like a puppy exploring a grassy field for the first time.

We talked for a while, and Robert and his best friend took a split second to pose for some quick shots, and then it was back into the water for him. By then, the sun was setting just right into the horizon for some amazing shots, and was the perfect ending for another great day in Miami. Only one more day to go...

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Day Two: The Everglades

I was wiped. For the past several days, I had a terrible cold, and was just getting over it, and now I was feeling it. I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed, gathered up my gear at 6:30am, and tried my best to get myself together. Today was a day I have been waiting for for quite awhile, a day trip to the Florida Everglades. I have been through the Everglades through Alligator Alley, and we stopped briefly while on our way to the Florida Keys, but today we were going to spend an entire day there.

We made our way down to Royal Palm, just south of Homestead and Florida City via US1, and once outside of Florida City, it was nothing but farm land, with rows as far as the eye could see of vegetables of all kinds, making stripes and lines across the horizon. The closer we got, the more the excitement was building, and then we pulled off the road right into the heart of one of the largest national park systems on the eastern United States.

Driving through the acres of saw grass, Alligators were just laying along the side of the road, everywhere. We pulled off, and saw some of the largest Alligators we have ever seen, and got within feet of these prehistoric creatures. They paid us no mind as we snapped off several shots, almost looking as if they were fake and put there for the tourists, but they were real no doubt.

We made our way into Royal Palm, and took the one-mile hike around the area, through the water and saw grass on a boardwalk over the Everglades, and there were Alligators everywhere. Hundreds of them, as well as Coromants, Anhingas, Vultures, White Herons, Blue Herons, Wood Storks, Turtles, Florida Gars, and more Alligators. The weather was not very cooperative for photographs, from the dark skies, to light drizzle, then to bright skies in the matter of minutes. Being there in the middle of the day made for some difficult conditions to shoot in, but this was more about the breathtaking panoramic views, solitude and the peace and quiet that I haven't experienced in a long time. I could spend a week there, just not in the summer.

We left the Everglades in the afternoon to head back to Miami Beach, and after getting freshened up, we made our way down to Ocean Drive to the Clevelander for dinner, and to take in the sights and sounds of the Art Deco parade that was going on, and then up and down Ocean Drive to check out the neon lighting up the hotels, making for some interesting sights. We had to cut the evening short, for a huge thunderstorm rolled into Miami, so we headed back to the hotel to relax and try to get some sleep, for we get to do it all over again in the morning...

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Day One: Miami & Bayside

Wednesday night was nice. Sitting pool-side, trying to rest up for the next three and a half days ahead of shooting in Miami, Ocean Drive, Bayside and the Everglades. No doubt it will be exciting, but I was hoping the tread on my shoes holds up.

Promptly at 5:30am Thursday morning, it's time to get rolling. We headed out of the hotel to Ocean Drive, down to Miami Beach to get some early morning light, and simply explore the sights for unusual angles and perspectives of one of the most famous beaches in the world. There is nothing like early light, with its warm glow and promise of another day, it just feels good to experience it, much less photograph it.

After a few hours of walking up and down Miami Beach and Ocean Drive, we headed into downtown Miami to Bayside for further action. We walked upon an outdoor concert, Miami style. I'm not much into the Spanish-Carribean genre of music, but when you hear it live, it is awesome. We stayed for several sets, and went back out into Bayside, then decided to make our way to the coastline to get some beautiful panoramas of the Miami skyline as the sun slowly set behind the city.

We got back to the hotel in Miami Beach around 7:30pm, and was a long fourteen-hour day, but exciting to say the least. And just think, we get to do it all over again tomorrow...

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Choice Selects

While I am still going through the Miami photos, I decided to update my portfolio with a few choice select updates of some of the more interesting photos I took recently in Miami and around Tampa Bay at photography.robertlafollette.com. Hope you enjoy!

Miami Beach & The Everglades

Just got back from a five day crash course in Miami Beach and The Florida Everglades, and as usual, I took a lot, and I do mean a lot of photographs, so over the next several days I will add some of the more interesting and unusual shots I snapped while down there.

Everything from the Art Deco, the infamous Miami Beach, Downtown Miami, Bayside, Key Biscayne to deep into the heart of the Everglades National Park, it made for a wide contrast of subjects and an interesting time to say the least.

What The?

The past few weeks have been perfect. Temperatures in the mid to high 70's, even hitting 80 degrees on New Years Day. Now, with the coldest air coming out of the midwest this winter season, temperatures will fall into the 20's over the next few nights along with freeze warnings, and highs barely into the mid 50's. Yikes. Someone forgot to put that in the brochure.

Off Topic: À Tout de Suite

There is nothing on television. One hundred channels to choose from, and nothing that is remotely interesting, entertaining or educational. So as usual, we were flipping through the hundred channels, trying to find something to watch on New Year's Evening, just hours before we ushered in 2006, when we came upon a strange looking movie on the Sundance Channel, that was a French Foreign Film and was shot in black and white.

Locked on the channel, we started to watch the film À Tout de Suite (loosely translated in English to "Right Now") for some odd reason. Although the film was in French, it has English subtitles, and I gotta admit, it was a deep movie full of intrigue and romance.

It's the story of sexy, free-spirited Lili, a Parisian art student who falls for a charismatic bank robber and joins him on the run, a dizzying cross-continent escape through Spain, Morocco and Greece, when a sudden betrayal leaves her stranded in the middle of nowhere. Simply an unusual movie, and well worth watching.

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À Tout de Suite Movie Trailer   (QuickTime Format - 1:33 - 8MB)