All Bark & No Bite

Tropical Storm Fay limped ashore around 5am just south of Marco Island, Florida. Here in Tampa Bay, all of the warnings and watches have been dropped since we will see nothing but a few showers and perhaps a bit of a breeze.

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View A Photo Of TS Fay's Effects At Ponce Inlet Beach
(Photo Taken From Our Friend Tammy At The Marine Science Center)
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Turned out to be more hype then anything, for the forecasts had it coming to the bay area and it was going to be the end of the world. Amazing what difference a day makes.

Calm Before The Storm

It's about 36 hours before Fay comes this way, and so far, it has been very quiet. Not much going on, as Downtown Clearwater is sunny with light clouds.

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Morning: View A HDR Photo Of Downtown Clearwater   (JPG - 260KB)

Evening: View A HDR Photo Of The Dunedin Causeway   (JPG - 260KB)
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The latest forecast has it coming in around Cape Coral, however it not for certain as the path keeps shifting east and west with each update.

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9PM UPDATE:


I made my way up to Honeymoon Island, however, due to the risk of storm surge, they closed the park. I ended up taking some shots from the Dunedin Causeway while dodging some raindrops. It was also low tide, and it seemed the shorebirds didn't have a care in the world, for they went about their usual business.

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5PM UPDATE:


Still no rain, but we can see it in the distance out over the Gulf of Mexico. The cloud formations however are very wicked.

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3PM UPDATE:


The first cloud bands have made their way into Clearwater. No winds or rain, but the cloud formations are impressive looking.

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Seems from the latest advisory Tampa Bay has once again missed the bullet. Won't know for certain until tomorrow, but it looks as if all we will get is some rain. Stay tuned...

Under The Gun

Currently, Tropical Storm Fay is making its way over Cuba and is expected to make it's turn into the Gulf of Mexico and head towards Florida. I have been watching the computer models on the storms projected path, and this one no one knows quite where it is headed. It was going towards Ft. Myers, then to Tampa, up to the panhandle and now back at Tampa.

Wherever it goes, Fay will certainly become a category one hurricane, for the entire bay area and south is now under a hurricane watch. It is predicted to pass here Tuesday around 8pm, and already there are lines forming for gasoline, and for supplies at local grocery and hardware stores.

I will be blogging live starting late Monday, first from Clearwater Beach, then from Honeymoon Island with photos and video of the approaching storm. Tuesday's plan is still questionable due to where it goes. Stay tuned...

Lazy Day At The Beach

It was an easy day on Saturday, as there wasn't much going on. I got a call from an old friend, Blake, who I met on a workshop I conducted in Oregon and Montreal last year. He just moved to the Tampa area from Houston, so I invited him to explore my favorite place, Honeymoon Island.

It was great seeing Blake again, and we spent the entire afternoon just bumming around, doing lots of High Dynamic Range photos when we found something of interest. When we made our way to the beach, we found a bonus of an Oystercatcher sifting through the sand looking for an evening snack.

We had hoped for a great sunset, however some low lying clouds moved in just before it reached the horizon, however we did get some great shots of it before it disappeared. Since it was low tide, lots of interesting tidal pools made for some interesting foregrounds. All in all it was a great day hanging out at the beach, which is always a good thing.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

In The Crosshairs?

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. With a very quite hurricane season so far, Tropical Storm Fay is gathering strength in the Caribbean, and this weekend will be crucial to what happens next. Current models have it sweeping by Tampa Bay Tuesday evening (why do all these storms come in the dark?).

It's still way too early to tell where this storm is going, or if it will form into a Category 1 Hurricane by the time it reaches the bay area. Needless to say I will be ready to take photos and videos of it if Fay comes along our beaches. Stay tuned...

What's At Stake For Florida

A few months ago, I was invited by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission to participate in their new campaign, "Wildlife 2060: What's At Stake For Florida". It is a study on the impact of development in the state of Florida, and our impact on the wildlife and natural resources around us.

Florida's natural lands and waters are at the core of our state's prosperity, bringing billions of dollars in economic benefits to our state every year. Our forests, rivers and creeks, and coastal waters are invaluable to fish and wildlife, and to our own quality of life.

But recent predictions indicate that our state's human population may double to 36 million in the next 50 years. If that happens, as a study published by 1000 Friends of Florida suggests, about 7 million acres of land could be converted from rural and natural to urban uses. If we develop as we have in the past, roads, shopping malls and subdivisions will replace the rich diversity our landscape currently offers. Development also will impact our coastal waters and coral reefs.

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Read The Report "Wildlife 2060: What's At Stake For Florida"   (PDF - 3.2MB)

View The New Web Site "Wildlife 2060: What's At Stake For Florida"
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Several of my photographs were used in the development of the program, and I am especially proud to help contribute to this project. It certainly is an eye opening report, for I can attest to the amount of beauty we have here in Florida, one that cannot be replaced if we loose it. What does the future hold for Florida's fish and wildlife? That's up to all of us.

HDR Sunset Colors

On my way back home from spending the afternoon with the Black Skimmers on the beach on Sunday, I stopped at the Clearwater Memorial Causeway Bridge to capture the amazing colors of the sunset as it set behind Clearwater Beach in the distance.

Even though I have photographed this bridge several times in the past, I decided to do some High Dynamic Range (HDR) images of the bridge. HDR is quickly becoming my favorite tool of choice when shooting architecture.

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View A HDR Photo Of The Clearwater Memorial Causeway   (JPG - 132KB)
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It still amazes me just how detailed HDR images are if you know how to set them up right when capturing them. If you look closely, you can see a Night Heron as he stands motionless looking for an evening snack in the bridge base!