Pensacola Light At Dusk

 October 2011.  Gulfapalooza continues.  We got to the Naval Air Station at Pensacola, Florida with about an hour left before closing time at the lighthouse grounds.  The light was perfect.  Above, the tower from the west side.

 Cupola!  Tall lighthouses can be tricky. Get too far away - your view will be obstructed, while staying too close will result in a severe upward angle.  Pensacola Lighthouse is very tall.

 

 Clear shot of the cupola, with a bit of the massive Fresnel lens visible.  So.  Tall.

 The beach is awesome, here.  You can't just shoot the lighthouse and leave without going down to the water.

 The tower in the waning light, shot from the beach.

 Tiny bird footprints in rippled sand.

 One last look at the tower.

Gulls!

Thanks for stopping by!

Weirdness and Miscellany

While I go about the ugly business of attempting to decide where to go next, subject-wise, please enjoy this little collection of photographic whimsy. I'm nothing if not . . . random. Above: Jolt Cola Cans - Rockville, MD - 1987. Jolt was among my very best friends, that year.

Jack-O-Lanterns - Rockville, MD - 1991. Guess which one is mine.

Sand, Water, Light - near Indian River Inlet, DE - 1992

Nor'easter Damage - Rehoboth Beach, DE - 1992

My first nephew rearranging my tape collection in 1991. He's putting a Simple Minds tape under "Q." He's gotten much better at his alphabet, since then.

Statue at St. Mary's - White Chapel, VA - 1999

Is that a castle, you ask? In Berkeley Springs, WV? In 1996? Yes. Yes, it is!

Dancers at the resort hotel in the middle of nowhere - Dominica - 1993. I had slow film, no tripod or flash, low light and fast action, but I fired away, just for fun. This is about a quarter-second exposure, and it ends up saying what it needs to say just fine, IMHO. Note the "Cheers" dart board in the background. Can't get TOO far from home, can we?

Rear View - Gaithersburg, MD - 1992. Neat!

Airman Autographing Kid's Shirt at the Desert Storm Victory Celebration in Washington, DC in 1991. 'Nuff said.

MORE TO COME! Seeya!

Life's A Beach: Rehoboth Beach, That Is!

Before we start on the trains, I thought we'd hit one more beach. For about the first 30 years of my life, I spent annual vacations in Rehoboth Beach, DE. I spent more time playing than shooting photos, but over the years I managed to come home with a few agreeable shots. I could drone on and on about my affection for this little seaside town, but I'd better just let the pictures do the talking. Above, we have the Distinctive Family Umbrella, at dusk, in 1987.

This late-afternoon shot of the Oak Avenue dune crossing was taken in 1997.

The WWII military observation towers above, which are still standing, are seen here being battered by the high surf churned up by 1999's Floyd, several hundred miles offshore and at this point a weakening tropical storm.

Kites. What can I say? Pretty! September, 2001.

Our beloved Funland's old facade, as seen in 1985.

By 2001, Funland was a mixture of the old rides and games we'd known as children, and the big bad modern attractions required to keep the park in business. This long exposure actually captures some of each.

One ride will never be replaced - the carousel. This may not technically be the park's original, but it is still the centerpiece of the indoor portion of Funland. I chose to go time-lapse on this one to give the ride a bit more drama.

Another time-lapse exposure, also from 2001, shows Rehoboth's Boardwalk, looking north toward the famous Dolle's sign.

Coming Soon: I begin to learn the art of photographing trains...