Scorpyorising

Bok Garden Tower

2012-02-10T15:19:00.002-05:00

Views of the Bok Gardens Tower as we approached the park.

Bok Garden Textures

2012-02-10T15:18:00.000-05:00

A little lizard enjoying the cool running water.

Path of pebbles.

The sunlight shining behind this staghorn fern made it look like glowing alien skin.

Bok Garden Reflections 1

2012-02-10T15:14:00.004-05:00

Bok Garden Reflections 2

2012-02-10T15:12:00.001-05:00

Playing with my own reflection. Twisted.

Ripples.

Posing! Thanks Leah for taking these pictures.

Bok Garden Tiny Creatures

2012-02-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

A teeny, tiny baby snail on a palmetto frond.

Snapped a quick picture of a cabbage white butterfly as it rested on a leaf.

Beautiful orchard spider on her shiny web.

Bok Garden Scenes and Fuzzy Creatures

2012-02-10T15:06:00.002-05:00

Window by the pond.

I scared this little bunny as I tried to squeeze into this bamboo thicket.

Playful and friendly squirrel.

A dreamy scene.

Bok Garden Camellias

2012-02-10T15:02:00.000-05:00

A pink camellia coming out of the darkness.

A mess of stamens just waiting to be harvested.

And here are the harvesters...

Busy bees tending the stamens and collecting pollen.

An incoming bee buzzes around with its legs covered in pollen.

Bok Garden Koy

2012-02-10T14:51:00.000-05:00

Beautiful golden koy just below the surface reminds me of Gustav Klimt's Goldfish.

Another koy approaches us.

Three koy fighting for a pellet of fish food.

Feed me!

Bok Garden Flying Dragon

2012-02-10T14:43:00.000-05:00

Tiny green leaf hopper perched on a bitter orange flying dragon bush at Bok Gardens.

A side view of the pretty green critter.

Detail of the flying dragon bush reminded me of a sea dragon seahorse.

Tangled!

Ouch!

Church Street Station Train 1

2011-12-27T21:19:00.004-05:00

The 100-year-old Church Street Station Train in downtown Orlando has been out of commission since 1976. Soon it will be shipped elsewhere, perhaps the Florida Railroad Museum.

I've seen it for years when walking or driving in the area, but never stopped to really look at it.

So a couple of friends and I shot some pictures before the city removes it.

It's really quite impressive, despite the rusted exterior and interior, and shattered windows.

Church Street Station Train 2

2011-12-27T21:14:00.004-05:00

Ancient paint peeling back like rotting skin.

Welcome in...

Hole in the roof of the engine room.

Broken gauges, dials, and switches inside the engine room.

What was once a fancy passenger car is now a collection of rubble, rust, and shattered glass.

Church Street Station Train 3

2011-12-27T21:10:00.003-05:00

A light at the back of one of the train's cars.

A view inside the Church Street Station ballroom.

JetBlue Wing

2011-12-26T18:54:00.002-05:00

The wing reminded me of a fish tail in water.
Having some fun with my Hipstamatic's Salvador 84 lens.

The clouds look like soft cotton.

Lake Eola Reflections

2011-12-26T18:45:00.003-05:00

The lighted fountain at Lake Eola created colorful reflections in the water at night.

Stardust Coffee Market

2011-12-26T13:05:00.003-05:00

I always see this guy walking around, but I've never actually heard him read any poetry.

These markets are great.

I climbed on the roof for this one.

Stardust's paper lanterns are always fun.

Zombie Attack

2011-12-26T12:26:00.005-05:00

Sudden attack on Leah by zombies in 1980's jazzercise outfits.

Zombies cannibalism!

Full-on zombie attack on Terry.

Fellow coworkers in zombie dress.

Great makeup on this zombie woman.

Red HexBug Spider

2011-10-24T08:50:00.004-04:00

My new HexBug spider makes itself at home.

Dia de Los Muertos I

2011-10-22T12:50:00.003-04:00

CityArts Factory in downtown Orlando opened their Dia de Los Muertos/Monster Factory exhibit Thursday. Some art work was of questionable artistic integrity, but it was something fun to do on a slow night.

A detail of the ofrenda or altar with sugar skulls and other trinkets.

A young woman patiently sat while an artist decorated her face in the traditional Day of the Dead style.

Dia de Los Muertos II

2011-10-22T12:07:00.011-04:00

The Monster Factory part of the exhibit included Frankenstein heads decorated in a variety of styles. These two show the traditional Dia de Los Muertos styles with painted flowers, hearts, bony teeth, and stylized details.

I really like this one. It has a harlequin feel to it.

This head was one of the best executed and creative designs in the bunch.

The detail inside the head is a miniature representation of Broadway's production of Young Frankenstein the Musical.

Dia de Los Muertos III

2011-10-22T12:03:00.003-04:00

A close up of another Frankenstein head. Evil green eye.

I can't remember the name of this piece, but the melting ice cream simulation is pretty neat. The chocolate looked real.

The Frankenstein head on the left was completely covered in carbon fiber. Durable...just like the monster beneath it.

Dia de Los Muertos IV

2011-10-22T10:46:00.006-04:00

Eddie Van Halen's guitar from the Diver Down period (1982) clearly served as inspiration for this Frankenhead. It was labeled, "Eruption."

Some created this Billy (from the Saw movies) Frankenstein head. It was pretty good.

Here's another great piece labeled, "Mt. Karloff: A Monument to the Monster."

Then there's the drag queen Frankenstein. Interesting concept.

Kennedy Space Center: Rockets

2011-08-30T17:48:00.004-04:00

"You can see the flames around the sun. It's time to leave and start to become...extraterrestrial."

"Point me at the sky and let it fly!"

"Let man's machines collapse and rust."

Kennedy Space Center: Space Shuttle

2011-08-30T17:39:00.002-04:00

A model of one of the space shuttles.

Inside the real space shuttle.

The mirrored ceiling inside the space shuttle.

Mike reflected in the ceiling.

Kennedy Space Center: Astronaut Suit

2011-08-28T23:46:00.002-04:00

Thought the helmet and boots looked kind of creepy.

Kennedy Space Center: Miniatures

2011-08-28T23:42:00.004-04:00

Inch-long astronaut inside a space vessel. I really like the facial details.

Check out the dust on the model. Also, the little engineer has cracks on him.

Kennedy Space Center: RoboThespian

2011-08-28T23:32:00.004-04:00

RoboThespian was designed by UK's Engineered Arts Limited. It moves smoothly and its eyes are tiny monitors.

And...here's the Skynet side of RoboThespian.

Star Trek: Guardian Of Forever

2011-08-28T23:20:00.004-04:00

One of the coolest time-travel devices ever.

Star Trek: Lights

2011-08-28T22:59:00.003-04:00

I'm torn between describing these as glowing Jujubes or those cool lights reflecting off Doctor Dave Bowman's visor from 2001: Space Odyssey.

The nerd in me cannot decide.

Star Trek: Who Makes A Better Capt. James T. Kirk?

2011-08-28T22:51:00.006-04:00

Is it Mike?

Or maybe this total stranger with her sequined-Saturn T-shirt? I think she shows more command of the chair.

Maybe Mike can be Spock. Here's what he's looking at in there.

Star Trek: Enterprise-D Engine Room

2011-08-28T22:21:00.004-04:00

The set was much brighter than this picture, but I shot it at a slower speed which brought out the purples and greens.

Mike realizes a childhood fantasy.

Star Trek: Planking on Star Trek set

2011-08-28T22:10:00.003-04:00

A couple of fools on Capt. James T. Kirk's chair.

Flowers And Phallic Fountain

2011-03-22T20:35:00.004-04:00

Pretty pear tree blossoms in Atlanta.

More pear tree blossoms on Highland Avenue in Atlanta.

Red magnolia blossoms outside the Georgia Aquarium.

Kinda phallic, right?

Shawn Looks Into The Blue

2011-03-22T20:32:00.002-04:00

A great view of the giant tank through a round window.

Whale Shark and Other Marine Life

2011-03-22T20:27:00.004-04:00

These creatures are simply amazing. So serene.

The whole wall is a large tank. One of the best views in Atlanta.

I shot about 20 pictures of this sea turtle and this is the only one that worked.

A poisonous scorpion fish.

Penguins

2011-03-22T20:21:00.003-04:00

Peek-A-Boo!
A swim in the tank.
Penguin on her nest and wearing the latest in penguin accessories.

Otters

2011-03-22T20:17:00.002-04:00

Cute little otters.
This one is looking at me.
They're barking here.

Georgia Aquarium

2011-03-22T20:12:00.004-04:00

I helped nature a little with some slight modifications.
Creepy crawly legs!
Love the spikes!
An electric starfish.

Sing It, Lorna!

2011-02-13T15:28:00.003-05:00

Mark and Lorna are one of the best hidden secrets in Winter Park. They've got a cult following at the Red Fox Lounge in the Best Western off U.S. Highway 17-92. I've been coming here for years to hear them sing and entertain.

Lorna is real friendly and great with the crowd.

Sultry pose.

Lovely Lorna.

Mark On The Keyboard

2011-02-13T15:25:00.001-05:00

Great silky red shirt.

Mark doing his thing on the Roland.

Mark And Lorna Singing

2011-02-13T14:58:00.002-05:00

Fun times!

I like the way Mark is looking at Lorna in this shot.

A couple dancing to Mark and Lorna. Love the look on this lady's face.

University of Tampa

2011-01-26T16:33:00.001-05:00

The dome inside one of the ballrooms.

The chandelier reminded me of a giant, crystal jellyfish.

Capturing a little drop's moment in time.

Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg I

2011-01-26T16:21:00.005-05:00

I thought it was appropriate to use the museum's most striking structure to represent the artist's most prominent facial feature.

The spiral staircase is awesome.

Just one more...

Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg II

2011-01-26T16:15:00.003-05:00

Whee!

The staircase reminded of an octopus' tentacle from this angle.

Lost in thought?

The Golden Rule. I used to draw this all over my notebooks when I was a kid.

One of The Enigma's 900 triangles. None are identical.

2010 Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse (Dec. 21)

2010-12-23T07:07:00.000-05:00

A slight shadow is beginning to form on the upper left corner at 1:18 a.m.

Halfway covered at 2:03 a.m.

Almost there at 2:11 a.m.

Just a sliver at 2:16 a.m.

The Earth's reddish umbra is beginning to mask the surface at 2:25 a.m.

More of the umbra takes shape at 2:37 a.m.

Just a little white remains at 2:58 a.m.

At 3:03 a.m., the moon takes on a reddish glow and you can start to see nearby stars.

Other stars begin to shine as the moon casts less glow at 3:07 a.m.

ICE!

2010-11-23T15:45:00.000-05:00

We went to ICE! earlier this month at the Gaylord Palms. It was my first time there and it was really cold. All the sculptures are made of solid ice blocks and the area is kept at 9 degrees!

The reindeer were attached to blocks of ice to keep them off the ground.

Huge yellow crescent moon.

A little frozen village.

Sleepy time mouse in tea cup.

An ice girl in her ice bed.

One of the three kings in the nativity scene. All the life-size figures were carved from blocks of ice.

A detail of the ice walls.

Teddy bear trapped behind an ice wall.

The reflection of Sunset Sam's Fish Camp boat inside the Gaylord Palms' lagoon. Note the Brazilian flag projected on the sail. I think they had some Brazilian function on the boat.

Chelsea Blocks

2010-11-16T15:53:00.000-05:00

Cool blocks on Chelsea building. I think they are balconies.

Mannequins In Chelsea

2010-11-16T15:45:00.000-05:00

While strolling through Chelsea, I walked by this window display. I really liked the colors and the mannequins.

The one in the veil is awesome.

Crazy scary baby fairy mannequin.

Brooklyn Bridge

2010-11-14T13:07:00.000-05:00

A beautiful clear day on the Brooklyn Bridge. It was my first time here and I'm glad it was a good day for it.

I leaned over the edge to capture the cars traveling below the bridge.

Another view showing the cables.

A web of cables.

A walkway under construction and walled in with aluminum barriers.

Beekman Tower

2010-11-14T12:53:00.000-05:00

Beekman Tower, now known as 8 Spruce Street, in the Wall Street area reminds me of a Tower of Doom where a dark overlord rules the land. A ray of sunlight broke through the overcast sky and lit up part of the tower's steel skin.

A Pimp In Pink

2010-11-14T12:44:00.000-05:00

We saw this guy on our way to Wall Street. Nice faux fur pink costume.

Trinity Church

2010-11-14T12:37:00.000-05:00

The golden interior of Trinity Church with the stained-glass window over the altar. The church was built in the late 1600s in the area now known as Wall Street.

A view of the votive candles inside Trinity Church.

Adam and Eve in the Trinity Church garden/cemetery.

Hayden Planetarium

2010-11-04T21:48:00.003-04:00

Jupiter floating inside the Hayden Planetarium.

A display that looked like a flying saucer.

Greg and I loved this ruby red ivy growing up the rear wall of the American Museum of Natural History.

Anderson School

2010-11-04T21:44:00.002-04:00

Believe it or not, A nderson School off Columbus Avenue is a gifted school. It looks more like a jail to me.

High Line Park

2010-11-04T21:32:00.003-04:00

The High Line is a beautiful elevated park in the Meatpacking District. They kept some of the tracks and incorporated them in the landscape. These pictures don't capture it well, but it gives me another reason to return.

A pretty autumn crocus blooming in the shadows among the wild grasses.

Majestic purple coneflowers growing in a wild grass patch at the High Line.

Bleecker Street Records Cats and Noodle (Diana)

2010-11-04T21:12:00.004-04:00

I visit Bleecker Street Records in West Village every time I travel to New York to see these ginormous felines. I don't even know their names, but who cares? There so cute...and fat. I love fat cats.
Look at that little white heart!

Keeping a vigilant eye on the CDs.

And then there's Diana, also known as Noodle. She guarding Greg's jeans in case I wanted to do something evil with them. She was a cutie.

Noguchi's Red Cube, Artemis And Other Oddities

2010-11-04T20:39:00.003-04:00

While approaching Wall Street with Brian, we saw this giant red steel cube by Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. It's called Red Cube. It was installed on Broadway in 1968.

A window display somewhere in the West Village. I love bunnies, especially on human bodies. It reminded me of Goldfrapp's video for "Number 1" which of course reminded me of Cerrone's video for "Supernature" which is the title of Goldfrapp's album containing "Number 1."

Cool gold, silver and metallic green gargoyle in a window in the West Village.

Feminist artist Nancy Spero's subway art. This is part of a series of glass tile mosaics titled Artemis, Acrobats, Divas and Dancers. It was installed in the 66th Street/Lincoln Center subway station in 2004. It's really very beautiful, but it also reminds me of Siouxsie Sioux circa 1984.

Flushing Meadows

2010-11-04T20:32:00.002-04:00

The 7 trains waiting at the depot at Flushing Meadows. It was nice seeing them all parked on the rails. Shiny!

Speaking of shiny, the Unisphere is an amazing site in the park. It's massive. I'd love to see it at night.

As we exited the park, Greg noticed the beautiful red, yellow and green of the leaves.

Nothing But Sky and Water

2010-09-10T16:39:00.002-04:00

I shot this from my window of the JetBlue plane to Costa Rica. Not really sure what it is, but it's pretty.

I was surprised I could see the ocean waves and clouds' shadows from the plane.

A cloud like fluffy light popcorn.

Mercado de Guadalupe

2010-09-10T16:32:00.002-04:00

This open-air market is held every Saturday. I remember going here with my grandmother when I was a kid visiting Costa Rica. She'd buy me a bag of blackberries and I'd finish it off by the time we made it to her house - with a full-blown stomach ache.

Iglesia del Valle de Orosi

2010-09-10T16:25:00.002-04:00

Simple Colonial church in Orosi. The floors were made of clay bricks and the pews were simple. There was nothing of great richness and that was OK , too.

A life-size statue of Christ against one of the walls was dressed in this red outfit which was in stark contrast to the figure. I thought the wear-and-tear in the hands made for a creepy sight.

Parrots made the spaces under the roof tiles of the church their home. This little guy was watching me very closely.

Guadalupe De Cartago

2010-09-10T16:14:00.002-04:00

A view of Guadalupe de Cartago from the top of a mountain. We were really high up and it was a cloudy day, but I managed to snap this one shot - despite the dark cloud hovering above the city.

Eyes For The Virgin

2010-09-10T16:09:00.004-04:00

People who come to the Iglesia de Los Angeles with certain ailments pray to the Virgin to cure them. They often leave behind these amulets as a thanks. Some are eyes for sight; arms, legs and hands for issues with limbs, etc. I am not sure, but I think they are made of gold.

Iglesia de Los Angeles en Cartago

2010-09-10T15:53:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite churches in Costa Rica. Here's my mom walking toward the church. The image of the Virgin was spotted in this spot 375 years ago (circa 1635), according to historians.

You'd never know from the outside that so much light could flood into the church from those small windows. The whole place glows like gold.

The center of the church's ceiling.

A worshiper makes his way to the altar on his knees. People make a pilgrimage to the church from all over Costa Rica. Some of them walk from places hundreds of miles away only to kneel at the doors before making their way to the altar on their knees.

Grandma's Garden

2010-09-10T15:41:00.003-04:00

I was outside playing with the spiders, yes, the spiders, when this little guy landed on my fingers. I set him on this plant. The edges of the little beetle were transparent, except for the shiny metallic green shield design.

A chayote plant has pretty much taken over most of my grandmother's small yard. It was growing over the walls and ground. Those little shiny hairs come off the vine and can stick in your skin...as I found out. Ouch.

Iglesia de San Isidro in Coronado

2010-09-10T15:34:00.002-04:00

A beautiful Gothic Revival church in Coronado. It was built in 1935.

Creatures of La Fortuna

2010-09-07T15:29:00.003-04:00

I woke up in the morning at La Fortuna ranch and this little guy was on the other bed - dead! Not really sure what happened, but the blood on the bed sheet and on its claws was a bit disturbing. I didn't have any bites...that I know of.

A less frightening resident on the side of the road. Its scaly skin was emerald green. Beautiful.

La Fortuna Plants

2010-09-07T15:16:00.004-04:00

A really pretty flower. This one is called Baston del Emperador which basically translates to Emperor's Scepter. It blossomed on top of a 5-foot stalk.

A hairy bird of paradise.
I think this is from the ginger family. I'm not really sure, but it was one of my mom's favorites.

La Fortuna Plants II

2010-09-07T14:52:00.003-04:00

Seeds my mom and I picked from the ranch at La Fortuna. They mostly belonged to a bunch of birds of paradise plants that surrounded the ranch.

These giant green orbs are jicaras. Locals carve them out and make bowls or maracas out of them.

Thorns from the Ceiba tree growing in the back of the ranch.

Tarcoles River Crocodiles

2010-09-07T14:40:00.002-04:00

On the way to Jaco, we stopped on a bridge above the Tarcoles River to see the crocodiles basking in the mud. They were awesome and huge.

A trio of Tarcoles River crocodiles relaxing.

Big boy!

A fight for food.

Jaco Beach

2010-09-07T10:46:00.003-04:00

A view of Jaco from the beach house of my dad's friend. Kind of looks like a croc, no?
Waves crashing on the shore. The water was not very clear because the currents were pretty strong.

Not sure what to make of this one. I thought it looked a bit sexual. And that's a little hermit crab playing with me.

Jaco Beach Creatures

2010-09-07T10:40:00.003-04:00

I saw this beautiful golden orb spider feeding while I was walking outside the beach house. Check out the yellow-colored web.

This guy was hanging out with three other iguanas on top of the beach house.

River in La Fortuna

2010-09-06T22:53:00.003-04:00

A river we crossed on the way to La Fortuna. We stopped and took a little stroll along the river banks.

A view from one of the boulders. A leaf-cutter ant fell on me and stung my neck and chest, causing me to nearly fall in the water after taking this picture.

I spotted this cave while walking along the river, but it was pretty much inaccessible.
A lovely waterfall that emptied into the river.

Costa Rica Hot Springs

2010-09-06T19:18:00.004-04:00

These are the Eco Termales at Fortuna at the base of the Arenal Volcano. The pool in the background was about 95 degrees and the one in the foreground about 85 degrees. This particular spring allows about 100 people at a time. There were only 10 of us there for the four hours we spent at the spring.

A view of the spring pouring over a waterfall at Fortuna.

A couple of leaf-cutter ants at the Fortuna hot springs.

Another leaf-cutter ant carrying its booty back to its nest.

Arenal Volcano

2010-09-06T19:06:00.003-04:00

A great view of the Arenal Volcano showing a streak of clouds across the top of the volcano. It was my first time seeing the smokey giant.

Another view of Arenal. A flock of birds can be seen flying on the left side of the image. You can also see a bit of the green that escaped a lava flow beneath the birds.

A glimpse of the top of Arenal. You can see a little smoke coming out from one of its three craters.

I stood on a truck in Fortuna to capture this shot of Arenal at sunset.

Gator White, Gator Black

2010-05-13T16:36:00.003-04:00

The alligator takes on an alien appearance in these negative portraits.

Alligator Bites!

2010-05-13T16:32:00.001-04:00

I went for a run around Matheson Hammock while visiting Miami over the weekend and rested on a bench near the lake when I saw this guy peering from the water's edge. It was beautiful, graceful and BIG!

An older couple came by with Cuban bread and chunks of meat a la Betty White in Lake Placid to feed the gator. I hung around because I knew there would be some action. It raised its head when they arrived - smelling the meat.

Chomp! Check out those teeth.

Blowing Steam

2010-05-13T16:22:00.002-04:00

The giant cooling towers of the Curtis H. Stanton Energy Center seen from State Road 528 on the way to Melbourne. The shot looks like they're coming out of the greenery.

Stranger Than Fiction Part 1

2010-04-27T19:38:00.003-04:00

While wasting time at Stardust the other night, I caught this band, Stranger Than Fiction, playing a short concert. They were fun, especially the jams between sets. Pictured (l-r): Paul Sanders, Alex Katsaros and Howie Mall.

Pictures from the rest of the show follow this post.

Stranger Than Fiction Part 2

2010-04-27T19:28:00.002-04:00

Singer Paul Sanders under the lights.

Stranger Than Fiction Part 3

2010-04-27T19:19:00.004-04:00

Howie Mall belting out a tune on his saxophone.

Stranger Than Fiction Part 4

2010-04-27T19:00:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple of drummer Alex Katsaros.

That's a HandSonic he's playing there. It creates eerie sounds in a similar way to a theramin, but instead of using radio frequencies, it uses a beam of infrared light to create the spooky, spacey effects.

Stranger Than Fiction Part 5

2010-04-27T18:35:00.003-04:00

And here's the final couple of pictures from the band. Percussionist Albi Fiorvante.

Percussionist Ross Jarrett.

One-Eyed Owl

2010-04-25T21:25:00.003-04:00

Stardust hosted an indoor mini-festival the other night with food, music and a baby owl! The poor guy only has one eye and I'm not sure what happened to the other one. The raptor belongs to the Audubon of Florida.

The bird reminds me of the owl imagery in Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree album.

Haslam's Book Store Kitty

2010-04-25T21:10:00.002-04:00

I saw this furball under the table at Haslam's Book Store in St. Pete. It's another addition to my gallery of store cats.

Revisiting Snell Arcade

2010-04-25T21:02:00.003-04:00

The light was perfect in here that day. I love this place with its multicolored tiles on the floor and columns. The skylight reminds me of an upside pool.

A self-portrait. Clowning around.

Odd St. Pete

2010-04-25T20:53:00.002-04:00

There were all these caterpillars falling from the trees in downtown St. Petersburg. I spied this one under my car - and yes - I picked it up and dropped it in the bushes.

A traffic light in some random alley with added labels in case you didn't get the implied meaning of red and green.

I guess no drug deals from this phone.

ATM First, Shuffleboard Next

2010-04-25T20:43:00.003-04:00

I drove up to this Bank of America ATM in downtown St. Petersburg last weekend and had to wait for about 20 minutes while this 'motorist' finished his transaction. After withdrawing his cash, he slowly rolled away.

Tattoo RV

2010-03-28T12:27:00.002-04:00

On the way back to Orlando from Miami earlier this month, we passed an RV decorated with Ed Hardy designs on Florida's Turnpike. I know my friend Greg HATES Ed Hardy, but these were some cool images. Di drove slowly alongside the RV and I shot these pictures. My favorite is the second image.

I really like the birds' colors, especially the little bluish-purple bird in the bottom left corner.

Full Moon Night

2010-03-25T17:52:00.003-04:00

One of the first pictures I shot with my brand new camera. I left my last camera in a NYC taxi. Sigh. The new camera is a Nikon D300 and it's awesome.

Tiny Orlando

2010-03-25T17:14:00.004-04:00

I've been modifying the colors, contrast and focus in some recent shots to achieve a tilt-shift effect - which fools the eyes into thinking they're looking at a miniature. Some work better than others, but it's my first attempt.

Here are some rooftop air handlers at the Orlando Sentinel.

A view of the main Lynx bus terminal in downtown Orlando.

Tiny Orlando, Too

2010-03-25T17:06:00.004-04:00

A couple of pedestrians crossing the parking lot at the Orange County Courthouse in downtown Orlando.

The front courtyard of the Orange County Courthouse. A couple of people are sitting in the middle.

A view of a cafe from the top floor of the courthouse parking lot.

Panorama of Lake Eola

2010-02-01T22:25:00.003-05:00

I made this composite panorama of the downtown Orlando view from Lake Eola using three different shots. It looks pretty seamless.

Fuzzy Friends

2010-02-01T22:17:00.002-05:00

Peek-A-Boo!

A little squirrel enjoys an acorn on the metal seats at the Lake Eola amphitheater.

Bird Frenzy!

2010-02-01T22:11:00.002-05:00

Birds at Lake Eola squawk at each other when passers-by toss bread crumbs at them.

Here's one looking back from under his wing.

A Soothing Shot Of Sambuca

2010-02-01T22:06:00.002-05:00

I was on my second shot of sambuca when I noticed the pretty colors of the television screen reflected on the dark-stained coffee table. I grabbed my camera before the effect of the upcoming third shot of sauce took its effect.

The Spider's Parlor

2010-02-01T21:57:00.002-05:00

A jeweled spider had spun this web that resembled a galaxy high above my pool.

Another jeweled spider awaits her prey in the middle of her tender trap.

A hard day's work. I know, I know...there are too many spiders in my back yard.

Mother Nature Sends Her Love

2010-02-01T21:53:00.002-05:00

I was cleaning out the Florida Room a while back and turned around to avoid hitting this plant. The optical illusion caught me by surprise. The unfurling leaf looked just like a pretty green heart when viewed from above.

Swan Play

2010-02-01T21:40:00.002-05:00

A beautiful white swan glides along the waters of Lake Eola on a clear day. The dark blue water is a nice contrast against the fluffy white feathers.

I think this one is posing for the camera.

Here's a black swan guarding her nest. I'm not sure if she had babies or eggs under there.

The New Face Of Saint James Cathedral Emerges

2010-02-01T21:18:00.003-05:00

The Catholic Diocese of Orlando is doing a major refurbishing project on the Saint James Cathedral in downtown Orlando. Some of this stuff was actually hidden behind an earlier remodeling project.

This rose window was hidden behind a wall added years later.

Hazy Shade Of Trees

2010-02-01T21:15:00.002-05:00

I shot this with my iPhone outside an Ocoee hospital. I made it black and white at home and tweaked the contrast. Voila!