I grabbed this shot of the last fading rays of sunset from one of the bridges around Big Pine Key, if I remember correctly. Sunsets in the Keys always seem the perfect end to a fun-filled & sun-baked day. If the mosquitos aren’t out, I love just to grab a beer, stand on the dock, and watch the whole show.
Click the picture to see more images from the Florida Keys.
This shot was taken from the beach area at Bahia Honda State Park. The old rail-bridge is mostly deteriorated to the point where pedestrian traffic is no longer permitted, however, the park maintains a section (shown at the left here) that you can walk up and view the center portion (which is mostly crumbled and rusted).
Click to view more pictures from the Florida Keys
It’s pretty amazing to me that practically anything survives in the Keys… It’s crazy hot, everything is covered in salt, and every once in a while a hurricane rips through and tosses your stuff all about. But, some things do survive, if for just a while. This twisted tree on Pelican Key is proof of that. Check out the twisted roots springing up out of rock crevices perched right next to the salt water.
Click the picture to see more images from the Florida Keys
The bridges in the Florida Keys are excellent places to see some interesting marine life. As a result my in-laws would always make a point to snorkel under the bridges in hopes of catching some interesting fish for the tank. As a novice snorkeler, I figured it’s only like 3 or 4 feet deep, can’t be that hard… Boy was I wrong! At times, the current rips through the bridge and if you’re feet are off the ground, you have to contstantly be kicking your fins to just maintain your ground. The first time I tried, I ended up loosing a fin because it wasn’t on tight enough, and never found it again!
Click the picture to see more from the Florida Keys Gallery.
It’s been pretty cold, rainy, and dreary in Dayton, Ohio recently, so I thought it was about time to post something a bit more inviting on the blog. Here’s a shot of the picnic area on Little Duck Key, facing South toward Cuba. On a day like today, I can imagine myself here pretty easily, soaking up the sun, and enjoying a nice little picnic lunch after a nice afternoon snorkel.
Click the picture to visit my entire Key West Gallery.
This shot is taken in the front parking lot of what used to be the Parrotdise Bar & Grill on Little Torch Key, Florida. Apparently the Parrotdise has closed now, but used to serve up food and drinks (Including Big Pecker Wine) from their oceanfront venue. Not sure what the deal is with the truck in the picture though. There wasn’t any explanation for it being there, and I didn’t see anything on the web, but at the time, I thought it would make for a neat shot, so here it is. Oh, and by the way, if you’re in the market, it looks like the Parrotdise property is going for just under 2 million, if you’re in the market…
Click the picture for full resolution.
About a half hour before sunset, to just after dusk is a pretty awesome time for photography, pretty much anywhere. That’s because when the sun is setting you get this nice low lighting angle that changes shadow play, the light diffuses through the clouds and atmosphere to cast wonderful pastel colors through the sky, and everything takes on this nice soft glow. Key West, Florida is no exception to this rule. In fact, the ideal conditions for this time are found more often here than most places.
A lot of people flock to Mallory Street to catch the sunset over the water, and watch the street performers. I think I set out to do this too, but time caught up with me much too quickly and I found myself too far away to make it there for sunset. But that was no problem, because I enjoyed watching the show from the middle of Duval. The subtle merge of the waning light in the sky with the artificial lights of the building is pretty cool as well. What do you think?
Click the picture for full resolution.
There’s a lot of non-memorable places to buy stuff from in Key West. T-shirt shops, and sunglass huts, etc… It’s like a mini-Gatlinburg, Tennessee in a lot of places. But a few places stick out, like Hogs Breath and Jimmy Buffet’s store and a few other places that we’ve personally made special trips to visit. Perhaps you have your own store you like to visit too here.
Anyway, this is a shot from inside Jimmy Buffet’s store looking out onto Duval St. The entire store has this like stone-washed appearance; like understated laziness coupled with margaritas. Maybe that’s why we always go in… it pretty much sums up our vacation goals.
Click the picture for full resolution.
Here’s another shot of the Key West Museum of Art and History building in Florida. This shot is taken from the front porch looking out towards the heart of Key West. The whole exterior is made with bricks and mortar; even these awesome looking arches. It was really peaceful to sit up on this porch for a few minutes and just people-watch through these archways. The palm fronds would gently sway in the breeze, and the porch provided a nice cool spot to take a break for a while.
Click the picture for full resolution or to purchase a print!
I saw these traps sitting on the side of the road in this lobster trap, junkyard, holding place area. I would pass this place over and over, as it was close to where we were staying; and finally one day I stopped to grab a couple pictures. It’s pretty hard to convey just how awful the traps smelled; but suffice it to say, the stench was just horribly awful.
Click picture to visit my entire gallery and see this image at full resolution
charliesphotoblog 