Though sunrises and sets are usually better left to those who photograph in color, sometimes a scene reaches out, grabs me by the wrist, and insists.  I caved!

I've lived in Florida now for five years, but had never visited the Gulf coast until this past weekend. There are an abundance of crystal clear springs, manatees, dolphins and water somewhat warmer than the ocean.  The several photographs below were taken at Crystal Bay on a cloudy afternoon that was pretty chilly.  (MF Film)

Whatever Florida's reputation is regarding winter weather is only partly true.  It certainly does not snow nor stay frozen for very long when it actually does freeze, but northeast Florida can be pretty chilly and uncomfortable now and then. This photograph was made on Little Talbot Island SP this past Saturday, and I ended up numb with cold.  In fact, several people who had been fishing from shore were in ski parkas with hoods up and face masks on from the wind chill.  I was not dressed warmly enough by a long shot, and will keep a parka, hood and heavy gloves in the trunk of my car from now on when I misjudge what I'm in for this winter.  (MF Film)

These two photographs were taken on the grounds of the Mandarin Museum and Historical Society in Jacksonville, Florida.  The first is of the St. Joseph's Mission Schoolhouse for African American Children which has been relocated to the grounds of the Historical Society.  The other is an ancient building on the same property that appealed to me for the sunlight falling on its wooden side.  This stuff fascinates me for a host of reasons and I'm really glad these structures have been preserved and are accessible to the public.  (MF Film)

As nice as it has been to explore some areas new to me, it's also been nice to revisit familiar places for a fresh take.  Here are several photographs from Little Talbot Island SP I made yesterday, January 5th. (MF Film)

When I arrived at Suwanee River State Park yesterday, I expected to take the trail that follows the spring fed stream to the Suwanee River.  To my great surprise, the trail, boat launch ramp and entire area I intended to explore was seriously flooded.  These two photographs were made at the top of the launch ramp which was underwater just beyond where I was standing.  I still want to hike that trail, but will have to wait several weeks or more until the flood waters subside. (MF Film)

These photographs were made near the confluence of the Suwanee and Withlacoochee Rivers.  Recent heavy rains raised the water level above the bases of several hoary old oaks draped in Spanish Moss leaving the ends of the lowest branches awash.  In the afternoon sunlight it was easy to conjure Tom, Huck, and Jim, in their ragged straw hats and bare feet, sitting on the banks. Of course this was not the Mississippi, but I have the sense that there might be a strong resemblance nonetheless.

Here are several more from the trip described below. 

An area I've not explored at all until this past week is the 'springs'.  The springs are all along the Suwanee and Santa Fe Rivers and feed those rivers to a degree.  These photographs are mostly of those feeders.  (MF Film)

 

I hadn't been to Marineland Beach in quite a while, but decided to go today.  The 'rocks' are coquina and very interesting in themselves, but I was more interested in their relationship with the sea and sky.  Just for fun, I've also linked to Benjamin Britten's Four Sea Interludes which I was thinking about while using the camera.  (MF Film, #15 Deep Yellow filter and polarizer.)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J20ROYLZfX0

More from northern Georgia this past week!  I am still excited by our time in the mountains so different from the coastal terrain of Florida.  By sheer good luck there still were abundant, vibrantly colored leaves though I expect they'll all have fallen by Thanksgiving.  It's not like I'm unused to these mountain views, but it's been a few years and it felt like visiting old friends.  (Pentax 67, 135mm lens, and K2 yellow filter)

Our week in the mountains of north Georgia were refreshing and memorable!  Needing a break from Florida's terrain and weather, the trip was a welcome elixer!  I will be posting photographs I made while there and these several will serve to begin.  All were made on film with my Pentax 67 medium format camera and a K2 yellow filter.

As I'm red-green color perception deficient (color blind is inaccurate and pejorative) I work almost exclusively in monochrome, but now and then I take a cellphone pic because I love the colors whatever they are!  This is such a photograph from the porch of a cabin in the Blue Ridge mountains where we stayed this week. 

It was fun to revisit photographs I made a few years ago in NY (and there may yet be more to come), but I live in Florida now, and need to keep exploring what's here.  This is the last month on my state park annual pass so I felt a need to squeeze another visit or two before I have to renew the thing.  These are from Little Talbot Island SP yesterday.  (MF Film with orange filter)

I decided to revisit some photographs I made years ago in New York.  They've all been posted on this blog before, but were presented differently with ersatz mats at a smaller size. I think the ones I've chosen have 'legs' and are worth seeing again.  Though these are negative scans, the actual photographs were made with film and were printed in my New York darkroom, a facility I no longer have here in Florida. 

 

There is a part of the beach at Big Talbot Island SP littered with trees that have succumbed to wind and weather.  The three images I've attached here are from that place.  The one with the wooden and wire fence is a view from the top of a bluff of maybe 20 or more feet with one of the scores of fallen trees below on the sand. When I first visited the place there had been a long staircase to the beach.  The next time I visited, it was gone and a 'snow fence' was keeping people from falling off the bluff.  It was easy to walk around, and many people did so they could scramble down the bluff to the sand.  Finally, what you see in the pic includes that original fence plus a wire one that continues beyond and has made it impossible to circumvent.  It's safer, but kinda ruins the view.  The other images are of two of the beautiful old trees in the parking and picnic area.   (MF FIlm)