Sometimes you just have to go with the moment

Spontaneity is the key.
A couple of evenings ago, somewhat before sunset, I was sitting at my computer writing after I had spent a perfect afternoon at the beach. It was a glorious day — sunny, breezy, dry, with temps in the low 80s. Now that we're more than halfway through April, I don't expect we'll have many more days like that in Florida until winter.
I knew I had to get back out there and enjoy — writing could wait until after dark. I grabbed my camera this time, figuring I could get a few shots of the sunset over Sarasota Bay. By the time I began to drive, there wasn't a whole lot of daylight left. I was still five minutes or so from my planned spot. I glanced out my right passenger window and saw hundreds of seagulls flying over the bay. *Light bulb goes on in my head.* By then, it was nearly sunset and I realized that particular location was a boat ramp. People would be coming in with their boats after a day of fishing, hence all the gulls.
I made a quick right, found a parking spot, and started shooting. The wind was slapping my face, the salt air smelled divine, and the birds were calling to each other, diving for cast-off fish, and making a perfect spectacle against the now changing sky.
Not only was I pleased with what I got, but I had a blast. Remember to enjoy your surroundings as well as your photographs when shooting nature. Spend some time looking through the viewfinder, but don't forget to put your camera down for a while and take it all in!

10th Street Boat Ramp, Sarasota, FL at sunset

Shooting the Moon

Yes, I was one of those crazy people out in the cold (even here in Florida) during the lunar eclipse last December. Of course cold here (perhaps was in the 30s that night) is way different than cold was for my friends farther north. I cozied myself up in a few layers of sweats and a winter jacket to watch the skies for several hours that night. (When you are not moving - cold feels even colder!)

I had planned to use my trust SLIK tripod, but no dice. The moon was directly overhead and the only way I'd be able to see through the viewfinder of my DSLR would have been if I were on my knees. Since the knees aren't what they used to be, I decided against it.

So, I pulled a sand chair out of the trunk of my car and sat there, looking up at the moon, with camera to my eye. Shooting at night without the use of a tripod to steady the camera is not easy! I kept my arms close to my body, held my breath, and shot. Lots of breath holding that night — and lots of photos that no one will ever see! But this one's a keeper. There are others, including the red moon, which I'll post another day. But I really like the simple black and white shot.

This was shot at F6.7, 1/250, 300mm, 100 ISO.