Ibis!

A couple of days ago my cousin's family and I went to a local park here in Tampa to feed the Ibises! These little birds were by far the most interesting I have come across during my short time here in Tampa. They sound like Kazoos when they sound their calls! After doing my best to capture pictures of the Ibis a little squirrel decided to get in on some of the bread that was being thrown left and right. He was extremely friendly and would eat out of our hands, but was easily startled and only stayed for a few minutes. After our squirrel attack we went back to hanging with the Ibises as they would practically stampede us for the bread. All in all another amazing day in and around Florida.




When Squirrels Attack!

Didgeridoo!!!

Some of you might not know that I play the didgeridoo, or at least, I am trying to play it. Since I do not know many people in and around Florida I decided to Google "Didgeridoos in Florida" to see what result I would get. It turns out that Jeremy from Didgeridoo Revolution, a group that plays shows and puts on performances for schools, is a didgeridoo instructor about an hour from me. I gave Jeremy a call and he agreed to meet in Sarasota for a lesson! Jeremy is an amazing teacher and was nice enough to show me around Sarasota and fill me in on the best places to visit. After spending about an hour practicing and going over the basics Jeremy invited me to hang out and take pictures of a band he was practicing with that night. They were all super cool and invited me in and gave me dinner to boot! Thanks goes to all you guys and Jeremy for helping me get settled in my new home state.

Click here to see pictures from the evenings band practice

My first photography trip in Florida

As some of you may already know I have made a move to Tampa, Fl recently. I have been so busy with the move that I haven't had the chance to move around a little and take some photos, but an old friend of mine helped pull me from my photo lull. A mentor photographer of mine, Robertlafollette(.com), whom I have learned from on two photography workshops lives in Clearwater, so he offered to show me around Honeymoon Island which is one of his favorite spots. He was a huge help for me because in new areas I often find myself completely overwhelmed by my surroundings and I end up coming home without snapping a single photo. Robert helped me to focus and find some amazing areas to shoot.

Not only did Robert show me around the area, he gave me an introductory lesson in bird and wildlife photography as well as teaching me about the local wildlife. We happened upon an Oystercatcher which, according to Robert, isn't a sight often seen. The beach was busy so the little bird was easily startled, but Robert showed me how to walk out and around to get the shot and we ended up with some fantastic shots of the little bird.

After spending the late afternoon getting accustom to my beautiful surroundings Robert decided to go get setup for a sunset HDR shot. The shot came out pretty well, but I have to admit, at times photography is harder then I remember. I had my camera very low to the ground to get the sunset framed correctly so I had to lay down across sharp limestone and hold as still as possible while I took my shots. This left me a mosquito's dream, and as I vocalize my discomfort I hear a, "Welcome to nature photography!" I had forgotten that sometimes you have to do what is necessary even if you are a feast for every insect in 5sq miles.


(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)