just one frame from today

I was photographing these wooden butterfly lights in the Aventura Mall. While everyone else was looking up, I looked down.

the view from my neighborhood

I've had some shots in my "to blog" folder for a while but they never seemed to make it to the blog. And then today, I saw some geese prowling the neighborhood so I went and photographed them. Now I'm tacking the old photos onto the geese photos to make one blog post because it's the easiest way to clear my to-do list. Also, geese are territorial birds who hate cameras even more than sandhill cranes.




These other photos were taken one day when I noticed roots cascading down the side of my palm tree. I'm one of those people who got into photography because I wanted to show other people the way I saw the world. Well world, this is how excited I get about a plant growing in the "V"s on my palm tree. I shot these in manual mode to get them exactly how I wanted them.

Loggerhead Marine Life Center

I know I should be sleeping. But since I can't, I might as well try to catch up on my blogging. While the last few posts may lead you to believe that my life is packed full of adventures, I promise that isn't the case. But when I do adventure, I take a lot of photos.

On Sunday, mom took Doug and I to Loggerhead Marine Life Center for a one-hour tour. Cue the "Gilligan's Island" theme song because once we were there, we had a hard time leaving. I had been there a few times since it's super close to campus (and I have a weak spot for sea turtles) but mom and D had never been. We went because mom was teaching her class about reptiles last week and none of her students had ever seen a turtle and she wanted some photos to show them. I'm kicking myself for not bringing a notebook to write down the turtles' names and stories. Luckily, I've been able to match some of the photos to the ones on their site.

We started our trip in the marine life center proper, looking at the habitat tanks while waiting for our tour to start.





This is a replica skeleton of Archelon, an ancient sea turtle.


The first turtle we met on the tour had some buoyancy issues.Poor Anna Belle can't dive completely, possibly because there is air trapped under her shell from when she got hit by a boat.


The next turtle I met broke my heart. His name is Poseidon and he's a Kemp's Ridley. They are super rare critically endangered and also happen to be my favorite species of sea turtle. Poseidon lost two limbs and has to learn how to get around all over again.



One of my favorite things about Loggerhead is their dedication to rehabilitation. Their goal is to get every single turtle released back into the wild.





One of the coolest things I saw was the work of an orthodontist. He volunteered his time to wire shut Zoe's cracked shell; essentially, he gave her braces.



This turtle has deep scars from where it was hit by a boat and while the soft tissue has healed, the shell has not (yet).

This is Jessica. She's been to Loggerhead once before and was tagged when she was released. Unfortunately, she ended up trapped in a water intake pipe at a power plant because she was too weak to swim out. Luckily for her, FPL (Florida Power & Light) is a big supporter of Loggerhead and sea turtles and got her help. While I was there, she barely moved.

The staff put an antibiotic drip directly into her body cavity.


Perhaps my favorite turtle there (besides Poseidon) is Chestnut, a tiny baby Kemp's Ridley. I had never seen a baby before and had no idea what kind of turtle he was. Baby Kemp's Ridley turtles hatch a very dark color and lighten as they grow older.

He's a really little guy who was washed ashore. Other than a slight bacterial infection, he's in pretty good health and they just need to get him strong enough to not get washed back again.


There were a lot of little ones who just needed to get up their strength and wait for a good day to be released back into the wild.



Loggerhead also does a lot of educational programs and community outreach. They happened to be setting up a lab as I walked by.


As soon as mom saw this turtle blowing bubbles at the window, she called me over. I wish I could remember which turtle this is because s/he was so cute.



I went to a marine science high school and majored in environmental studies in college so I get very interested in the sea turtles' welfare. But our visit to the marine life center wasn't all serious; we had a lot of fun posing for these photos.

next stop: Paradise Falls

In years past, I've written mushy Valentine's Day posts. While the story behind this one is pretty mushy too, I fear that the retelling just won't do it justice.

Doug started a few weeks ago, asking if there was anything he needed to do or make for me for Valentine's Day. I asked him for balloons. He decided that he wanted to get me balloons like the ones in Up. If you've ever seen the movie, you know how beautiful and colorful they are. (And Ellie & Carl are one of the cutest couples ever.) Rather than try to explain, I recommend you go watch this montage.

My mister got me balloons and took me to the nature preserve during golden hour for a shoot. This may be one of the best Valentine's Days ever.























"My name is Dug. I have just met you, and I love you." -Up


Doug, I've loved you since the first adventure. I'll love you until the last. And in between, you and I can go to Paradise Falls or the Dry Tortugas or wherever the wind takes us. Always, forever, and a moose. <3

Supposedly "a picture is worth a thousand words." If that is true, then I want to use the photos I make and take to tell a story. A story about the way I see the world and how I hope the world sees me. I want to tell these stories to the people I know and the people I have yet to meet. Specifically, some of these photos are a letter home to my mother. Others are addressed to friends who are not currently in the same place as I am. Some are intended for individuals who found their way here and are interested in what I have to show them.