sun, surf, and sky

I've been editing photos for this post for two weeks now. When I went to the beach last, I went a little overboard taking photos. I went because I missed the sea: the sight, the smell, the sound, the feel (but not the taste)... and I was only there an hour but managed to take about 200 photos. Oops.





I was pretty excited to see people parasailing. I would love to be able to take a camera up and have an amazing time. I actually have an underwater camera that I need to renovate so that next time, I can bring you photos from the sky.



It was a relaxing day. People were tanning, boating, sleeping, skating, swimming, kitesurfing... It was paradise for everyone.















I spent a few seconds trying to line up this shot and was so excited when I nailed it. It was a lucky break that the plane was going by.







As the cruise ship was leaving the port, a woman came over to try to take a photo of it with her iPhone. She asked why I wasn't taking a photo and I said I was waiting. She showed me her snap on her phone and then wandered off. I waited and was rewarded with this.









Here are the kitesurfers, coming in at the end of the day. I wish I had gone over and passed on the link to the blog. They were pretty awesome.



This is kind of strange but it makes me so happy. I cropped the photo and then edited it and added a texture. Then, I went back and pasted the final photo over the original shot.


I started writing this post when I got home from the beach but by the time I was done editing the photos, everything I wrote was outdated. So instead of me telling you my story, why don't you tell me what story you feel the photos are telling you?

water [I heart faces]

This week's theme over at is water. I couldn't resist bringing back an old favorite.

Not pictured is how soaking wet I got trying to demonstrate to Melinda how I wanted her to pose.

fireworks and fun

This is going to be a really long blog post. I'll try to keep the words short and sweet and the fireworks plentiful.

I wasn't planning on going out for the Fourth of July but my aunt called and promised me a comfy chair, cute twins, and lots of fireworks. Since I'm trying to get out and take photos more, I decided I would go. We went to Fort Lauderdale Beach and I had a lot of fun shooting out the window while we were trying to find a parking spot. I love the way so much of Fort Lauderdale is old enough to have character.







When we got to the beach, I took a few photos of the boats and the boys and then settled into my chair. No need to overexert myself. Plus, I needed to set up my tripod (which wasn't completely level, no matter what I did).











The fireworks were lovely. I could see in the distance the display on Hollywood Beach to the south and whatever city was to the north. I also got a kick out of the kids with glow sticks because you can see them on the shore in some of my shots.



















































There were a few scary moments like when someone's bottle rocket backfired but for the most part, it was pretty awesome and lots of fun.