Teddy Bear Sponge

This sponge was roped and drying on the side of a sponge boat at the Sponge Docks in Tarpon Springs, FL. When I saw it hanging there, it reminded me of a Teddy Bear holding a bunny. It just looked so soft and cuddly, I had to snap a quick shot of it.

I tend to have quite an imagination when it comes to patterns and things spotted in nature and I'm always on the lookout for things like this. My visions seem to remind me of when I was a kid, lying on a hill with my friends looking up at the clouds and finding all sorts of interesting characters in the cloud formations. I guess this is a take-off from those times on lazy summer afternoons.

I keep a folder for things spotted like this, and I call it my Arbor Menagerie. This isn't a formation in tree bark, but it's close enough to include it there.

What does it remind you of? Let me know in your comments.

Settings used for this image were 1/200 (because I wasn't using my tripod (which I was carrying and too lazy to set up)) at F5.6 for shallow depth of field to blur the background, ISO 400 (it was a cloudy day, so I needed more light), 146mm with my 55-250mm trusty walk-around lens. Metering was set at Partial Metering in Aperture Priority mode.

Old Salt

Last Friday afternoon a couple friends and I went to the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks to shoot a bit and then go to dinner. While walking around on the docks, I spotted this elderly gentleman and he reminded me of an elderly sponge boat captain.

Whether he was actually a captain or even a diver I have no idea. He graciously let Frank and I take all the photos we wanted to of him. He has an amazing look.

For those of you who don't know about the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks, if you are ever in Central Florida it is a must see. It is a Greek community built entirely around the sponge industry. This is where you will find the worlds finest natural sponges. There are many Greek restaurants, bakeries and boutiques. The little mom & pop stores are all along the docks with each of them carrying sponges, loofahs, shells and just about anything else you want. There is also a museum where you can watch the divers harvest the sponge. Many of the divers still use the old ways like their fathers and grandfathers did many years ago.

Settings used for this image were at ISO 400, Aperture Priority and partial metering, F 5.6, 1/160 and 0 exposure compensation at 90mm with my 55-250mm lens.