Burned Palm Frond

Our group had another meetup tonight. This time we went to Ft Desoto in Tierra Verde, FL. We walked on one of the nature trails for about an hour while waiting for the moon rise.

I will have photos of the moon in another blog; be sure to stop by and see it.

Getting back to the burned Palm frond. Prescribed burns are a way of managing our overgrown forests. The heavy overgrowth and undesirable non-native plants are burned to replace nutrients in the soil and to rid the forest floor of this heavy overgrowth. The burns don't hurt the trees and are controlled to prevent forest fire. Due to the warm tropical climate in Florida, we have a longer growing season, so we have to have these burns every so many years to protect the environment.

This frond will grow again and produce a healthy Sable or Cabbage Palm. I'm not an expert and naming the different Palm species unless I can see the whole plant. Obviously, I'm not able to see this particular plant.

Canna Lily Leaf

Sometimes I like to photograph patterns. This is the leaf of a Canna Lily. I like the lines and curves. I tried a crop of just the leaf and I'm not sure if I like it, although it makes an interesting graphic.

This photo was taken in Safety Harbor on Monday evening while waiting for the rest of the members of my group to come. I like to go there early before the rest get there so I can concentrate on my photography. Most of the time I'm with the group I spend either just talking shop, or answering technical questions regarding photography technique, which I don't mind. It's nice to share knowledge with other photographers. We all learn something that way, and it improves our own technique.

If you like my work, please leave a comment--even if you don't like it, or see if something can be improved. I'm always open to suggestions.

Thanks for viewing!

Spider Carrying Leaf

This spider was working really hard trying to carry this leaf up through his web. We watched him for a while and he eventually dropped the leaf.

This photo was taken 12/11/07 during an early morning walk through Sawgrass Lake Park in St Petersburg, FL.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to identify the species of this spider.

If you enjoy my blog and want to see more of my work, check out my website at http://LoyceHoodPhoto.com.

Thanks for looking,
Loyce