Rockport, MA Inner Harbor

Rockport Inner Harbor

Walking along the Bearskin Neck area, if you look between any of the stores or houses, you'll be able to see Rockport Inner Harbor. That red barn in the distance of this image, is known as Motif #1 and it is the most photographed building in the US. It is called Lobsterman's Barn.

I have posted several images of this place by shooting at different angles through the alleyways between the houses. This is one of my favorite.

Sunrise, St Petersburg, FL

St Pete Sunrise

I'm very fortunate to live in downtown St Petersburg. This is what I wake up to in the morning. There's no better way to say, "Good morning", than getting greeted by nature every morning. It's a wonderful way to start the day happy.

St Petersburg could live up to the nickname of Sun City, however there is already a Sun City not far from us. It is boasted that there are only 6 days a year on an average that the sun doesn't come out. No wonder it was a retirement city a long time ago. Now, the median age is 39, so it no longer fits that description.

St Pete, or The Burg, as it is affectionately known to its residents has a thriving young community. It has also a large art community. This shot is only 2 blocks from Central Ave., our "Main St.". Taking a walk down Central, you will find many art galleries, quaint boutiques, and restaurants from ethnic and any type of food you can imagine. Food prices range from fast food pricing to elegant pricing. There is something for everyone, including hot dog carts on many corners. St Pete also has an active night scene as well. It is also minutes to the beaches, since it's a peninsula. It sits between Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. It doesn't get any better than that.

If you are ever in the area, check it out!

Indian Blanket Flowers

Indian Blanket Flowers

These Indian Blanket Flowers (Gaillardia pulchella) are wild all over Florida. You can see them growing alongside sidewalks and all along the highways. These were growing in a side garden amongst the rocks in Rockport, MA. I love the colors.

They grow about 3" in diameter and they produce many color variations and combinations in the red/pink/yellow range. Another common name for them is Showy Gaillardia.

Backlit Sunflower

Sunflower, Rockport, MA

The back lighting and its huge size is what attracted me to this Sunflower found in a side garden in the Bearskin Neck region of Rockport, MA. I love the way the sun was shining through the yellow petals making them almost translucent.

Sunflowers have long been my favorite flower. They remind me of the sun, which reminds me of summer and happiness. They have no fragrance, therefore, no allergies for me! Sunflowers also attract birds, which is my other favorite thing to photograph.

When I was living in New York, I placed several feeders in the front yard so the kids could watch the birds eat. I think the triplets were around 3 by the time they noticed them. They would spend hours looking out the picture window just behind the couch watching the birds. The birds rewarded us by "planting" Sunflowers all around the feeders. They disguised the feeders and beautified the yard. What a nice thank you for feeding them.

Purple Cosmos with Bee

Purple Cosmos with Bee

This Purple Cosmos is another flower found in a side garden in Rockport, MA. The bee was an added surprise when I saw it though my lens.

Cosmos are in the Aster family and are native to Mexico. They are popular garden flowers here in the states. They are  herbaceous perennial plants with many different species and colors. There are also many hybrids and cultivars. I particularly like this species and the color.

Sunflower

Sunflower

I thought I'd step away from the architecture stuff and post something different. This sunflower was so tall, it was above my head. You can see how I had to shoot up at it. It was also about the size of my face. I love the brown in the petals closer to the center.

It was photographed in Rockport, MA in one of the side gardens while we walked around the Bearskin Neck area. I think there's some kind of ordinance that everyone must have and maintain a side garden, because there were these gardens on every single house we came upon. Not that I'm complaining.

 It was also unusual to see so many flowers in bloom in late September. That's unheard of for the area. As a matter of fact, there were very few flowers still in bloom except for fall flowers in CT, which is south of Rockport.

Vin's Oysters and Shellfish

Vin's Oysters and Shellfish

This restaurant looks more like a boutique. Since we didn't go in, we had no way of knowing that judging by its looks.

This is Vin's Oysters and Shellfish in Rockport, MA. While it is a quaint little restaurant, I didn't check the ratings, so I have no idea. I do have to say, though, that I had to wait about 10 minutes before getting this shot without someone coming or going. That tells me it must be a popular place, or everyone else thought it was a tourist trap like I did.

What do you think?

Red Staircase

Red Staircase

This photo was taken in Rockport, MA in the Bearneck Skin area. I like the red staircase and the dappled light against the rough cedar shake shingles.

In the background, you can see part of the Rockport Inner Harbor.

Click on the photo to get a better look.

Granite Stone Gazebo

Granite Stone Gazebo

This gazebo was shown at a distance in a previous post. At that time, I promised a better look at this Gazebo.

This stone gazebo is a popular landmark in Rockport, MA. Unfortunately it is inaccessible to the public, but it is easy to get fairly closed to it. It is part of a private residence which overlooks the harbor and the Bearskin Neck shopping district in downtown Rockport. It sits out into Sandy Bay and the Breakwater, which I've also posted previously.

The gazebo is also a point of reference for artists and photographers (myself included).

Sunset in Bolton

Sunset Over a Sheep Farm

This shot was taken in Bolton, CT. Until I looked at it at 100% to check for noise or over-sharpening, I thought this was a pig farm; so, that's what I named the file. Once I saw it at 100%, I realized there were no pigs on that farm; they were sheep. I think I need to change the name of this shot or my eye glasses.

This beautiful sunset was a wonderful way to end our ride.

Flowers From a Side Garden

Flowers from a side garden

I love these flowers that I found in a side garden at one of the houses in Rockport, MA in the Bearskin Neck region. I can recognize the Poppies, but those curly looking flowers have me puzzled. Do any of you readers/followers have any idea what they are?

American Alligator

American Alligator

This Alligator was photographed at Largo Nature Park in Largo, Florida. I was there with some friends from our Meetup Group. You can find a different Gator in a previous post from the same nature park.

People who live in places like Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, basically from Texas east to South Carolina, see these creatures every day. We are used to living with them and know their behaviors. To a Northerner, this is one of the scariest creatures alive. Yet, Alligators are really very docile.

There are two kinds of Crocodilians in the United States; American Alligators, who are typically docile except when there are young around (as with any animal), Crocodiles are more aggressive. The strange thing about this statement is that of the two, the Alligator is the largest. Strange, isn't it?

Alligators prefer fresh water and swamps; it has a broader snout with overlapping teeth and darker coloring than Crocodiles. Crocodiles can tolerate salt water better than Alligators because they have salt glands in their mouth that excrete excess salt. Crocodiles can be found in coastal areas throughout the Caribbean and in Southern Florida.

Tobacco Barn

Tobacco Barn

One of Connecticut's chief industries used to be shade grown tobacco. It seemed as soon as you left the city, you could see miles and miles of tobacco fields.

Most kids started to work on tobacco as soon as they turned 14. It was the only time 14 year-olds could were legally allowed to work. Nearly all CT high school kids worked in the tobacco industry at one time or another. In the summer, they picked tobacco. Today, there is not enough demand to be profitable for farmers to continue to grow tobacco. These sheds are now few and far between.

I told my son that I thought it was tobacco drying season, which is why we went out to look for a tobacco farm. We finally found this one in Bolton near the horse farm pictured in a previous post. You can see the tobacco hanging inside the barn door.

It's strange, I grew up in tobacco growing country, now I live near Tampa where they roll cigars. It seems I can't get away from tobacco.

Dahlia

Dahlia

This was taken at my son and daughter-in-law's house in their back garden. They have many different gardens on their property, each with its own theme. Visiting them and walking around the yard is like walking around botanical gardens. This one was one of my favorites.

There are 42 species of Dahlias, along with many hybrids. This particular species is called, Dahlia (Dahlia rosea) because of its red color. Some are round, some flat, they come in different sizes, shapes and colors. They are native to Mexico and have been used as a source of food. Their hollow stems were used to make water pipes, and they've been used as medicine, specifically to treat Epilepsy.

I especially like this particular variety because of its pom-pom shape.

Sandy Bay, Rockport, MA

Rockport, MA Sandy Bay

Another image from my trip to Rockport; this one is looking across Sandy Bay. The Granite Stone Gazebo on the jetty is used for weddings and event photos. You can see some of the houses and lodgings in the background. I have a larger photo of the gazebo that I will post at a later time.

View Out my Window

I've posted this one before on Facebook, but I wanted to post it on my blog as well so, some of you may have already seen this.

This shot was taken out of my living room window during blue hour. It was the day I bought my new camera, a Canon 6D. I just wanted to try it out and loved the results. It's true, it's not the camera that makes the image; it's the eye behind the lens; however, it doesn't hurt to have good tools to get the job done. I bought the camera because I felt that I had outgrown my old one. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with Canon's 40D, but I wanted something newer that could handle noise levels better and to give me a larger photo to work with.

There are times I need or want the crop factor of the 40D for the extra range, especially when I'm shooting birds, so I'll still be using that camera as well. But for now, my go to camera with my new 28-300mm Tamron lens will be my main walk-around lens.

Salvia

Row of Salvia

While driving around in South Windsor, my son and I spotted this row of Salvia on the side of a farm house. I love the color and that splash of pink in the tree in the background.

Ghost Tree

While my son and I were walking around in his backyard, he showed me this tree. I thought it would make a great shot for Halloween. I know it's a little early, but I couldn't wait to post it.

Most of my friends on Facebook, Flickr and in my meetup groups know I have a fascination with trees that have faces on them. I have so many of these. It's sort of like people that see things in cloud formations.

When I come across these, I am compelled to photograph them. What do you think about my ghost tree?

Mums

Mums at a Nursery in Bolton, CT

While driving through Bolton, my son spotted these pots of Mums and thought they would be neat to photograph. I saw something different. I saw layers, lines and beautiful color. We talked about it a bit, and I decided to go with the pattern shot. So, here it is. Hope you like it!

First Congregational Church, Rockport, MA

First Congregational Church, Rockport, MA

As soon as we parked in Rockport, less than a 1/2 block away, we spotted this typical New England Church on School St and churches are one of my favorite subjects to photograph.

When I used to work for the Manchester Herald, one of my jobs was to photograph the churches in their coverage area for the Sunday Newspaper. Since then, I've always been interested in photographing churches. I love the old churches with steeples and the old Gothic churches the best. I guess it's because I am from New England and that's what I'm used to seeing.

This one was organized in 1755 by Rev. Ebenezer Cleaveland and ten members. The cornerstone of the present building was laid in 1803. The church was dedicated in 1804, and Rev. David Jewett was its first pastor.