Memorial Causeway Bridge, Clearwater, FL

This was taken during a meetup with my group. I decided to experiment with white balance settings on my camera. I used tungsten lighting for this one.

This site will look very different in a year or two. The city of Clearwater is planning to add slips in this area sometime in 2009. This is called progress?

If you enjoy my work, you can see more at my website. Just click on the title of this blog and it'll take you to my site.

Anhinga Drying his Wings

A view of an Anhinga drying his wings in Largo Central Nature Preserve and Park, Largo, FL.

Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga), soars often resembling a flying cross. Rests in trees or sticks over water; holds wings out to dry because they lack oil glands for water-proofing. Anhingas are caled "snakebirds" for their habit of swimming with just their neck and head showing. They stab fish in the side, then flip it up to swallow head first. They nest in small colonies, often with cormorants and herons. They can be found in freshwater marshes, swamps and rivers and are resident in Florida.

Wood Duck Couple

About a week ago, my friend, Kathy, who belongs to my Meetup Group (Florida State Photography Meetup Group), and I went to Lowrey Park Zoo in Tampa for the afternoon.

There were so many things to capture there, I could've stayed a lot longer, but, we had to get home before rush hour.

Kathy and I are both passionate about photographing nature. This pair of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) can be found anywhere from Brittish Columbia south to CA, and from Montana east to Nova Scotia and south to TX and Florida. They are absent in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. They winter near the Pacific Coast north to Washington, and to New Jersey in the East. They rarely go further north.

Their habitat is in wooded rivers and ponds, wooded swamps and they visit freshwater marshes in late summer and fall. They nest in cavities, which enable them to breed in areas lacking suitable ground cover. The young leave the nest soon after hatching, jumping from the nesting cavity to the ground or water. Once out of the nest, they travel through wooded ponds with their mother. Snapping turtles take a heavy toll of the young.

I was thrilled to capture this couple. This is the time of year that they form pairs and begin to look for nesting sites.

Anhinga

This Anhinga looks surprised, but actually, he's preening. He was just about to grab his feathers on his lower neck.

Anhingas (Anhinga anhinga), soar often resembling a flying cross. They rest in trees or on sticks over water; holding their wings out to dry because they lack oil glands for water-proofing.

Anhingas are caled "snakebirds" for their habit of swimming with just their neck and head showing above the water. They stab fish in the side, swim to a log to bang it against the log to kill it, then flip it up to swallow head first.

Anhingas nest in small colonies, often with cormorants and herons. They can be found in freshwater marshes, swamps and rivers and are resident in Florida.

I found him while on a meetup with my Meetup Group. You can see more photos from this meetup by checking out this link: Florida State Photography Meetup Group,

I organize this group and we have 166 members. We go out a minimum of twice a month (most of the time more) to photograph events, nature (at nature parks), architecture, etc. Usually, there is an average of 12 people that go out together. As a matter of fact, tonight, 8 of us are going out to photograph the lunar eclipse. It ought to be fun and challenging. By going out with a group, we can share tips and techniques and learn from one another. It's one way to feel safe in this day an age, when it could be dangerous to go out alone to desolate areas with all our photo gear. If you live in the Tampa Bay area, and are interested in photography, or would like to learn to take better photos--or just want to have fun, check out the link and consider joining us. Everyone at every skill level is welcome.

If you've enjoyed this post, and would like to see more of my work, check out my website at Loyce Hood Photo.

Banana Trees

When I moved into this house a year ago September, there was 1 small banana tree near the bank at the edge of the property. The tree kept sending little shoots and before I knew it, there were 5 trees.

The first one flowered about 6 months ago, and produced close to 40 lbs. of bananas. I ate so many, I threw my Potassium levels out of whack. It couldn't be helped, they were soooo good.

Bananas aren't really trees. They're herbaceous perennials that grow from corms (or pseudobulbs). Thick, fleshy stalks (pseudostems) emerge from the large corms and can increase in height anywhere from 1-30 ft. in a year, depending on the selection and location. Each stalk carries spectacular broad, 5-9 ft. long leaves. Each also produces a single flower cluster, which develops fruit; the stalk dies after fruiting, and new stalks then grow from the corm.

There are now 5 stalks. This photo is the latest harvest--it, too, is close to 40 lbs. There are two more bunches of bananas coming out. These bananas taste a bit more sweet than the ones found in the grocery stores, and they have a slight bite to them, but they're 100% organic. Once removed from the stalk, they take about a week to ripen, then they all ripen within a few days of one another.

If you've enjoyed my blog and photos, please visit my website at http://loycehoodphoto.com.

American Alligator

If you read my blog yesterday, you'd have seen a closeup of this 'gator. This spot, at the bottom of the bank in my back yard, seems to be his preferred spot for his afternoon nap. I can see him most every day around 3:00 pm.

This one is fairly young, probably only about 4 1/2 - 5 ft in length. I think he's getting used to me, because he doesn't bother to move when I snap his picture.

Poor thing is missing his front leg; but seems to do fine without it.

American Alligator

American Alligator

I found this guy snoozing on my lawn. He must've been pretty tired, because my camera or my movement didn't wake him up.

In Florida, we cohabitate with 'Gators. They're very afraid of people, so when they see us, they usually make a quick get-a-way. Once in a while, due to people feeding them, they loose they're fear of people. This is a terrible injustice to the 'Gators, since they are then considered a nuisance Alligator and they're usually shot. People need to understand that these creatures know how to get their own food, and they we shouldn't interfere with nature.

Alligators are normally quite docile; but can become aggressive when people come up quickly on them, or when people are near the nest.

American Alligator (Alligator mississippiens) Alligators hibernate to the muddy wallows in cooler months in Northern Florida. They can be found in ponds, swamps, rivers, freshwater and brackish marshes, mangroves, canals and occasionally in the ocean. They are resident in Florida.

Downtown Tampa From the UT Campus

This is only one of many beautiful views of downtown Tampa that can be seen from the University of Tampa campus.

The buildings, from left to right are, the Sykes building, the Bank of America building and the Regions Bank buildings.

Arch Detail

Arch detail and reflections in window of Regions Bank, which is in downtown Tampa. The University of Tampa campus is one of the preferred places to create "out of the box" images of downtown Tampa.

These arches are over the main doors in Plant Hall at the University of Tampa.

Backside Plant Hall, University of Tampa, Tampa, FL

This is another image from Plant Hall at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida. This building is so ornate it's hard to know what to shoot. It shows detail of some of the Gingerbread design that was so popular in the Victorian age.

Plant Hall, University of Tampa

This is one of the many porches on the backside of this amazing building. I've been there twice now, and still haven't been able to capture everything there is to photograph.

The University of Tampa campus is one of the most amazing campuses I've ever seen. The architecture appears to be a combination of Russian and Victorian, yet it also resembles Middle East architecture.

If you're ever in the Tampa area, this is one place to put on your list to see.

Minarets Atop Plant Hall at University of Tampa

Well, it's been a while since I've updated my blog. I've been on an extended vacation.

This photo of the Moorish minarets atop Plant Hall at the University of Tampa is only a small part of the beauty of this campus. I went there about two weeks ago and couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the beauty of this place.

Plant Hall was once the old Tampa Bay Hotel. "On June 14, 1898 Lt. Col. Theodore Roosevelt and the first United States Volunteer Calvary, known as the Rough Riders, embarked from Port Tampa for victory in the Spanish-American War: The Tampa Bay Hotel was used as headquarters for general officers who came to organize an invasion force for Cuba , and it gained national attention. Lt. Col. Roosevelt and his wife, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, were hotel guests for a brief stay. Later, Colonel Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th President of the United States 1901-1909." - as stated on a plaque in front of the entrance to Plant Hall.

As you can see it is only fitting that this beautiful building is now used as one of the main buildings on the University of Tampa campus.

Elusive Osprey

This Osprey sits up in my tree on and off all day and yet I've had the hardest time trying to photograph him. It seems he knows the beeps my alarm makes when I'm coming outside and as soon as he hears the beeps, he's off into the air.

Yesterday, I finally caught him off guard and was able to make this shot.

If you've enjoyed my blog and you'd like to see more of my photography, visit my website at: http://LoyceHoodPhoto.com.

Loyce

Muscovy Duck

These friendly ducks are either hated or loved. Personally, I love them. They're friendly, quiet and not the least bit afraid of people.

There are some people in my neighborhood that would love to see them go away. Right now, the town is trying to pass a law to prevent people from feeding them and all other birds. This is ridiculous! I hope the law isn't passed.

This one is on the bank in my back yard. We have several families living here and I enjoy seeing them. In the spring, after their chicks were hatched, they brought them into the yard right up to me to show off their little chick. They were so cute. I'd really miss them if they were to go away.

Muscovies are fairly large birds and can grow up to 20 pounds. They originally came from Mexico and are a tropical bird. However, they've adapted to the climate in the United States and have been found living up north.

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

Common Spatterdocks

Today my friend and I went for an early morning walk through Sawgrass Lake Park, here in St Petersburg, FL, looking to capture some bird photos.

While we didn't see many birds, I spotted these Spatterdocks and liked the way the light was hitting them, The reflections of the tree in the upper center frame is just icing on the cake to complete my composition.

Loyce

Panoramic and HDR Workshop

Yesterday afternoon I attended Day 1 of a photo workshop through my camera group (http://photo.meetup.com/406) at The Pier in St Petersburg, FL. There were 12 photographers in attendance and we had the most amazing sky for our shoot. My friend and Assistant Organizer, Michael Richter, led the workshop.

This photo is my favorite panoramic shot of the St Petersburg, FL skyline. It is made with 13 shots and the original size is a whopping 61 inch x 9 in photo at 180 MB. Obviously, I've resized it for this blog. You can see a larger version of this shot by clicking on it.

I processed the Camera RAW photos with Adobe Lightroom, then brought them into Adobe Photoshop CS3 and used the Photomerge command to stitch it all together. It took more than an hour to process it, but in my opinion, it was definitely worth it.

If you'd like to see more of my work, visit my website at: http://LoyceHoodPhoto.com.

Enjoy,
Loyce

Sharefest Event

Last week, I had the pleasure of participating in the Largo Sharefest Event at the Northeast Paw Playground.

I photographed dogs with Santa. I had a lot of fun after I realized that these dogs were all obedience trained. It was a first time for me. I worried that the dogs would be unruly and possibly bite Santa. The worry was all for nothing. The shoot went well, and all the dogs behaved.

This is my favorite photo from the shoot. The pooches name is Auggie Doggie, and he didn't seem to mind being on Santa's lap at all.

Let me know what you think!

If you'd like to see more of my photos, visit my site at http://LoyceHoodPhoto.com.