Twilight in St. Petersburg, FL

Trianon Cafe

Lights and Shadow

Taken at the bar inside Cha-Cha Coconuts on top of The Pier in Downtown St. Petersburg. The setting sun outside added to the shadows inside and enhanced the red cast of the lights on the bar interior. The sight was pretty dramatic, I thought.

(P) I took the shot with the flash off and, as usual, had my camera set to auto.
Welcome to my first True Colors post. (D)


“A Picture of many colors proclaims images of many Thoughts.”
~Donna A. Favors

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TRUE COLORS

Guard Rooms

Inside the guard room. Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. St. Augustine, Florida. January.30.2010.

Guard Rooms

St. Augustine was a garrison town or presidio, and no one lived inside the Castillo. The soldiers lived in town with their families and came to the fort to stand a rotating guard duty (usually 24 hours). At such times, they slept and prepared their meals in these rooms. The large fireplaces offered warmth on chilly days and provided an area for cooking. The platforms attached to the walls served as beds for the soldiers.

Source: NPS

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,
and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
~Henry Ward Beecher

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WINDOW VIEWS AND DOORS

Friends

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,
and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
~Henry Ward Beecher

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Lighthouse. Peoplehouse.

I always wanted to live in a treehouse but I won't mind living in a lighthouse like this, either. St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum in St. Augustine, FL. January 30, 2010.

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,
and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
~Henry Ward Beecher

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RUBY TUESDAY

Past and Present

Inside the Lighthouse Keeper's House. St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum in St. Augustine, FL. January 31, 2010.


"A photograph is memory in the raw."
~Carrie Latet

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SOOC SUNDAY

SWF07 - St. Pete Skyline

Taken in November at The Pier rooftop in St. Petersburg, FL.


“May the wind under your wings bear you
where the sun sails and the moon walks”
~Gandalf, The Hobbit

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SKYWATCH FRIDAY

OSM01 - A New Day for a New Life

Welcome to my first Odd Shot Monday post!

[From my Picasa Web Album: Beach Walk at Sunrise]



“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,
and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
~Henry Ward Beecher

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ODD SHOT MONDAY

MYM03 - A Morning Promise of Greatness to Come

Morning sun and morning glories
pouring down the hill
Through my window, I can feel the ocean breeze

...

This good day
It is a gift from You
The world is turning in its place, because You made it to
I lift my voice to sing a song of praise
on this good day

(Excerpt from the song, "This Good Day", by Fernando Ortega)

Listen to the song on Lala.

[From my Picasa Web Album: Beach Walk at Sunrise]


"There is no blue without yellow and without orange."
~Vincent Van Gogh

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MELLOW YELLOW MONDAY

Thursday Challenge #2 - Bottles. Are you sure?

Thursday Challenge Theme: "BOTTLES" (Containers, Cup, Mug, Vase, Beverage, Cosmetic, Ornamental...)

I think I'm skirting the rules of the challenge on this one, but I hope I can be forgiven for it. :mrgreen: I love this painting, and I thought this week's challenge is a good opportunity to share it with you all.

This is a picture of a painting I took at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 2005. I remember being mesmerized by the sheer details in this painting. The illusion was so realistic I was tempted to reach out and touch the objects to make sure they were not real, cliché as that may sound. :D

From the plaque beside the painting:

Still life with gilt goblet
WILLEM CLAESZ HEDA
oil on panel, 1635

For forty years, Willem Heda painted nothing but still lifes. his work distinguishes itself from the still lifes of his contemporaries: the colors are softer, cooler and more harmonious. A strip of bright yellow lemon peel is the single accent. Here Heda shows himself to be a master in the portrayal of gleaming surfaces and the reflection of light: each object on the table reflects another.

Also, from The Masterpieces Guide:

WILLEM CLAESZ HEDA, 1594-1680

This looks like the remains of a banquet, but it is in fact a carefully considered composition. Heda has arranged the objects so that he can give the best possible demonstration of his skill. This is why the drinking vessel is lying on its side, so that both the dull silver under the foot and the gleaming exterior can be seen. It is an absolute tour de force. Because the objects are depicted one behind the other rather than being seen from above, the composition looks more natural than that of its predecessors. The sublime rendition of materials and reflections adds to this effect.

...Putting the plate on the edge of the table serves to suggest depth.

“A photograph is usually looked at—seldom looked into”
~Ansel Adams

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THURSDAY CHALLENGE

Wordless Wednesday #2 - Here I Stand

A Picture of many colors proclaims images of many Thoughts.
~Donna A. Favors

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Window Views #1 - Too Early at the Casino

Welcome to my first Window Views post!

Taken last year on the second floor of hotel Atlantis in Reno, Nevada. The place was pretty empty, which was nice. :D My sister and I dropped by the hotel for a look-around early in the morning, when most guests are either still in bed or somewhere else. Great timing. :D I don't play in casinos, but I enjoy looking at the decorations.

“A photograph is memory in the raw.”
~Carrie Latet

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WINDOW VIEWS

SOOC Sunday #1 - A Different Kind of Casino Luck

Taken on the strip of Reno, Nevada. How the shot came out nicely, I don't know but I'm not complaining! :D I took the shot from my car while waiting for the traffic to move. Perhaps it was meant to be my souvenir from this spot of Reno. Driving through the strip was an unexpected treat from my GPS (I was on my way back to Sacramento). It was my first and last glimpse of the downtown nightlife.

Welcome to my first SOOC Sunday post!



"A photograph is memory in the raw."
~Carrie Latet

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SOOC: Straight Out of the Camera