Camera Ephemera

Manatee Mom

2012-02-02T19:53:00.002-05:00

video by CLJahn on Flickr.

This manatee and her calf were cruising through the Beverly Heights section of Fort Lauderdale, a couple of blocks from Las Olas Boulevard.

Dirge for A Giant

2012-01-19T20:31:00.000-05:00

Kodak not only brought photography to the masses through its innovative celluloid film cameras, they also invented digital photography.

I certainly exposed a lot of their film; sometimes, I bought it "processing included," sending the exposed roll back to Kodak to be developed using a mailer included with the roll. It was a variation of their first camera, which came pre-loaded with film; you sent in the entire camera, and they sent it back with your photos and reloaded camera.

It truly is the end of an era.

Basking in the Sun

2012-01-16T01:19:00.002-05:00

DSC_2086, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

A Great Blue Heron basks in the winter sun along Fort Lauderdale's New River.

Lunch on the Fly

2012-01-04T08:07:00.003-05:00

DSC_1496, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

A young osprey chows down in Sailboat Bend.

Fly Like an Eagle Parrot

2012-01-01T21:54:00.005-05:00

Hard to miss a flock of wild parrots flying overhead. They seem to be powered by squawking.

Night Rider

2011-12-26T23:55:00.002-05:00

A bicycle taxi heads up Clematis Street on a recent Saturday in West Palm Beach.

Theodore, Too

2011-12-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

Theodore enjoyed basking in the Florida sun with all the other boats along Sailboat Bend.

A Lucky Horseshoe

2011-09-28T20:15:00.003-05:00

Limulus polyphemus, the horseshoe crab, has thrived on ocean floors since long before dinosaurs trod the earth. This ancient critter is not actually a crab, but a descendant of the trilobites, found in Earth's oceans 544 million years ago.

It's also Mr. Spock's closest relative on earth, sharing the Vulcan's copper-based blood.

I saw them all the time along the Jersey Shore, where I grew up, but this is the first one I've seen in Florida in the 26 years I've lived here.

Aerial Combat

2011-09-18T14:25:00.001-05:00

DSC_5541, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

A Great Blue Heron and an American Egret vie for the same fishing ground, and spent a few minutes chasing each other around in a wild dogfight.

I was shooting with my Vivitar 500mm f/8 lens, which meant that not only did I only have a 5 degree field of view, but it's a manual focus lens. This is the only shot I got of the aerobatics, and it was out of focus.

So I ran it through Photoshop's posterization filter to try and create an image that captured the essence of the moment while overcoming the focus issue.

Shore Party

2011-09-18T14:05:00.002-05:00

Some shots taken at Phillipe Park, in Safety Harbor.

First, a Great Blue Heron:

A Little Blue Heron:

A Snowy Egret:

An American Egret:

Giant Swallowtail

2011-09-10T10:28:00.002-05:00

Giant Swallowtail (pepilio cresphontes) on the banks of the New River.

Ibis

2011-09-05T14:27:00.002-05:00

This white ibis seems to be eying the fisherman's bobber dangling off the limb above it. He's actually just preening.

"Safe"

2011-07-17T17:46:00.000-05:00

This Navy ship was anchored off of Fort Lauderdale today. There are always freighter and such out there, but this is the first time I've seen this kind of ship off the beach.

The Truth Is Out There

2011-07-10T16:38:00.000-05:00

Shot in the warehouse of Sixth Star Studios. Thank you, Doug and Meredith!

4th of July, Cape Coral, Florida

2011-07-05T09:35:00.000-05:00

2011-06-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

It's summer, and flights of fancy inevitably wind up with eggs in a nest.

This Coopers' Hawk is looking fierce because there are blue jays squawking and cawing and raising a ruckus just out of view of the camera. She's definitely nesting, because she's been in the nest every time I look. I suspect that her mate is bringing in food, and hopefully I'll catch that at some point.

This next one is literally in my backyard:

This Blue Crowned Conure is nesting in a tree right over my dumpster. She joined her mate out on "the porch."

I took all of these shots with a Vivitar 500mm f/8 telephoto lens on my Nikon D50, 1/500 at ISO 400. It's a cheap, low-contrast lens, but I think I'm getting the hang of the manual focus. In order to avoid motion blur, I'm using a tripod.

This is a different group of parrots than those in the last post; at least, they were taken on a different day, several miles away.

House Hunting

2011-06-08T22:00:00.005-05:00

This feral parrot thinks he's found a potential nest. But the current homeowner isn't moving.

It's true what they say...

2011-05-30T21:26:00.000-05:00

...daughters always grow up to look like their mothers. Eventually.

But until they do, they can be quite cute.

Party Crashed

2011-05-29T13:29:00.000-05:00

Bike Race

2011-05-22T09:22:00.001-05:00

The Fort Lauderdale Bike Race put the Broward Center in the center of the track.

FAT Village: Evening Hula

2011-02-27T01:59:00.001-05:00

Tara Shea Ananda; "Hula makes you happy."

Mummy

2011-02-21T20:25:00.002-05:00

This mummified toad was in a garden along my walk home. It was outside the Sailboat Bend artists' colony, and I thought it was a carving at first.

Probably a victim of the recent cold snaps.

Boating

2011-02-21T00:29:00.000-05:00

Totality

2010-12-21T14:08:00.001-05:00

DSC_8616-02, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

The full moon is in total eclipse on the winter solstice. This will not reoccur for another 300 years.

And it was on my birthday.

Low Flier

2010-12-12T10:09:00.003-05:00

That's a real jet; the float sponsor got from a boneyard just for the parade.

Winterfest Slideshow 2010

2010-12-12T02:16:00.003-05:00

Motocross on Water

2010-12-12T02:09:00.003-05:00

It's motocross on a moving boat!

Waiting For the Parade To Start

2010-12-11T23:34:00.000-05:00

Rudolph didn't the lead this year's Winterfest Boat Parade, he brought up the rear. Which just seems wrong, somehow.

Lunch is Served

2010-10-17T16:40:00.002-05:00

A golden silk spider does what comes naturally - unfortunately for the honey bee.

M+L '98

2010-10-11T18:06:00.002-05:00

Are they still together? Did they break up? Do they even remember this testament?

Big Hive

2010-10-11T17:59:00.002-05:00

Honeybees may be disappearing around the globe, but there are plenty of bees at this hive in Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. It's about 5-6 feet across the top, to give it scale.

It's a few hundred yards north of the second parking area, and about ten yards off the road. It's pretty easy to see, although if you're driving or riding a bike, it is screened from the south by a stand of trees.

UP

2010-10-02T15:14:00.003-05:00

Moments to Sunrise, Fort Lauderdale

2010-10-02T15:06:00.004-05:00

I took this on my way in to work this morning; the sun wasn't quite out yet, but it was getting close. Taken from Sailboat Bend.

It's NOT a Dream!

2010-07-12T11:29:00.003-05:00

LeAngela Davis checks to see if there's really a crown on her head. She won the 2010 Hooters Swimsuit Pageant on July 10, at Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center for the Performing Arts. The pageant was televised on Spike TV.

Ms. Davis is the first African-American to win the pageant in its 14 year history.

Dragonfly

2010-06-18T23:14:00.002-05:00

Lubber in Lauderdale

2010-06-18T23:05:00.004-05:00

Saw a cluster of monster lubbers at Major William Lauderdale Park, in Sailboat Bend. He had to be four inches long!

And hungry....

Gatsby's Getaway

2010-05-23T11:24:00.003-05:00

OK, the Great Gatsby has never been linked to Fort Lauderdale, but the classic sports coupe is still a beauty.

The Old Swing Bridge

2010-05-22T20:06:00.001-05:00

Work on the old swing bridge seems to be progressing. Built in 1915, the bridge will remain more or less unchanged. The current renovation will repair corrosion, strengthen the roadway and the support pilings, and automate the mechanism so the operator no longer has to operate it from the middle of the span.

The span crosses the north fork of the New River, connecting Sailboat Bend on the north to Riverside Park on the south.

Ahoy!

2010-05-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

Girl on the Anchor

2010-02-07T13:44:00.001-05:00

Super Bowl Spirit

2010-02-07T13:12:00.002-05:00

One of the tents at the Jazz Brunch brings the spirit of the Super Bowl to the Sunday proceedings.

Nice Day Along the River

2010-01-03T13:06:00.002-05:00

The first Jazz Brunch of the New Year is well attended, attracting picnickers and boaters alike.

Turn and... OH!"

2010-01-03T12:34:00.002-05:00

Couple dancing at Fort Lauderdale's Sunday Jazz Brunch.

A Practical Use

2010-01-01T23:11:00.002-05:00

Finally, a good use has been found for these wretched parking meters. They're not much use for parking, since they never, ever accept credit cards.

New Year on the New River

2010-01-01T22:20:00.002-05:00

Boats crowd along the New River to witness the festivities at Esplanade Park.

Looking into the New Year

2010-01-01T21:50:00.002-05:00

People crowding in the bandstand watching the ball drop in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

The Ol' Hotrod

2009-11-10T19:08:00.002-05:00

Well, not so old as all that:

Can you hear John Travolta singing "Greased Lightning?"

Carrie B Dockside

2009-11-10T00:17:00.002-05:00

The Carrie B. at her moorings at night. Taken with a Nikon 35mm 1.8 DX lens on my D50 at 1600 ISO (No flash).

Halloween in Fort Lauderdale

2009-11-01T15:40:00.003-05:00

At least, on Los Olas Boulevard and Himmarshee Street, and a few surrounding streets.

Enjoy!

Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T17:13:00.002-05:00

Feel free to go skipping down the lane. There hasn't been a mass murder here since the Seminoles killed the Colee family. I'm sure you won't find the ghosts of the Colee wandering the dark streets, seeking vengeance.

Pretty sure.

Not Decoration

2009-10-30T22:21:00.002-05:00

The spider-webs on this streetlamp didn't come out of a bag. It's nature preparing for Halloween along Fort Lauderdale's Riverwalk.

Tango

2009-10-24T09:42:00.006-05:00

Couples dancing in the Broward Performing Art Center's courtyard following the Friday evening performance of Tanquera: The Tango Musical.

The Broward Center is now keeping the bars open in the courtyard following weekend evening performances, and bringing in live entertainment. Cast members come out and mingle with the patrons, making for a nightly "after party." Why rush home?

Tanguera closes on Sunday, October 25th.

Must be Halloween..in South Florida

2009-10-09T21:19:00.002-05:00

You don't find many flamingo witches elsewhere.

Dancing with Daddy

2009-10-09T21:09:00.002-05:00

Two little girls dance with their daddy at Fort Lauderdale's Riverfront during the October jazz brunch.

Daredevil on A1A

2009-08-23T21:51:00.002-05:00

I almost didn't catch him: he wasn't standing when I first saw him. But I managed to click off this shot before he sat back down.

Love on a Harley

2009-08-09T21:21:00.002-05:00

DSC_4308, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

Not the Coppertone Girl

2009-08-09T08:08:00.002-05:00

Not the Coppertone Girl, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

Better Spot-breasted Oriole

2009-08-05T22:35:00.002-05:00

I managed to get a little closer, and got a better shot than the last one. I'm not sure if it's the same bird: this was about three blocks away.

In response to ethanshapi: the Altimara Oriole, while very similar, is also very rare in these parts. It is doubtful that you have a nesting pair in Pembroke Pines, although it's remotely possible.

Concert in the Park

2009-08-03T10:19:00.002-05:00

Die-hard jazz fans brave the heat for Sunday's Jazz Brunch along the Fort Lauderdale river front.

Gone Fishin'

2009-07-30T17:26:00.002-05:00

The family that fishes together, spends a lot of time sitting around together.
But that young man stands a chance of catching something, if the yellow crocs don't sceer the fishes away.

Cowabunga!

2009-07-27T17:43:00.003-05:00

"Comfort"

2009-07-26T22:10:00.003-05:00

The USN Hospital Ship "Comfort" is docked in Port Everglades this week.

From this angle, you can see very clearly her origins as a tanker. Why a tanker? Large internal compartments accommodate the insertion of pre-fabricated modules. And the crew for sailing operations is quite minimal.

The "Comfort" is one of only two hospital ships in operation by the Navy, and there have only been twenty designated hospital ships in the history of the service.

(sorry for the grainy picture; somehow the camera got locked into ISO 1600, even though it was set to change as needed. Stupid Nikon sub-menus!)

Shipping

2009-07-26T22:01:00.003-05:00

We all know that the origin of the term "shipping" comes from sending something on a ship.
Here, we see a boat being loaded onto a freighter, to be shipped overseas.

These were taken during a cruise on the riverboat Carrie B. Sure, it's a touristy thing to do, but it was a pleasant day on the river & intercoastal, and it was very informative. Try the lemonade; they ain't kidding when they call it fresh-squeezed.

Spot-Breasted Oriole

2009-07-18T18:16:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd never get a clear shot of him, the way he kept darting in and out of the branches. He's territorial: the other picture in this series was taken a week earlier in the same tree.

Immature Night Heron

2009-07-18T18:13:00.002-05:00

Found him along a canal just north of Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. I love this about South Florida: you're in the middle of a city, and the wildlife is right there with you.

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-05T06:27:00.003-05:00

Photographing fireworks requires a tripod and a remote to activate the camera: the latter is important, because even the slight jostle of pushing the shutter button gets picked up during the long exposure.

I don't have the remote, but now I know I can do it!

Red Hot

2009-06-24T01:26:00.002-05:00

FYI, I haven't played with the color: this is from the saturated lighting onstage. Sure, some of the contestants posed, but most of these shots are candids.

Glass Slippers for the 21st century

2009-06-23T10:48:00.003-05:00

Glass Slippers in the 21st century, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

All the contestants wore these acrylic slingback pumps. Judging from the way a lot of the girls would kick them off and carry them around, they aren't very comfortable.

Blue #1

2009-06-22T21:17:00.002-05:00

I like the way the yellow bikini points at the only part of the girl's face we can see.

Nikon D50, shutter priority at 1/60, ISO Auto, through a Nikon 50mm 1.8 lens.

How to use Butt Glue

2009-06-22T20:58:00.002-05:00

The Hooters Pageant isn't just about beautiful women in bikinis. It's also not simply a fundraiser for breast cancer (no jokes, please - the third Miss Hooters died from BC). It's also an edumucational program. This year, we learned about the importance of... butt glue.

Hey! My Bikini is not firmly in place!

First, we must find the optimal placement for the bikini....

...then, we apply the butt glue...

...finally we smooth it into place.

Southeastern Lubber Nymphs

2009-05-11T19:40:00.004-05:00

These will eventually become South Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers ( Romalea microptera ); there were hundreds of them consuming this palm.

Hawk Preening

2009-04-29T23:06:00.003-05:00

This was taken along Alligator Alley back in February.

Night Herons Kissing

2009-04-13T00:00:00.004-05:00

I stumbled on a nesting colony of yellow-crowned night-herons along the north fork of the New River. I've never seen so many night herons at one time!

Nap Time

2009-04-12T17:07:00.002-05:00

Heron at dusk

2009-04-11T23:16:00.002-05:00

Took this a couple of months ago. It's late afternoon along Alligator Alley.

Breakthrough!

2009-02-22T22:42:00.003-05:00

Young Bryce cracks open the piñata at my niece's birthday party.

Warming up

2009-02-20T11:27:00.003-05:00

This photo was recently selected to be included in the 6th edition of the Schmap Guide for Fort Lauderdale. According to their website,

Schmap is a leading publisher of digital travel guides for 200 destinations throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. More than 90 million Schmap Guides have been downloaded since first release in March 2006: this phenomenally popular series can also be browsed online, with versions optimized for iPhone and Nokia users

You can see it at Schmap.com

Chew on this

2008-12-26T22:23:00.002-05:00

My step-brother is visited most days just around sunset. This guy is chewing on a piece of shrubbery that he nipped from right alongside the house. I startled him when I came to the window, and this is him looking back from where he leapt to.

WinterFest Boat Parade: Slideshow

2008-12-16T20:53:00.003-05:00

The heck with it, have a slideshow:

Irie, Mon

2008-12-14T21:06:00.002-05:00

WinterFest Boat Parade: Santa

2008-12-14T09:14:00.002-05:00

It's fitting that Santa was not only on the biggest float, but that it had to towed; it wasn't actually a boat at all, but a barge. Tres elegant.

Dancin' on the Water

2008-12-14T07:44:00.002-05:00

A young hula dancer practices her moves just before the boat parade.

Here's the float as it appeared later in the parade: I guess they decided to put off dancing until they got to the real reviewing stands.

Lined up for the parade

2008-12-14T00:18:00.002-05:00

These boats were moored across from the Performing Arts center, waiting for their turn in the WinterFest Boat Parade.

Jazz Brunch

2008-12-07T20:48:00.002-05:00

It was a beautiful day along the New River.

There was the usual dancing in the Peck Courtyard...

...and I finally got a picture of the anchor that I actually like.

Red-shouldered Hawk at Sunset

2008-12-01T19:21:00.002-05:00

Red-shouldered Hawk at sunset, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

Taken about 5pm today; he's looking into the setting sun.

ISO 200, 300mm, 1/400, F5.6

Into the Wild Blue Yonder

2008-11-24T22:21:00.002-05:00

Don't know why it was sailing over Sailboat Bend, but it was.

Touchdown!

2008-11-24T22:17:00.002-05:00

Touchdown!, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

Pumpkin Jail

2008-11-06T18:22:00.002-05:00

Found this wayward jack-o-lantern around the corner, a few days after halloween.

Grafitti, 7th Avenue Bridge

2008-11-06T18:16:00.002-05:00

Cool Morning on the New River

2008-10-28T07:47:00.002-05:00

Cool Sunrise over New River, originally uploaded by CLJahn.

It was a brisk morning when I walked out on the swing bridge to take this picture of Sailboat Bend on the New River.

Because they're still pretty, that's why

2008-10-22T16:52:00.003-05:00

Captured this image in the everglades last week.

Toys for Boys: SPYKER

2008-10-20T22:43:00.002-05:00

Yella

2008-10-08T22:57:00.002-05:00

It's not enough to have a Harley to ride as you cruise A1A in Fort Lauderdale; it's gotta be BRIGHT, and you've gotta have shirt to match.

A Feather in his Cap.

2008-10-05T18:26:00.002-05:00

Pigeons often perch on statues, but this one seems to have settled in.

Couple Dancing

2008-10-05T13:21:00.002-05:00

A couple dances to the jazz in the Peck Courtyard of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts during the Sunday Jazz Brunch.

Police Harley

2008-10-05T13:19:00.002-05:00

School's Out

2008-09-23T22:30:00.003-05:00

Something was chasing these guys out of the water, but I missed the shot when I took the camera down to try to see what was chasing them.

This was taken by the Las Olas Boulevard Bridge in Fort Lauderdale. It's worth clicking through to Flickr and looking at the full size image.

Modern Classic

2008-09-18T18:33:00.003-05:00

The right car for the beach...

Footprints #1

2008-09-15T23:08:00.002-05:00

Under the Florida Sun

2008-09-10T19:04:00.002-05:00

I have to admit, this looks like the quintessential Florida travel poster. All it needs is a dolphin leaping in the background.