[photo walk] trolley rides

I scheduled a photo walk on the trolley. My intention was to ride the trolley. When something looked interesting,one can get off the trolley and take some photos. We would get all-day passes so we could get back on at any time.



The trolleys don't start running until 11:00 am. I scheduled the meet-up for 10:30 thinking that there is always someone who is late. This time, everyone arrived early but we still had to wait for the trolley. I had gotten there early so I could check out Fort Brooke park to see if there was enough for a photo walk. The park is small but is park of the River Walk so a future photo walk would be a good idea.













The weather was warmer than I would have liked. But the trolleys are air conditioned. And since there were only 6 of us, we stayed as a group. Jeff and Theresa came so I ceded control to him. We rode as far as one stop before getting off at Channelside. There was a cruise ship getting ready for departure. There was a guard making sure no one walked down the steps and got too close to the gate.









Doyle wanted his photo taken under the Stumps sign. Silly. I took a few shots with his camera too.



After the ship left, we got back on the trolley. I wanted to take some photos of the newer buildings just north of Channelside. I thought I would stop on our way back.



Since we had a recent photo walk in Ybor City, I didn't plan on walking around much. I just wanted to eat lunch at the brewery. But Jeff started walking with Jim who hadn't been on that walk. So we walked around one very long block and then back to Tampa Bay Brewing Co for lunch. I had a beer, Blonde, and Doyle had unsweetened iced tea. Doyle just started dieting with Jenny Craig and ate nothing. I had a veggie burger. Yum!





I tried taking some shots inside the brewery. I boosted my iso up to 3200 but it was still slow. I realized later than Maya had looked at my camera and had changed it to Program mode. Oops.



We got back on the trolley and headed back. It was too late to stop again. I will have to come some other time to shoot those buildings.

[photo walk] lowry park zoo

(click to enlarge)

I never really liked going to the zoo when I was young. In fact, I can only recall going once on a school field trip. The Detroit Zoo is large and the animals were few and far between. When the boys were toddler, we did get an annual pass but then we moved down here to Florida. The pass worked for the Lowry Park Zoo and I liked going there much better. The zoo was smaller and more compact. I could whisk the boys through in less than an hour.



We stopped getting annual passes when the boys started school. It's too hot to go during the summer and too crowded on the weekends. Last summer, we got a family pass for the Aquarium. In September, the Aquarium, the Zoo and MOSI, have reciprocal agreements. We ended up getting memberships to the Zoo and MOSI.



The Zoo is near my chiropractor. So I would visit the Zoo before getting my adjustment. I found I liked going to the Zoo without my kids. I could go where I wanted and take as many photos as I wanted without worrying about Andy wandering off.



The Zoo isn't cheap. But I knew that Allen and Mike had passes. And Doyle had said he would go so I schedule a Friday photo walk.



The weather was beautiful but a bit on the warm side. Doyle prefers the overcast days but my camera loves the bright sun. I took my tripod with the intent of shooting the zebras for Bonnie's niece. I wanted to head to the African Safari area first but followed along as Jeff and Allen walked toward the Asian Gardens. My shyness gets in the way of me being an assertive leader. Besides, I know I can come back another time.



Jeff was a bit disappointed and disgusted with the lack of photo opportunities. The Zoo is not designed with the photographer in mind. The barriers are almost impossible to shoot around. I really hadn't thought about it as I am used to it. I like that the animals are so close and not so far away like at the Detroit Zoo.



Allen suggested we go into the Harrell Discovery Center. It is full of colorful frogs. I didn't use my flash so none of my pictures came out. Jeff and Theresa wandered and found the eagles. Jeff was very happy to get a great shot of one.



The Zoo was full of school children and the manatee area was one of the worse. The building is dark and with all those loud kids, unbearable. The manatee pools were cloudy and green and you couldn't really see them.



We left there and Jeff found some egret nests. The ground was stained with bird poop. You could see that there was a bird up there but not enough of the bird to take a shot. Then Allen found another nest with several young birds. The mother sat and guarded while we shot at them with our cameras. The light wasn't great, it was too bright. But I got some good shots. I would have never seen these nests without Jeff and Allen.



We hung around the carousel try to get some shots for hdr. Doyle was trying to get some blur and light trail shots. Jeff entertained us by running around to get some panning shots.





The penguins were disappointing. Only 2 came out and most of the vegetation was lost during the cold winter.

We finally made it to Safari African. We went inside the hall and Doyle and I tried some light trails with the colored lights in the ceiling. There was a restaurant and a food court. No one could decide which place to eat so I chose the restaurant. The air conditioning felt good.



There were more zebras mixed in with the giraffes. The elephants pooped near the water and then ambled away from the stench. I finally saw the baby zebra. Actually there were two! Unfortunately, the grevy zebras are housed with the rhinos so the fences are very thick an d obnoxious. But I managed to get a really good shot even without setting up my tripod. The IS in the camera works pretty well. This exhibit was the most active. The male zebra tried to mount one of the females. He wasn't successful. The rhinos snorted and snuffed at each other and looked to get ready to rumble.



We wandered about and were looking at the African spoonbills and hornbills and storks. There was a fine mesh separating the birds from us. I took some shots not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised with a couple of good shots.



Then we headed back. It was just after 2 pm when we left the park. And over 800 images.

[photo walk] clearwater beach

Last month, I went on a brief nighttime walk to Clearwater Beach. I had never been to Pier 60. I knew I wanted to come back and explore. I scheduled a Friday photo walk.





My sister, Nancy, and I took the boys to a beach near here back in 2001. It was a long drive and keeping track of the boys was not an easy task. And I am not a beach person. I prefer the pool and concrete deck to the ocean and sand. My boys are the same way. So we don't visit the beaches much. It's much easier to go the clubhouse for an hour of swimming than drive and hour, one way.





There were only 5 of us on the walk. I was glad Jeff came since he basically led the group. Mike and Allen prefer more nature and landscape, Maya and I prefer more urban subjects. We walked by the marina. I love the little buildings which house the booths for the various tours. Many were plain and utilitarian but a few were more interesting. We walked to the Bait Shop. We didn't go in. I wonder if they sell bait or are they now just a restaurant?















Jeff knew of a few places where there were there were bird nests. I am not a bird photographer. I lack the patience. And the lens I used most of the time doesn't have the reach. I did like the tell tale sign of birds above with the parking meters.





Then we walked to the Pier. You could walk about half way for free. To get past the gift shop and to the end of the Pier, it cost each person $.50. Maya and I went out while Jeff, Allen & Mike sat on the benches and talked. Most of the people at the end were fishing. The brown pelicans were looking for handouts. Those birds are big and not afraid of humans so much. They startled Maya a few times when they would land on the rails.













I got bored and started walking back. Maya had started to follow but got distracted. Once I got back to the guys, they were ready to go. I had to call Maya to nudge her to come.



We decided it was time for lunch. Allen & Mike didn't stay. Jeff, Maya & I met Maya's husband for lunch at Crabby Bills.

special olympics torch run

We are getting closer to the State Special Olympics and Monday there was a torch run. It was sponsored by the Pasco County Sheriff's Department. The run started at 9:00. I was late because I had to wait for Ryan's bus. I got to SR 54 and US 41 at 9:10 but there was no sign of anyone. I drove up 41 and found the group. I expected a lot more people. I thought it would have been for all of Pasco county but it looked like just a few schools.





I pulled into Hungry Harry's to park. I grabbed my camera just as the runners with the torch were passing. Soon, the rest of the group passed by. When Andy got here, I joined them. I wasn't really prepared. I had on my sandals instead of sneakers. And I had left my wallet and iPhone in the van.





Andy was invited to participate even though he didn't qualify for the State Finals. They said the run would be slow so Jessica thought walking would be OK. But they meant slow run, a jog. Those of us walking slowed up the whole group. At some point, we were picked up and ferried to a spot close to the end of the run. The we got out and walk/jogged to another area. It wasn't the finish but close. They wanted everyone to run into the park together. The only ones who had any energy left were the deputies who had hydration packs on their backs.











Ms. Jessica and Mr. Jim had to get a lift back to get the vans. The kids played on the playground. When they got back, Ms. Jessica dropped Andy and me off at Hungry Harry's and our van. We all went to Chili's for lunch. Andy would not eat the chicken since it was battered and fried and not breaded. He did consent to try the fries. The pepper made him suspicious but he decided he liked them and ate them all.















The high school kids were talking about Mr. Jim's full name. It is James Frances Cracciolo. And it turns out that he his aunt, Janine, was engaged to my brother, Greg. Small world!





Andy wanted to come home with me. But first he wanted to go to Chick Fil A! Andy noticed that they had done some decorating since our last visit. Just some subtle changes, new wall paper and new counter tops. Andy didn't eat much after all those fries. But he did play some. At least until the play area filled with loud, little kids.

iPad, I haz one

I got an iPad. When I first saw them introduced, I was intrigued but didn't think I would be getting one anytime soon. It was a luxury I could not afford. Then I started helping Bonnie out with her photo processing. She offered money or a computer or a camera. The computer and camera I hoped to get could be "justified" expenditures. But an iPad...

When Apple allowed pre-ordering on the iPad, I ordered mine on the first day. And I tried to forget about for the next few weeks. That wasn't easy since it was all over the web. But soon the final week was here.

I watched all week as people began to report the tracking of UPS deliveries of their iPads. I got my notice but there wasn't much progress. Hell, there was no progress untill April 2 when it finally left China. I was beginning to think it wouldn't be here on Saturday.

Next update showed the iPad arriving in Clearwater on Saturday morning. An hour later it had arrived in Tampa. By 11:00 am, I figured it would not be here and resolved to waiting until Monday. The hardest part would be reading all the reports of happy iPad owners and what it could do.

After 2pm, I hear a vehicle outside and looked up. Could that be UPS? Yes!

I love that it came charged but I still needed to sync up the apps and my settings. Perhaps I should have had it set up according to my iPhone. I didn't think about it at the time. I set it up a new device. Synching was slow. Bit eventually got it set up the way I want it for now. Ryan was eager to play with it. But Andy got in our way and I was able to play with it for about an hour before Ryan came back. He took it over for an hour before I demanded it back.

So far, it's pretty darn cool. I wish more of my iPhone apps were optimized for the bigger screen. I was disappointed that Reeder is not universal but Google Reader for mobile I'd OK on the iPad. As is Tumbler. I do not like the mobile version of GoodReads and prefer their iPhone app.

I do like USA Today and NPR for the iPad. Instapaper is another app that works better on the iPad.

I prefer typing on the iPhone. I guess it's good to be all thumbs in that case.

I don't like that I cannot charge using my iMac. And that I should not use the iPad charger to charge my iPhone. Huh? No reason has been given. Will it damage the iPhone?

I learned later that it requires twice the amperage than the iPhone. And charging hasn't been a problem. I can get through the weekdays with a single charge. Sometimes I need to plug it in on a Saturday or Sunday. Playing games takes more energy than reading.

I really like reading on the iPad. So far I prefer the Kindle for iPad app over iBooks. I love that Kindle with sync effortlessly with my iPhone so I always know where I left off. Amazon has more books available as well. I am looking forward to Barnes & Noble eReader to be optimized for the iPad. Though it would be really nice it one app could read all these different formats the way iTunes can with music.

So far, Ryan really enjoys Labyrinth and Cash Cow. and enjoys the Toys Story books as well as the Dr. Seuss books.

I find myself consuming more info from the web and my blog is suffering because of it. Oh well, I never claimed to be a writer.

[photowalk] old hyde park village

Another Friday photowalk.



The weather was perfect, sunny but not too hot yet.





Old Hyde Park Village use to be a busy, active place. When we moved down 10 years ago, I used to like to come down and shop. That is until summer. Then I opted for the air conditioned malls.





Before this latest recession, Hyde Park was struggling. Jacobson's was the anchor store but they closed in 2002. Pottery Barns Kids is still a big draw but Restoration Hardware, Talbots and Gap have left the area.









Ten am on Good Friday and the place was nearly deserted. Most of the people to going to and coming from Lifestyle Fitness.

Park of the group went towards the park. Sherry and I walked around the shops. We walked into a place that sold creatively hand made soaps. Sherry asked before we started shooting away. I pulled out my flash and was glad I did. Other my shots would have been blurry at best.







There really aren't many shops still open. I walked down towards the park. I was happy to shoot the homes and buildings with their bungalow style details.









I always feel odd shooting at playgrounds when I don't have my kids. I try to get shots without other kids in so I don't worry about posting their picture. Sometimes I take a cute shot of a kid knowing I won't post them.







The park had a cool gazebo where the "roof" is made out of keys. Interesting architecture. My shots did not come out that well. Well, they are OK, but you can't really see what is going on with the keys.







Doyle went looking for the alley that isn't really an alley. We eventually found it. It is interesting how the houses are facing each other across a narrow pedestrian alley.













We ended up back at the shopping center and had lunch at Nature's Table. By then the fountain was turned on and we returned to take some shots. Lots more photos to process. Only about 3 weeks behind.

[photowalk] sacred heart catholic church

Savi came with me to downtown. I parked in the same lot & Doyle was there. We walked over to the church and saw some of the group. Then we saw the white hearse. There was a funeral going on and we would have to wait.



While we waited, the gray skies began to clear up. Bill was told he could take any photos of the old courthouse nor could ge take any photos while on their property. Yes, I had to take some shots to see if anyone would yell at me.



I'm sure it looked curious to see a group of photographers standing across the street from a church where there is a funeral taking place. We must have looked like papparazzi.



The hearse left, but the people remained in front of the church and on the steps. The group started getting antsy and I (had to) called my contact. It wasn't in and the receptionist didn't know who else I could speak to. Finally someone checked inside and seeing it was empty, we went in through the side door.



We quickly set up and started shooting. We had an hour and twenty photographers trying to get many shots as we could. It was almost impossible to get a shot without another photographer in the way. Jeff arranged it so everyone had a chance to shoot up the middle with no one in the way. I was glad Jeff was there as I really don't like to be in charge.



Several of us went to lunch. They picked the Jerk Chicken place. They had some blocks of mac & cheese which were edible. The guys look like they enjoyed their chicken and pork.



We walked through the Tampa Downtown Market. It was busy but not too crowded. Doyle, Savi and I "listen" and took photos of the guy reading from his bible. Doyle wanted Savi to sit in front of the guy and looked up as if she were in awe. She wouldn't. Spoil sport.











I still have loads more photos to process. Someday...

[photowalk] channelside

My apologies for neglecting the blog. The plague has been going through the house. Bits of lung are all over the place.




I'd only been to Channelside once. The boys and I walked around last summer after we went to the Aquarium. I knew I wanted to go back and take photos, I just never got around to it.





I scheduled the Friday Morning Photowalk to Channelside. Doyle was gone on spring break so I would have to lead the group alone.





Six people had signed up to go. Sherry was having car problems and backed out. Except for Norm, I hadn't met the other people.





I was worried I that I might be late since I was having computer/iPhone issues before I left. I made it with about 5 minutes to spare. Then I waited, and waited. At 10:15 Latina and her son E showed up. We started to walk into the courtyard and Latina spied Maya who she had seen at an earlier meet-up.





We walked around the courtyard and took quite a few shots. Then we had lunch at the Greek restaurant. I hadn't had pastiscio in years. It was very good though pricey.





Latina's son E was so cute. He is two years old and so well behaved. When we were leaving, he picked up some rocks. Latina had said "only 2" but E had too that to mean "as many as fit in my two hands." Then he gave one rock to his mom and one to me.





There wasn't as much to shoot as I thought. We couldn't get near the water as it was gated off. The Coast Guard boat Alligator was docked and allowed tours. Later a fire boat pulled up and docked.

community based instruction

Andy's class has CBI trips every month. They are meant to help the students function in the community. They go to stores out to eat. The idea is to give them more independence.



Their CBI trips were scheduled on the days I went to the chiropractor. But since I had to go two weeks in a row to get rid of the vertigo, I could now go on one of the trips.

Last Thursday was scheduled for Super Target and Arby's. I asked Andy if he wanted me to go. He hesitated but then I said I wouldn't go on the bus so he could sit next to Miss Karem. He agreed to let me go but didn't seem enthusiastic about it. Perhaps he likes his independence.

It was fun to see all the kids and how they interact with each other. Autism really is a wide spectrum.

As I write this, I realize I took over for Andy and purchased his items and food. I need to let him do some on his own.

Some of the kids opted for Pizza Hut Express at Target. Although Andy brought his own lunch, he wanted to go to Arby's. We walked over and Andy found a spot to sit in the raised seating area.



Arby's no longer has regular fries. I knew Andy would eat the hash browns or the curly fries so I didn't get any. I was feeling bad and ordered the the southwest mini egg rolls and cheese sticks. Andy looked at my food and then at me wondering where his was. I had asked him but he said no to chicken. I asked again and he said yes. I went back and ordered popcorn chicken.



I got one piece of chicken, it tastes good with the chili lime ranch sauce they give you with the mini egg rolls. Andy ate the rest. So now we know he likes Arby's Popcorn Chicken.

photowalk friday

Doyle and I had been talking about doing some weekday photowalks. Because we both have kids in school, evening and weekend walks didn't always work out. We tried to start out weekly Friday meet-up last week but Doyle got a paying gig and we didn't have that much time to plan so we started last week.





We had 6 people RSVP including Doyle and I. Only 1 person didn't show and she was sick. Two of the photographers were new to me. I liked having a small number as crowds intimidate me. I think it's best that Doyle and I are co-hosting these. I can handle the planning and posting and he can handle talking to people.





I had never been to the Tampa Friday Market. I thought I had missed it all these years but found that this is only their second year. It's still small but the vendors all have great stuff.





I am not sure what it is by my photos are mostly awesome. Well, they are crisp and clear and in focus without a bunch of noise. My camera just doesn't like to shoot low-light. Today, in the bright sun, my camera was in heaven.





After a couple hours of playing with my computer and photos, it was time to leave again. This time for a nighttime photowalk at Clearwater Beach. And this one was all about learning to use your flash. See, I got the flash at the end of December but hadn't even mounted it to the camera yet. I needed a reason to actually purchase the rechargeable batteries and learn to use the camera.





The walk was scheduled at 6 pm which I thought was good because it meant I could see Ryan get home before I left. But this meant I would be driving through rush hour. About 15 into the drive, I realized that I had forgotten my tripod. I didn't want to be late so I didn't turn back. I decided that using the flash I wouldn't need a tripod.





Traffic was awful. The hour drive took me an hour and a half. Along the way I realized how stupid this whole trip was. Ryan wants me home by bedtime which is 8:30. I need to leave by 7:15 to get home in time. All that driving for an hour of shooting? Either I will skip the evening photowalks or have a talk with Ryan.





I did arrive about 15 minutes late. But with most photowalks, they get started late so I didn't miss much. I did some shooting with my flash. It wasn't great. My camera does not allow me to use the flash wireless except in manual mode. I have yet to get a flash sync cable ($50) or a bracket so I was stuck with it on the camera. But I learned to play with the settings a bit. And really, I needed that push.





The sunset was nice and I wished I had my tripod. I tried using the pier railing for stabilize the camera but I couldn't aim it the way I wanted to. Maybe I need to get a bean bag to leave in the car, just in case.





It was cold! The temperature was about 50 but the wind was strong. My hands were freezing! The only gloves I had are too bulk to use with a camera.





I hadn't been to Clearwater beach in about 8 years. I am not much of a beach person, the sand, the wind, the salt water is all too much. But I would like to go back and shoot more. I asked Sherry is she would like to go for a Friday photowalk but she just stared at me. She would prefer to stay in Hillsborough since she does stuff with the other photo group. So I may try to go for another Friday evening photowalk. But I will go early and do some of my own shooting. So if I have to leave early, it won't feel so short.





I have uploaded a lot of my photos from the morning photowalk to the gallery at meet-up. I still have more to process. I only had 10 decent shots from the evening photowalk. And only a few I even processed. Still needs lots of practice with my flash.