Watchtower

Watchtower 

July 4, 2012. Watchtower. Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida.

Time for a little history lesson.

It's common for Americans to think of World War II as something that happened "over there" in Europe or in the Pacific. There were engagements with German U-Boats starting right here in 1942 off the Atlantic Coast of Florida.

This rare WWII Watch Tower was built in 1941 for the Coast Guard to watch for German submarines. Some battles were visible from the beach. Some 10,000 German Prisoners of War were housed in Florida, mostly survivors from Atlantic Coast and Caribbean U-Boat engagements.

On a separate note, this is the first of a few photos that I've processed using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.1's "Direct Positive" setting as the starting point. My dad was a photographer, and growing up he shot nothing but slide film. With Kodak retiring Kodachrome last year, I came across a National Geographic collection of Kodachrome shots and felt some nostalgia for the beautiful, saturated hues that I remember from (long) family slide shows growing up.

So while it is a shot of a WWII Watch Tower, this shot really reminds me of family beach trips during the 1970s and 1980s and those moments that formed my love for Florida.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/11. ISO 100. LR 4.1.

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

July 4, 2012. "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Ormond-by-the-Sea, Florida.

I thought about calling this one "Hitchcock--Rear Window."

Then I considered, "Baywatch."

But I'm going with Juvenal, because that's how I roll. "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

"Who will watch the watchmen?"


Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/11. ISO 100. LR 4.1.

Sheltered

Sheltered 

July 6, 2012. "Sheltered." Ormond-By-The-Sea, Florida.

But for one mother with her baby, beachgoers seem unaffected as fronts colide on Florida's coast, creating a thunderstorm directly overhead.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/16. ISO 100. LR 4.1.

jardin de lumière

jardin de lumière

June 4, 2012. jardin de lumière. EPCOT. Walt Disney World. Near Orlando, FL.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 4 seconds. f/8. ISO 100. LR 2.

Unflinching

Unflinching 

June 2, 2012. Unflinching.

A banister stares straight ahead at Disney's EPCOT Italy Pavilion near Orlando, Florida.

My first entry into the Google+ #bokehtuesday hashtag.

 Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/125. f/2.8. ISO 100. LR 2.

It's Not Easy Being Green

It's Not Easy Being Green 

June 2, 2012. "It's Not Easy Being Green." Giant Kermit the Frog statue at Disney's Hollywood Studios near Orlando, Florida.

A Monday reminder in some difficult times of Kermit's greatest words of wisdom, as sung by the incomparable Sophie Milman:

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/2000. f/2.8. ISO 100. LR 2.

Orb

Orb 

June 22, 2012. "Orb." Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, Orlando, Florida.

It always surprises me when discussions of "great" Florida architecture fail to include the Winnie Palmer Hospital, instead cataloging out a list of inferior, uninspired, sentimental inclusions because tourists may know their names.

Then there's relatively unrecognized Winnie Palmer Hospital. The fact is, when you go to a hospital, you're stressed. The Winnie Palmer building centers around the patient and the anxious family in a very literal, circular way, making them feel protected and drawn together. Patient rooms in the towers feed out like spokes on a wheel and feel more like nice hotel rooms than institutional cubes for an endless night of beeping and needle sticking.

The orb in the front is a huge waiting room, bringing in showers of tranquil natural light and eliminating that "trapped" feeling that sets in after an hour or ten.

When visiting photographers express a desire to take unusual photos of the Orlando not seen, I always include Winnie Palmer building. A few weeks later, I enjoy seeing their overly processed pictures of Disney as if they were uniquely blessed that year among Orlando's 51 million annual tourists to catch that prefabricated moment in the Magic Kingdom. Orlando area photographers tend to feed into the perception that there's nothing worth shooting in Orlando outside the theme parks, and it is a shame.


Years ago, guidebook author and PBS nerd extraordinaire Rick Steeves was asked, "What is the one place that you would never go back to?" His answer, "I was recently in Orlando and couldn’t stop thinking how miserable I’d be if I had to write a guidebook chapter on that city."

Rick Steeves writes the best tour books on European cities for budget travelers. His books are about exploring the non-touristy side of cities while still taking in the popular sites, and I wouldn't get on a plane crossing the Atlantic without his current version.

Mr. Steeves, like most Orlando tourists and convention delegates, forgets this as soon as tires touch down at Orlando International Airport.

Every place has its beauty. Go find it where you live, in your own backyard.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/30. f/2.8. ISO 1600. LR 2.