Teacups

Teacups 

June 3, 2012. Teacups.

One second nighttime exposure of a father and son watching the Mad Tea Party ride at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom near Orlando, Florida.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1 second. f/9. ISO 1600. LR 2.

Minnie

Minnie

June 1, 2012. Minnie. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista (near Orlando), Florida.

In a world saturated with primary colors and pastels, a monochrome Minnie Mouse ties the rest of her kingdom back to its 1928 roots.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/30. f/2.8. ISO 400. LR 2.

9

9

June 3, 2012. "9."

Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Tomorrowland Indy Speedway. Waiting for car 9.

In my fourth decade of going here, I still find that I hope for a red car.

Red cars are the fastest.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/60. f/2.8. ISO 1600. LR 2.

Mirror Mirror - Color

Mirror Mirror - Color

June 1, 2012. Mirror Mirror - Color. Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom, Lake Buena Vista (near Orlando) Florida.

Color version of yesterday's Monochrome Monday post of Cinderella's Castle, taken from the bridge at Frontierland.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/4. f/2.8. ISO 400. LR 2.

Urban Sterility - Toronto, Canada

Urban Sterility - Toronto, Canada

May 24, 2012. Urban Sterility. Warden Subway Station, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/15. f/8.0. ISO 400. LR 2.

Babushka - Toronto, Canada

Babushka

May 24, 2012. Babushka. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

It was like a scene out of the 1960s.

Taking the TTC bus on a long trip across town, there was a point as it headed east where stylish twentysomethings disappeared and were replaced almost entirely by Ukrainian grandmothers. At every stop, more scarf-clad grandmas would board, smiling and waving at friends that were already on board as they joined them for their weekly errands.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/125. f/5.6. ISO 400. LR 2.

Orlando Skyline from I-4, 2012 Color

Orlando Skyline from I-4, 2012 Color

May 20, 2012. Orlando Skyline from I-4, 2012 Color.

I realized the other day that the only skyline picture that I have up is from 2006, and there have been a number of changes since then.

This shot of the Sun Trust building and the 55 West residence building was taken while moving down I-4 right after sunset. A black and white version (which I prefer) will be posted next Monday, but I thought it was worth posting the color version as well.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/60. f/2.8. ISO 1600. LR 2.

Q

Q

May 4, 2012. Q. Apopka, Florida.

If you find a post named "Q" and think "James Bond's about to get a new watch!", you've just Googled your way to the wrong blog.

This is a photo inspired by the other "Q." Good, greasy, smoked with a sweet and seasoned hot sauce Florida style Barbecue. That's BBQ if you're a sign manufacturer with a limited budget.

The place pictured above is not the best BBQ in Florida or even in Orlando, but it is close, convenient, and comfortable.

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

All the world's a stage

All the world's a stage

May 11, 2012. "All the world's a stage." Photo 2 of 5 from the 2012 Snap! Orlando photography exhibit series.

Photo #1 of this series focused on the timeless instant aspect of photography. Photo #2 focuses on the beautiful silence.

When you see the scene above, what sounds do you picture? Quiet whispers? The hum of an air conditioner? Gentle echoes?

The light touching the sensor is more serene than the reality. Just behind the red curtain, a group of musicians loudly banged an African drum piece over a hundred sushi-eating socialites sipping drinks and laughing loudly.

I did not want a picture of the drum beaters or the martini sniffers. I wanted a picture of people like me; the ones whose souls seek tranquil open spaces and meaningful moments with just one person, or perhaps a few.

There are a few stylistic elements in this shot that come up from time to time in my favorite photos. Silhouetted people against a contrasting background. Light reflecting off of foreground surfaces. The color red.

People walking through doorways intrigue me as subjects. Light sources often differ dramatically from one room to the next, naturally illuminating a person in transition. It's a powerful metaphor of change.

Watch people walk through doorways in social spaces. You'll notice that they often aren't looking forward. They glance longingly at the things and people they're leaving behind. It's a semi-conscious sort of melancholy that we probably all fall victim to from time to time. Remember the wife of Lot.

The title for this post is from Shakespeare's As You Like It. I found it particularly appropriate due to the real action in life occurring behind the stage, along with the likely possibility that the city of Orlando was named after a character in that play.

The stage is set. The actors are in place. Photos 3-5 of my Snap! Orlando series will take you through the doorway of the melancholy couple into the bright realm of two young lovers oblivious to the world around them. Stay tuned...

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/30. f/2.8. ISO 800. LR 2.

How Orlando, Florida got its name

How Orlando, Florida got its name

April 8, 2012. How Orlando, Florida got its name...

I have posted about the legends of how Orlando, Florida got its beautiful and unique name several months ago.

I've found that a lot of this blog's visitors, particularly locals, were curious about this story. I am reposting some of the details of both versions from my post mentioned above, along with a previously unpublished picture of the "Orlando Reeves" memorial on the shores of Lake Eola.
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Originally, Orlando was known as Jernigan after a prominent cattle family in the area. It became Orlando in 1857. There are two versions to the story. I'll relate the official version endorsed by the city first, followed by what I consider the more likely story.

According to the city, Orlando got its name from a soldier named Orlando Reeves in the Seminole War who was killed on the banks of what is now Lake Eola in 1835. The problem is that there are absolutely no records that a soldier named Orlando Reeves ever existed. Some have tried to explain around this fact by pointing out that it may have been a landowner in the area called Orlando Rees, an associate of John James Audubon, but the dates of death are all wrong to fit with the legend.

Another version of the story is that the name was chosen by Judge T. G. Speer, who arranged for Orlando to become the county seat through some creative vote manipulation. Judge Speer was a huge Shakespeare fan and named the city after his favorite character in "As You Like It." This version is very well documented by his descendants, and it also helps explain the naming of Rosalind Avenue.

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Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/125. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

Tinkertoys

Tinkertoys

April 29, 2012. Tinkertoys. Downtown Disney, Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Happy weekend. Now go play!

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

Sugar Free Strawberry Shortcake

Sugar Free Strawberry Shortcake

April 21, 2012. (Sugar Free) Strawberry Shortcake. You know you want to +1 it.

Yes, it's not a street photo, but bending the rules is the benefit of blog ownership. As good as this cake looked, it tasted even better.

"Sugar Free," by the way, means that you can eat the whole thing and pretend that it had no calories.

Besides, has anyone really found a better use for macro photography than food? Insects? Flower stamens? I have to go with the Food Networkesque fruit laden cake bathed in daylight shot.

When you think Orlando, you probably think oranges. Just west on I-4, though, are huge strawberry farms in Plant City, between Orlando and Tampa.

The culinary scene in Orlando may not be what you'd expect, either. This ridiculously gorgeous cake was made by Annie's Euro American Bakery, known for some of the best desserts in the country.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/30. f/2.8. ISO 400. LR 2.

Low Hanging Fruit

Low Hanging Fruit

April 20, 2012. Low Hanging Fruit.

A little Florida sunshine to brighten your Monday morning with a little barnyard chicken bokeh thrown in.

Taken this past weekend, an Orange tree loaded with fruit bends just above the ground.

The shores of Lake Apopka, where this shot was taken, were home to some of the very first Florida orange groves planted in the 19th century.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/2.8. ISO 100. LR 2.

Bobbles

Bobbles

April 7, 2012. Bobbles.

Glass and beadwork jewelry for sale by a merchant at Orlando Farmer's Market on Lake Eola.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/2.8. ISO 100. LR 2.

Happy Weekend

Happy Weekend

April 8, 2012. Happy Weekend.
Lake Eola, Orlando, Florida.

Time to stretch your wings, feel the warm spring breeze on your face, and enjoy your weekend.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/500. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

Orange Grove Stand

Orange Grove Stand

December 26, 2011. Orange Grove Stand. Near Saint Augustine, Florida.

There's something about a highway orange grove stand that just feels right in Florida.

Tacky. Touristy. Yet something about it captures the bright, laid-back spirit essential to being a Floridian. Stopping at an orange grove stand feels like traveling back in time to pay respects to where you came from.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/25. f/8.0. ISO 100. LR 2.

Our Journey

Our Journey

February 4, 2012. "Our Journey."

One of Orlando's most ingenious pieces of street art is on the side of a parking garage outside the Amway Center.

Starting on the ground, eight life-sized cast aluminum figures scale cascading ladders up the side of the garage, culminating in a triumphant figure holding a globe at the top.

The piece is called "Our Journey," and it was commissioned from artist Bill Starke by the City of Orlando.

At night, lights switch on and off to animate the progress of the figures up the ladders. It is quite beautiful.

It's certainly much more inspirational than the half-million dollar "Tower of Light" statue that locals affectionately refer to as "The Giant Glass Asparagus." 

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/60. f/2.8. ISO 1600. LR 2.

Parrot at Rest

Parrot at Rest

February 4, 2012. Parrot at Rest. Orlando, Florida.

A Parrot Head's stuffed parrot hat gets a rest on the bus ride from Margaritaville Orlando to the 2012 Welcome to Finland Jimmy Buffett concert venue at Orlando's new Amway Center.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/60. f/2.8. ISO 1600. LR 2.

Beach Ball

Beach Ball

February 4, 2012. Beach Ball. Orlando, Florida.

A stilted employee of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville catches a beach ball hit in his direction by a fan at the 2012 Welcome to Finland concert tour stop in Orlando.

Leica X1. 24.0 mm. 1/250. f/8.0. ISO 200. LR 2.

Concert in the Park

Concert in the Park

March 16, 2012. Concert in the Park.

This picture was not taken by me.

It was taken by my wife, who asked for my camera. She has a good eye for detail. She was with me at the Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival Friday Night Jazz Concert in the Park.

As you zoom down the walkway through the middle of the picture, it is fascinating seeing the multitude of discussions captured in one shot.

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