Contemplation

New Year's Eve contemplation.

Side by Side

Old and new, side by side. The live oaks survived Hurricane Katrina's storm surge. This group of condos are some of the new construction going up. The beach front was devastated by Katrina.

Oyster Skiff at Night

Missing

A home once stood here. Hurricane Katrina left nothing more than the stoop, a water heater, the gas meter, and a few bricks. Debris removal crews took what was left.



The photo above didn't catch the sense of loss. I used to see the house everyday while at work. It was bright yellow and had Craftsman like features. It had a huge front porch. It had been there for a long time.

I used Photoshop in an attempt to protray what was lost and is now missing.

Gutted

Some condos that were heavily damaged during Hurricane Katrina are being renovated. These condos were flooded to the second floor and Katrina's winds blew out numerous windows. I liked the effect the Kelig lights made.

Not Enough Time

Sunday, I broke down and bought a couple of things that I needed for my camera. I bought a UV filter and a tripod. Both of these acquistions has led me to go out and test. Which means for the past three days, each day, I've taken enough pictures to fill up the camera's memory card. Which in turn means two to three hours of going through the photos and comparing the settings to see what worked and what didn't. Plus, the tripod makes it soooooooooo easy to take night photos.

I may or may not be tired of my new toys by the end of the week. Here's one that I took tonight.



I liked the patterns the lights made on the bridge supports.

Cross-posted at my other blog Shira bat Sarah

Seaside in November

By the Seaside

William Wordsworth

THE sun is couched, the sea-fowl gone to rest,
And the wild storm hath somewhere found a nest;
Air slumbers--wave with wave no longer strives,
Only a heaving of the deep survives,
A tell-tale motion! soon will it be laid,
And by the tide alone the water swayed.
Stealthy withdrawings, interminglings mild
Of light with shade in beauty reconciled--
Such is the prospect far as sight can range,
The soothing recompence, the welcome change.
.....

Mermaid on the Beach

The Mermaid
by Afred Lord Tennyson

WHO would be
A mermaid fair,
Singing alone,
Combing her hair
Under the sea,
In a golden curl
With a comb of pearl,
On a throne?

Breaking Through

The sun broke through most of the fog. The sun highlighted the boats and water at the D'Iberville Marina. In the background, some of the fog still lingers.

Exposure

I was experimenting with the different settings on my Nikon D50. For this picute, the white balance was set to flash. The aperture was 4.80. I was using a zoom lens. The exposure time was 1.25 seconds.

A boat had passed by about 30 seconds earlier. All of these factors combined to make an ethereal picture of pelicans sitting on a damaged pier.

Polarization

I enjoy the photography in National Geographic. Lately, I've been reading some of their photography tips. One suggested using your sunglasses as a filter. Since I don't have any filters, I decided to give it a try. The above photo is the result. I like it. Now I'll have to invest in filters for my Nikon D50.

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me

Across the Bay

Taken at Fountain Pier and looking across the Bay toward Biloxi.

Sparks

Last Thursday, 26 months after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the old bridge, the new Biloxi-Ocean Springs was opened. This was my first attempt to photograph fireworks.

The camera settings were as follows:

F-Stop: f/20
Focal Length: 55mm
Exposure time: 1.60 secinds

Golden Shadows

Channels

Fair Seas?

Rainbow

Outgoing

Setting

Landings

Just before the sun starts to set, the seagulls vie for space.



An egret makes a graceful landing.



A commercial jet heading toward the Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport.

Preening

Each pelican and seagull had its own platform. They were preening and primping for the evening ahead.

Relics

Rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina is ongoing along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. However, there are still too many places such as the relics of what used to be an apartment complex on Highway 90 in Gulfport.

Dolphins in the Pass

Pass Christian Mississippi was a small community of just over 6,500 before Hurricane Katrina hit. The town was int he cross hairs of Katrina's storm surge and winds. Katrina left 85% of the town homeless. But it is coming back. I've taken pictures of Dayton Scoggins other work. He has given new life to live oak trees that didn't survive Katrina. He uses a chainsaw with artistry. You can see his work along Highway 90 from Biloxi to Pass Christian. The one below is in Pass Christian.

Hurricane Katrina - 2 Years

I created this video from photographs I've taken over the past 9 months. It chronicles the spirit of the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. There is still a lot of work to be done but our hope and determination remain as strong as the storm surge and winds that took so much away.

Holding Back

These two boys were making discoveries along the beach. A crab was spied and the older child made sure the younger one didn't go into the water.

Bad Hair Day

Temperatures close to 100 and humidity at 80% will play havoc with your hair or feathers.

Stuck in the Mud

A brown ibis searching for fiddler crabs. The crabs hid in the mud when the tide starts coming in.

'Shroom

Quiet Marsh

Chairs

Timeless

Bits & Pieces

The large debris piles are gone. Slabs where homes once stood are all that remain. And bits of pieces of homes, like this ceramic tile.

Mallow in Mississippi

It looks like a hibiscus but it is a seashore mallow.

Dreams of Sailing

Graffiti at the Beach

Dead Fall

Turf War

Frisky

Independence Day

The flag of the United States is not only a symbol of freedom. It is also a symbol of strength and resolve. After Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the flag was up along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Below are some shots that I took in various Mississippi cities. We have shown strength and resolve and the rebuilding is at a frenetic pace now.

D'Iberville Mississippi, October 2005


Biloxi Mississippi, October 2005


Gulfport Mississippi, December 2005


Long Beach Mississippi, January 2006


Bay St Louis, Mississippi, June 2006


The flag, in the midst of the debris and smashed houses, was a bright spot of hope. And it remains a symbol of hope to us in Mississippi. It also a symbol of hope to millions of oppressed around the world. Long may she wave.

Sail Away

Halcyon Day

Pretty Halcyon Days


How pleasant to sit on the beach,
On the beach, on the sand, in the sun,
With ocean galore within reach,
And nothing at all to be done!
No letters to answer,
No bills to be burned,
No work to be shirked,
No cash to be earned,
It is pleasant to sit on the beach
With nothing at all to be done!

How pleasant to look at the ocean,
Democratic and damp; indiscriminate;
It fills me with noble emotion
To think I am able to swim in it.
To lave in the wave,
Majestic and chilly,
Tomorrow I crave;
But today it is silly.
It is pleasant to look at the ocean;
Tomorrow, perhaps, I shall swim in it.

How pleasant to gaze at the sailors
As their sailboats they manfully sail
With the vigor of vikings and whalers
In the days of the vikings and whale.
They sport on the brink
Of the shad and the shark;
If it’s windy, they sink;
If it isn’t, they park.
It is pleasant to gaze at the sailors,
To gaze without having to sail.

How pleasant the salt anesthetic
Of the air and the sand and the sun;
Leave the earth to the strong and athletic,
And the sea to adventure upon.
But the sun and the sand
No contractor can copy;
We lie in the land
Of the lotus and poppy;
We vegetate, calm and aesthetic,
On the beach, on the sand, in the sun.

Ogden Nash

Suspended

Photoshop can be a lot of fun. The original shot is of some debris caught on the pilings leading to the Biloxi Bay Bridge.

Golden Drops