Flagler College Reception Foyer, St. Augustine, FL
Canon 7D, EFS10-22mm @ 22mm, f/4.5, 1/100 sec, ISO 1600
Pretty fancy for a college reception foyer … impressive for a resort hotel. This image was taken inside Flagler College’s Ponce de Leon Hall (ex. Hotel Ponce de Leon). Late 19th century architecture and craftsmanship is hard to match. Some day I hope to return with my tripod and a low noise camera to get a better portrayal of such a piece of history.
Ponce de Leon Hall, Flagler College, St. Augustine, FL
Canon 7D, EFS10-22mm @ 10mm, f/6.3, 1/8000 sec, ISO 1600
Enough for the snow and winter cold. My memory goes back to last year when we were in St. Augustine, FL on this beautiful clear winter day with temperatures in the high 60’s. This image of Ponce de Leon Hall at Flagler College warms by bones.
A little history:
In 1885 multi-millionaire industrialist Henry Morrison Flagler (1830-1913) initiated a grand scheme to turn Florida’s east coast into the “American Riviera” and the city of St. Augustine into the “Winter Newport.” The Hotel Ponce de Leon, which was constructed in 1885-1887, was intended as the flagship of Flagler’s resort empire. This palatial Spanish Renaissance Revival hotel, with Italian, French and Moorish influences, was the first major commission for the Carrère & Hastings architecture firm.
The Hotel Ponce de Leon opened in 1888 and was operated by Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Hotel Company. Nationally significant for both its architecture and engineering, the building is the first large cast-in-place concrete building in the U.S. The hotel was constructed using poured concrete mixed with local coquina. The design reflected the wealth and extravagance of the upper-class during the Gilded Age. Members of the design team included Louis Comfort Tiffany, Thomas Edison, Bernard Maybeck, George Willoughby Maynard, and Pottier & Stymus. The firm of McGuire & McDonald was hired to supervise construction of the Hotel.
The Hotel was operation for almost 80 years. During World War II the building was used as a Coast Guard Training Center. Hotel operations ceased in 1967, and in 1968 the hotel became part of the campus for the newly established Flagler College as Ponce de Leon Hall. The building was added to the National Register in 1975 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006.
Lessons Learned: Notice the camera settings of this image. They are not even close to being optimized for a good image. I had just walked outside from taking interior images in dark rooms. I did not adjust the camera for the outdoor light. I just composed and took a snapshot. I really need and take my time to focus on making the best out of each image I capture.
Pin Oaks in Our Back 40
I am always wondering why one thing is different than another. Here are two twin oaks in our back yard planted twenty feet apart. One loses its leaves early, one hangs on to its leaves until new leaves start to emerge. Why … who knows, but I still wonder.
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 52mm, f/11, 1/300 sec, ISO 1600
Walking around our back yard, I always look for different perspectives. The weight of the snow on the foreground pine opened up a frame for the background leyland cyprus. We planted these two trees when we first moved into the area to break up the open pasture of our back yard. Fifteen years later they have changed the feeling of our back yard.
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 83mm, f/11, 1/170 sec, ISO 1600
The red twig dogwood adds a little color to the cold winter scene in our backyard perennial garden. Of course, when I see red, I shoot. During our walks in our backyard, Karen and I usually stop here and spend a quiet moment or two. The bench is tucked in between shrubs and trees. It is a nice private place in the middle of our wide open area. Each spring I prune the dogwoods down to about 12 inches above the ground. New shoots pop up to create a 5-6 foot bush each year. Along with our winterberries, the dogwood provides a bright red contrast to the winter landscape.
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 31mm, f/11, 1/180 sec, ISO 1600
These chairs, which are our Spring, Summer, and Fall hangout in the early mornings and late afternoons, did not look too inviting on this day. Many hours during the year are spent here relaxing and enjoying our backyard pond and stream. I am afraid it will be a while before we will be enjoying them again.
This photo looks like a B&W image, but is not. The winter haze along with the snow and weathered wood of the chairs create the monotone. If you look hard you can see a little color in the trees in the background.
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 35mm, f/5.0, 1/300 sec, ISO 1600
My leaning mailbox looks like the weight of the snow is pushing it over. It adds interest without tilting my camera. As I write this post, we are in the middle of a major winter storm. Once over, I will get out and trundle through the snow to get new perspectives of our yard.
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 39mm, f/11, 1/210 sec, ISO 1600
When I see bright color (especially red) contrasted in fresh snow I feel like I have received a gift. These winterberries provide a treat all winter to both to my eyes and the local bird population. Several years ago, we transplanted these out to our perennial garden to be our winter highlight. The three flower supports wait all winter long for our mountain sage to emerge in the spring.
Lesson Remembered: “When You See Red … Shoot!”
Fuji X-T1, XF10-24mm @ 10mm, f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO 800
Good Morning America! Looking out our front door, this is what we woke up to yesterday morning. We had a beautiful snowfall overnight. Fresh snow is such a delight, even if it makes getting around difficult. I got up before the snow plows hit the roads and everything was fresh. It was a nice way to start the day. Looking out the back door, we had another nice view.
Fuji X-T1, XF10-24mm @ 10mm, f/5.6, 1/120 sec, ISO 800
Rather than fighting the mess on the roads, we spent the day sitting inside by the fireplace reading books. It was a nice way to spend a winter day!
Fuji X-T1, XF18-135mm @ 135mm, f/11, 1/125 sec, ISO 800
I love to walk along the edge of a stream and explore the ice configurations that have been formed. My imagination wanders as I visualize different shapes created in the ice. This particular image reminded me of the tip of a maple leaf. The basic shape formed the edges of the leaf. I could also see the veins of the leaf within the ice crystal. I become hypnotized as I watch the water flow under and around the ice. The reflections create patterns of their own.
At times I get so intrigued by what I am seeing, I do not pay attention to some of my camera settings. For instance, this was shot at ISO 800 on a tripod. I could have easily reduced the ISO down two stops and still captured a nice image. Also, how would this image have looked if I would have slowed the shutter speed down to blur the water passing by the leaf. However, this was a walk in the woods enjoying the solitude and silence of nature. If I would have spent a lot of time working this image, the spontaneity would have been lost.
Lesson Learned: Maintain the balance of wonderment and the mechanics of capturing images. Many times it is best just to put the camera down and enjoy the moment.