Years ago when I was working as a photographer for a newspaper, the editor always published  a summer photo in the dead of winter. I never quite understood why he did this, but I thought it would be fun to copy him by doing the same. I took these two photos last year while vacationing on an island off the coast of southwest Florida. Captiva has to be one of my favorite places to visit any time of the year.

Toes in the sand, warm ocean breezes, and the company of friends—what could be better?

This photograph reminds me of one that a friend (fotosimile.com) took in this same spot a couple of years ago.  I really don’t know what is so inviting about little boats and lakes but there definitely is something.

I confess that I love the leaves of a Seagrape. The landscape of Sanibel is covered with these plants. Once the photos were taken, I had a dilemma and that was either to let the colors shine through or use photoshop to create a faded look?

There is a law on Sanibel Island and it is a good one. You can’t remove, take home, or pack away shells that contain live animals. I took this photo of a sea urchin after it had washed ashore. It was soft to the touch, but no longer alive. 

This little guy (a Little Blue Heron) followed me and watched me taking photos of other birds. Finally, I decided to take his photo. Then he picked up and flew off. Slow and gracefully.