Florida State Wildflower

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Leavenworth’s Tickseed – Orlando Wetlands Park – March 2015

“To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wildflower, hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.” William Blake

Leavenworth’s Tickseed is Florida’s state wildflower – in fact the entire species – Coreopsis. You can find it all over Central Florida.

Quote found at http://quotio.com/on/Wildflower

Alligator

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American Alligator – Orlando Wetlands Park – February 2015

“For us there is only trying. The rest is not our business” – T.S. Elliot

This is one of the largest alligators I’ve seen in years. For perspective I usually take pictures with my zoom at 300mm – I had to drop back to 190MM to get the entire gator in it. Guessing 12 feet long. Yikes!

Off to day 2 of bird photography workshop. Hopefully we will be a little drier today. maybe even see the sun.

Red Wing Black Bird

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Red Wing Black Bird – Orlando Wetlands Park – January 2015

“We are all connected; to each other biologically. To the earth chemically. To the rest of the universe atomically.” Neil deGrasse Tyson

Interesting fact about these birds – the females are brown and white. Haven’t captured one yet – still looking – they are a year round resident at the park so lots of time to find. And did I mention this fellow was noisy,

Heading for the park today and tomorrow for a weekend bird photography seminar – woo hoo.

Quote found at https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/12855.Neil_deGrasse_Tyson

Mathematics in Nature

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Golden Ratio – Naturally – UCF Arboretum – February 2015.
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Geometry – Merritt Island Wildlife Preserve – January 2015

“The most beautiful thing is the mysterious. It is the source of all art and science.” Albert Einstein

“Where there is matter, there is geometry” Johannes Kepler

I’ve been waiting for a month for the proper post for this heron. Sunday’s pine tree gave that to me. The patterns within the feathers are amazing.

Quote found at http://www.goldennumber.net/phi-quotations/

Foggy Morning

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Unknown – UCF Arboretum – February 2015

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception” – Aldous Huxley

Aldous Huxley was an English writer who was probably best known for his novel “Brave New World”. Although the above quote probably comes from Doors of Perception a non-fiction book about psychedelic drugs. I still find it quite insightful.

Odd parallel – he died the same day as C.S. Lewis.

Quote found at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/unknown.html

With Minor White

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Hanging Out – Little Big Econ wilderness – November 2014

“I have often photographed when I am not in tune with nature but the photographs look as if I had been. So I conclude that something in nature says, ‘Come and take my photograph’. So I do regardless of how I feel.” – Minor White

Minor White was zen before there was zen. If that makes sense to anyone. He embodied the principles of zen in his photography, before they were popular in our society. That’s what I got while reading the essays in Eye Mind Spirit – The Enduring Legacy of Minor White edited by Nathan Lyons, a book that was published with an exhibit by the same name at the Howard Greenberg Gallery commemorating what would have been Minor Whites’ 100 birthday.

See some fabulous photos at http://www.howardgreenberg.com/#home – the Howard Greenberg Gallery

Quote found at http://www.photoquotes.com/showquotes.aspx?id=25&name=White,Minor

Photo is mine.