travel

A Day at the Beach

/ Michael Glover / 17 Comments

Today’s post was designed to bring a little warmth to what is a colder time of year for lots of people. This was shot the day after the photowalk in New Smyrna Beach where I shot this 1958 Cadillac.

After exploring the Daytona beach area for awhile I went down to Ponce Inlet to look at the lighthouse. Feeling a little uninspired with the shots I was getting (read not a dramatic view of a lighthouse with rocks and crashing ocean waves :(), I left hoping something would catch my eye.

I stopped at a little pull-off by the beach and walked down the ramp to see what I could find. I watched the waves wash up on the shore and immediately noticed the reflection. I moved around a bit to find a good vantage point to highlight the reflection of the clouds. Using the distant buildings on the left and the high waves on the right as a frame, I set my tripod down low to get closer to the ground. I had to be quick as the waves were coming in pretty strong. Luckily the water wasn’t too deep where I was kneeling down and I had enough time to capture a few frames before the next big wave brought a lot of water my way!

To enjoy a larger view, please click on the image below!

A Day at the Beach

As always, I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I encourage you to join the conversation by writing your thoughts below as I truly like to hear from all of my visitors! 🙂

In The Wilderness

/ Michael Glover / 46 Comments

There is a place where the crickets chirp all day. You can find peace and solitude. You can cozy up to a fire. You can sit, relax, read a good book.

Welcome to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. If you enjoy the great outdoors, then this is the place for you. This resort looks like it could be in the mountains. Resembling a giant log cabin, they kept it very authentic in every detail. Walking around the property the soothing sound of crickets can be heard. There is a boardwalk that takes you to a lake where you can take a leisurely boat ride. You truly feel like you are in the woods.

Stepping inside the lodge you are instantly surrounded by the woodsy feeling. From the log beams and railings, to the intricately carved totem poles, the attention to detail is outstanding. The lobby is completely open from floor to ceiling.

What really caught my eye though are these amazing light fixtures that are true works of art themselves. They look like wigwams with buffalo and Indians running around them. Again the attention to detail is just immaculate!

If you would like to view more pictures on my blog from Disney, just click here.

To enjoy a larger view, please click on the image below!

As always, I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I encourage you to join the conversation by writing your thoughts below as I truly like to hear from all of my visitors! 🙂

Lakeside Retreat

/ Michael Glover / 29 Comments

In a previous post which can be found here, 1929 Cadillac, I took a visit to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.  I would like to share another picture from this “Disney Day.”

It was a very picturesque day as I setup for this shot. The clouds were creating a nice soft, diffused light. The forecast called for rain, but it stayed away. As I wandered around the beautiful grounds, I was taking it all in. I had seen this yacht before and knew I had to incorporate it into a shot. This particular building, Conch Key, is just one of the many luxurious buildings on the resort property. The yacht adds a nice touch. I was hoping to get a nice reflection, but the water didn’t cooperate. There’s always next time! 🙂

I still have another picture from this day waiting in the wings for a future blog post, so be sure and stay tuned for that. It will feature a view from inside Disney’s Wilderness Lodge.

If you would like to view more pictures on my blog from Disney, just click here.

To enjoy a larger view, please click on the image below!

As always, I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I encourage you to join the conversation by writing your thoughts below as I truly like to hear from all of my visitors! 🙂

Last Light

/ Michael Glover / 34 Comments

It seems like every time I want to go out and take pictures, it rains. Well, this past Sunday was no different. I awoke to a beautiful blue sky with white puffy clouds. “Looks like a perfect day to go out and shoot” I thought. Florida’s weather changes pretty quickly, so you sometimes just hope for the best.

Needless to say, when I got out of the house, the sky had turned dark and it was starting to rain. I decided to press on and just see what I could come up with. After driving around for awhile, stopping at different places, I was not having a very photographic day. As the daylight was dwindling down, I started driving to this local beach park.

Sitting on Florida’s gulf coast, Fred Howard Park is a beautiful location to go to the beach, go swimming, or even have a picnic. Upon entering the park, you are greeted with lots of shade trees and picnic pavilions. Just a short way around you come across a causeway with a picturesque view of an island beach.

I drove all the way out to the beach just to get an idea for a picture. Nothing really jumped out at me, so I headed back to the tree lined picnic area and parked. I walked towards the causeway figuring I might see better, photographically speaking, than if I were driving. I was looking at the sky and noticing that there might be a chance for some color to pop out, so I continued walking.

I stopped along the way taking a few pictures here and there, not even realizing that I had walked almost all the way to the beach area. Since I was already that far and the sky was looking pretty amazing, I continued on my journey.

When I got to the beach, I figured I had about a 5 minute window of opportunity to make some pictures. As I suspected, the sun briefly broke through the cloud layer over the water, and there was orange sky for about a minute. I was shooting silhouettes of trees and had to quickly change my position.

This lone lifeguard chair was calling out to me. I surveyed the scene unfolding before me and setup my tripod. The sky was absolutely amazing and the beautiful light came and went in the blink of an eye. Before it was gone, I got this shot!

To enjoy a larger view, please click on the image below!

As always, I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I encourage you to join the conversation by writing your thoughts below as I truly like to hear from all of my visitors! 🙂

1929 Cadillac

/ Michael Glover / 29 Comments

As a photographer living in central Florida, it’s always nice being so close to great places like Disney. I get to go on photo excursions that I have lovingly named “Disney Days!” This particular day was indeed a fun one as I came back with lots of images I was pleased with.

My day started out at the newly opened Art of Animation Resort where I got this shot: Wheel Well Motel. I spent all of my time here exploring the “Cars” themed area. The detail that they put into this place is nothing short of amazing.

My next stop was the Grand Floridian Resort. This Victorian style hotel is absolutely breathtaking when you step inside. As I walked in I noticed the reflection on the floor and got the idea in my head for this shot: The Grand Entrance. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a floor so shiny in all my life! And the magnitude of the chandelier hanging from the ceiling is awesome.

After spending some time exploring inside, I ventured outdoors to see what I might find. Parked out in front of the hotel is a carriage and a 1929 Cadillac. Perfectly fitting in with the theme of this resort, this car is certainly a showstopper.

Huge headlights, whitewall tires, running boards, and a fancy hood ornament were all common in this time period. Even details like a fancy belt to hold the spare tire on were not overlooked.

In an upcoming post,  I will be featuring an image from my final stop of the day, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, so be sure to watch for that one.

If you would like to view more pictures on my blog from Disney, just click here.

To enjoy a larger view, please click on the image below!

As always, I hope you enjoyed today’s post and I encourage you to join the conversation by writing your thoughts below as I truly like to hear from all of my visitors! 🙂