Sunrise over Tampa Bay and Maximo Marina, St. Petersburg, Florida STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT NEFF
This morning, I observed sunrise over Tampa Bay and Maximo Marina, St. Petersburg, Florida. I was up thirty minutes before sunrise, which was at 6:54 AM. Today was a "Windless, clear sky, calm water" kind of day.
During sunrise, the marina comes alive with fishing charter boats, birds of all shapes and sizes, and the walking crowd. As the light changes, the yachts, sailboats and boat's colors gradually change. Life wakes up the shadows.
Ripples to my right along Dolphin Dock caught my eye. I thought it odd the ripples were adjacent to docks and the boat. What was causing the ripples? There were no skimmers breaking the water. The pelicans had yet to arrive. I connected the dots which led me to a new ripple at the end of the row. I knew what made the pattern. So I projected where it should surface and saw a lone dolphin appear and disappear.
Soon, the sun broke the horizon behind the sailboat mast. The large flock of birds were racing back and forth across the orange horizon. At the marina, seagulls were scouting the area. The first pelican appeared. Then I spotted the dolphin along side the 90 Hatteras yacht. Next, the first bug of the year appeared on my window, signaling the end of the Florida winter.
Enjoy the Sunrise!
Dolphin ripples
Fishing Charters Heading Out To The Gulf of Mexico
Captain Dan and JAWBREAKER
Captain Morgan's Fishing Adventures
Sun Breaks the Horizon
Time for coffee and breakfast!
BIO
Robert Neff is an award winning photographer.He specializes in weather, international events, sports (Rugby and Grand Prix), NASA, lifestyle, boats and sailing, nature, wildlife, and travel and tourism. Robert uses photography as a narrative to share his experiences.
Robert has been published in national and international newspapers and magazines. He is also a writer with a published book and articles in newspapers and journals.
ARTIST STATEMENT: Robert Neff’s contemporary art is dynamic and vibrant, and engages the senses. His photography and storytelling are the inspiration and basis for his fine art. Nature and life’s colors, tones, and shapes are transformed into mixed media art work. Design studies are used to explore geometrics, color, and patterns. As your perspective changes, so does the design. His approach changes how your vision interprets everyday experiences.
During his solo show at Art Miami’s Spectrum Miami, art lovers were drawn into his fine art work. His style drew comparisons to Vasarely and the Op Art movement. One collector from Uruguay compared his style to "Constructivism" and the great Uruguay artist, Garcia.
Copyright ©2016 Robert Neff. All Rights Reserved.