The Bradenton Riverwalk offers a variety of views and sights along the Manatee River. There's plenty of room to walk, run, and ride a bicycle. These photographs are a small sample of what you'll see along a 1.5-mile walking route.

We've been made aware of a few terms in the first months of 2020, social distancing, coronavirus, and shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders. These terms have unsettled our normal routines and lifestyles. If you're like me, I get a bit stir crazy after a couple of days indoors. I'm not under one of the orders at this time, but I've been staying at home to help slow the spread of the virus during a global pandemic. Every couple of days, I get in my car and drive. I don't typically stop anywhere. The change of scenery helps change my mood positively from a mild anxiety. I drive a convertible. Living in Florida, I'm able to drop the top and benefit from the Vitamin D exposure. I never know where I'll drive. Frankly, the destination doesn't matter. The journey clears my head and helps me focus on rest and renewal beyond the four walls that surround me during isolation.

I did make a stop today. The Bradenton Riverwalk had little foot traffic at the time I was passing the route. Good for maintaining social distance. I parked my car and walked the path along the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida. As a photographer, I can't resist taking a photo. All I had on me for a camera was my Samsung smartphone, not the top of the line model either. I'm frugal when it comes to phones. Can I talk on it? Can I text? Can I do a Google search? Yes? Good enough for me. I clicked off a few scenes that I'm happy to share. I healed my mind and I'm back within the four walls for a couple of days.

Winter is a time of bird migration in Florida. Here are just a few photos from less than an hour of walking through Perico Preserve in Bradenton, Florida.

     Each time I visit this preserve, I try to view it from a different perspective. With each head turn, squat, and lighting change, this preserve takes on a new appeal, like an ever-changing chameleon. While I'n sharing a mix of color and black & white images, black and white was screaming! That's not a shocker to those of you that have been following along. Nature preserves, like Perico, are best shown in a simplified image. The textures and shadows enhance the story.

Starting June off right, I was up before the sun, grabbed my camera and was off to Anna Maria Island. If you've been following along with my posts, you know that this is one of my favorite places to shoot. This morning's photos reflect my enthusiasm. I feel like the scenes paint themselves and that I'm there to capture the ever-changing artwork. Enjoy this small sampling from more than a 100 photos taken. If there is anything that captures your interest and you would like to see a photo displayed in your home, or office, just contact me and we'll discuss options.

I don't normally go out for midday photography shoots in Florida. But, today was such a beautiful Spring day that I was drawn away from the desk when my writing slowed a bit. I drove over to Perico Preserve in Bradenton where there is some shade built into the trail. There weren't as many birds as there typically are in the early morning hours. Instead, I found other things with wings willing to pose for the camera. Understand, most of the creatures you see in these photos never stay still for long. I felt quite fortunate that they did today. I hope you enjoy these photos as much as I do.

Kristopher James (Photos 1-4)
Lauris Vidal (Photos 5-9)
Hail Dale (Photos 10-15)
​(c)2017 Robert Stanhope