This morning I got up a 4:55 am and went to Brandenton Beach. I was lucky enough to reach 30 min before the Sunrise. Sarasota being on the west coast of Florida, the Sunrise is inland, so the early morning is absolutely blue and then changes slightly to orange depending on how many clouds are present. The Moon was shining bright, the sand was white, and the water was clear and gushing in , although it was a low tide since it was almost morning..

I was in Colorado earlier this year for some project work during the cold winter. To be honest I really loved snow and the cold winds and the occasional blizzards. It used to get white, and used to look so beautiful. I was there for about 3 months, I wish i could stay back for the Spring season, heard that the Rocky Mountains look beautiful during that time. Although I was all alone there, and it used to be gloomy all the time which kinda got depressing, but the Colorado-ians are full of life and they used to be out and having fun. This state has a ton of lakes, surrounded by mountains on the west and open vast land on the east side. I managed to take a few pics there, hope you like them. I used to live in Boulder , about 40 min from Estes Park, just at the foothills, and from downtown you could see the Flat Irons. I hope to make another trip there during the Spring ..

 
I was at Siesta Key Beach last Sunday to witness the rich music and culture of Sarasota. Also known as Drum Circle, basically comprises of anyone and everyone who can play a musical instrument, loves to dance, is open to listening to new music  .. It started little over a decade ago when a bunch of people came together in Siesta Key Beach , played music and danced starting just 2-3 hours before the sunset until the Sun completely disappears in the distant Horizon. Below are a bunch of photographs I managed to take:

 
Nikon D60: It came with the 18-55mm VR kit lens. It has a CCD sensor and is at 10 Mega Pixels. Its a very good entry level DSLR better than any of the other brands in the same range.

Fish Eye: its a nice accessory to have depending on the kind of photography you do. I got some good shots with this lens and works 50% of the time for me and that's good enough. It screws on the the 18-55mm kit lens.


Flash: I bought a SB 400 Nikon Flash. I just needed a basic flash which would have a swivel head. Its cheap, its fast and works in most conditions. No Manual controls though.


Nikon D90: Now what can I say about this camera. The reviews are out there already.


Tripod: Recently acquired Manfrotto 055XPROB Pro Tripod, along with this I also own a Promaster Clamper to clamp on to the tripod or to various surfaces depending on the requirement.


Along with this I have a few filters and circular polarizer from Tiffen and SunPak. I have two remotes one is a Infra Red and one is a cable release both from Nikon. Also have a DSRL rain cover for rainy days and a sturdy DSLR-LAPTOP Camera Bag from KATA.

 

 

 
Finally the weather in Sarasota has become awesome. It reminds me of Bangalore and NorCal .. there is no humidity, nice cool breeze, and lovely sunshine. I went to Siesta Key on Saturday to see the Volley Ball matches and to  my surprise the it became so cold and the waves were gushing in. This is the first time in last 3 months that I really enjoyed being outside. here are some photographs for your viewing:

 
I wish I had asked his name. Met him on my way back to Bangalore just outside Puducherry. He got really excited when I took his photograph and showed it to him. I think I will buy a Polaroid next. And when I meet such sweet people, will give them their photographs...

 
Here are few of my most interesting photographs on Flickr. Some of the pics are already posted in different entries so I just selected a few others. Hope you enjoy them ..