Key West - Day 2

I didn't wake up quite as early as I wanted to on Monday, but it didn't deter me. I wanted the photo ops and, goddammit, I was gonna' find them.

My first stop, so far as I can tell, was near Smather's Beach. It is quintessential "Key West". I imagine it would be difficult to take a bad picture here:

Smather's Beach...

Key West, which is also known as "The Conch Republic" is home to what is referred to as the southern-most point in the continental United States. A mere 90 miles to the south lies Cuba. This spot is marked with a large painted buoy (well, a buoy-like marker; it was never a buoy). 

The southernmost part of Key West Island accessible to civilians is actually the beach area of Fort Zachary Taylor, which is about 500 feet further south. The actual southern-most spot is on the Truman Annex, a Navy base not accessible to civilians.

Anyway, people line up to have their picture taken standing next to this thing. I wasn't all to interested in doing that, although it was a true exercise in patience to try to photograph it without people standing around.

And, quite frankly, I don't have that kind of patience:

It's not truly the southernmost spot, but it's close enough and there was room for the marker...

From here, I decided to head up to the Ernest Hemingway home on Whitehead Street. Parking can be a bit of a premium in Key West, so I found a spot a little ways from the house and started walking. As I neared the house, I saw the Key West Lighthouse which sits right across the street. I couldn't imagine not going to check it out, so I opted to stop at the lighthouse first.

The original Key West Lighthouse was a 65 foot tower completed in 1825. Because of tree growth and construction, the light was becoming obscured so, in 1873, the entire tower was raised by 20 feet. The Coast Guard decommissioned the Key West Light in 1969, and it was turned over to Monroe County. The County currently leases the lighthouse to Key West Arts and Historical Society. The society operates the lighthouse and its associated buildings as the Key West Light House and Keeper's Quarters Museum.

The entrance sign to the lighthouse...

The recently renovated Key West Lighthouse...

No longer an active lighthouse, it remains a huge tourist attraction in Key West...

The view from the top...

The Gulf of Mexico can be seen in the background...

Looking down on Whitehead Street...

A panoramic view from the top of the lighthouse...

Halfway up the tower...

Safety is paramount...

After leaving the lighthouse, it was just a quick walk over to the Hemingway House. This is, arguably, the most popular attraction in Key West. What cannot really be argued, though is that Hemingway was one of the most, if not the most, colorful residents Key West has ever known.

Hemingway lived in Key West from 1928, but rented an apartment, and then a house, before purchasing this house at auction for the princely sum of the $8,000.00 in back taxes owed to the city of Key West by the owner.

Ernest Hemingway's home from 1931 until 1940...

A scale model of Hemingway's boat, Pilar, is on display at the museum...

One of Hemingway's typewriters, in which is a typed description of how he viewed Pilar...

 

Hemingway's bedroom. The black blob on the bed is one of the 54 cats which live on the property...

One of the many polydactyl (six toed) cats on the property. Many are descendants of Hemingway's beloved Snow White...

Hemingway's studio...

The modest kitchen in the house...

High ceilings are found throughout the house...

The front entrance of the house, which faces Whitehead Street...

After visiting the Hemingway House, I decided it was time to start finding my way back to Marathon. On the way back, though, I knew of yet one more photo op that I wanted to explore.

The Overseas Railroad was the brainchild of Henry Flagler, who wanted to link Key West to the mainland of Florida. Flagler's railway was named the Florida East Coast Railway and, by 1904 had extended as far south as Homestead, Florida. The bridge into the Keys took seven years and $50 million to build.

The Overseas Railroad Bridge...

Looking north towards Bahia Honda...

The railroad operated from the completion of the bridge in 1912 until much of it was destroyed by the Labor Day Hurricane on September 2, 1935. The Florida East Coast Railway was in bankruptcy, so it couldn't afford to repair or replaced the damaged bridges. It was all subsequently sold to the State of Florida.

The bridge can't be accessed at all from the southern end (seen in the top photo above), but a small portion of the long abandoned bridge accessed on the northern end in Bahia Honda State Park. A scenic beach just to the south of the bridge offered up some unexpected photo ops. I think it worked perfectly for some black & white photography:

Attempting to connect with my inner Clyde Butcher...

I made my way back to my hotel to get cleaned up and changed. My buddy Ron and I were going to meet up for dinner, and he recommended a Cuban restaurant that he frequents. El Siboney is an authentic Cuban restaurant just a few blocks off Duval Street, and they offer up some amazing food.

Amazing food and, yeah, beer...

While on this trip I tried to adopt a "when in Rome" philosophy, and have become pretty infatuated with mahi. I'm now a mahi fan; I love mahi. Don't know what to order? Order the mahi. Why? Because it's mahi, and mahi rocks.

Mahi, rice and plantains. The black beans were in a bowl out of the frame...

It was great catching up with Ron over such a great dinner. I probably never would've found El Siboney on my own, so I'm glad I had the help of a "local". It's one of those places that doesn't have to rely on tourists to stay in business. It definitely sits off the "beaten path" as far as restaurants go in Key West. The authentic nature of the place is obviously a great draw for the locals, and they turn out in droves.

I wasn't going to see Ron again on this trip, so we bid each other farewell and I found my way back to Marathon, happy that I got to meet up with an old friend after a full day of photography. For me, any "mental health" trip pretty much has to include a camera, and I was pretty happy with the way this day turned out...

Key West - Day 1...

If you haven't yet figured this out about me yet, I like road trips.

A lot.

I've been working so much lately, though, that I haven't really had much time to do one. At best, I'd have a day here or there to do something, but a "day trip" is one thing. A "road trip" is something altogether different.

The conclusion of my "Hell week" of shooting (nine shoots in ten days), fell on Saturday, November 21, and I had nothing on my schedule, save for Thanksgiving dinner with the family, for that entire following week. I checked the weather, and it was promising. Greg and I fixed the rear lift window in the Explorer's tailgate (the hinge had fallen apart) and I got my oil changed. The stars had aligned. It was time.

Key West.

I left the Sunday before Thanksgiving, and would return the day before Thanksgiving. It was, I surmised, the perfect length of time to readjust and rejuvenate.

I actually stayed in Marathon. It's about 45 minutes from Key West, and about 1/3 as expensive. My hotel was $79.00 a night in Marathon. Something comparable in Key West would've run almost $200.00 a night.

I got settled, changed my clothes and headed into Key West. After getting the last parking spot next to The Hog's Breath Saloon (for $30.00, no less), I found my way down to Sunset Pier. Sunset, you see, is an actual event in Key West, and every viewing point you can find is mobbed with people who just want to watch it happen. And, in their defense, it is pretty nice:

Sunset in Key West...

Even the party boats go out for a better view...

Sunset Pier. People line the railing to watch the sun sink into the Gulf of Mexico...

After watching the sunset and having my first couple of beers in Key West, I decided to walk around a little. I should point out that I'm completely of the opinion that beer is a little colder in Key West. It's a little smoother. It goes down a little easier. It's just, I dunno'... better.

My first stop was this little rock & roll memorabilia shop on Duval Street called Rock Lives On Gallery. I was greeted by art consultant Jimmy Carter, who was a very pleasant guy and extremely knowledgeable. He was actually very cool with me taking photos, although I only shot a few.

Art consultant Jimmy Carter of Rock Lives On Gallery. The guitar is a limited edition Epiphone Sheraton, used here with some Rolling Stones memorabilia...

The gallery was very cool, and it was actually nice to see a formidable collection of memorabilia that isn't owned by the Hard Rock Cafe. Jimmy and I spoke for a while, and he told me a little about the gallery's history, etal. and I found my up the street, where I happened upon the smallest bar in Key West. Seriously, that's the name, and it's no lie. It's really small:

Three stools, no dance floor...

Andrew the Bartender...

While I was there, someone walked in behind me and a heard a vaguely familiar voice. I turned around and was stunned to see my old friend Ron Dotson. I first met Ron in San Diego, when we both worked on a local blues festival. The last time I saw him, I was selling him one of my guitar amplifiers.

That was almost ten years ago.

My old buddy Ron Dotson...

Ron is now the General Manager for the Navy Exchange in Key West. He had been tracking me through Key West by using my "check ins" on Facebook; a resourceful guy, that Dotson. We spent a good deal of time catching up, and agreed to get together for dinner the following night. We had a handshake and a bro-hug and we parted ways for the evening.

From TSBIKW (clearly abbreviated), I walked up the street until I saw a place called "Capt. Tony's Saloon". On their sign it said that it was the location of the original Sloppy Joe's (more on that in a minute). How could I resist? I walked in, sat down at the bar and ordered up a beer. When this was the location of Sloppy Joe's, it was Ernest Hemingway's  favorite Key West haunt. The neat thing about it all is that it was owned by Joe Russell, who was Hemingway's boat pilot and fishing guide for a number of years

Capt. Tony's Saloon, loctaed on Greene Street...

After having a cold one (did I mention the beers are colder in Key West?) I walked over to the current Sloppy Joe's, which is on Duval Street. This is probably a bit different than Hemingway would've remembered. But it was still a fun bar, with live music and friendly people.

Sloppy Joe's Bar...

Inside Sloppy Joe's...

A friendly bartender at Sloppy Joe's...

And a happy Sloppy Joe's patron...

Sloppy Joe's is simply one of those iconic places that you have to visit when you're in Key West, if only to say you've been there. That said, though, the beer is cold (notice a theme here?), the folks are friendly and the live music is very good, so it's not like there's not a reason to stay.

As I left Sloppy Joe's, the hour was late and I still had a little bit of a drive in front of me. I found my way back to the truck, got in, started it up and sat there for a second, happy as Hell that I finally decided to make this trip...

Five Months Later...

"So, Steve, what's up with the blog?"

Hey, it's a fair question. The blog is fine. It was on life-support for a while, but I'm starting to breath some life back into it. The truth is that I've been busy. I've been really busy. 

Since June, when I was in New York City, the whole "I wanna' be a photographer" thing has gotten completely out of hand. 

I contracted to shoot up in Pennsylvania again this summer (I did it back in 2013). Pennsylvania is a great place to be in the summer and, if you get to spend your days shooting, all the better. There were ups and downs (aren't there always?), but overall it was a successful summer which saw me spending a lot of time in BDU's and hiking boots, drivin' around in the truck:

Somwhere in the wilds of northeastern Pennsylvania...

Along with the contract shooting I've been doing on my own since the summer began, I've also been shooting for other companies, as well.

One of those companies is Greek Yearbook. I've enjoyed a great relationship with them for the last year, and it only looks like I'll be shooting even more for them in the future. Not only do I shoot for them here in Florida, but I've also done some shoots in Georgia, as well. And, if things go as planned, I'll be shooting for them in North Carolina in the Spring.

The photos I shoot for "GYB" aren't exactly what would be considered "challenging". Essentially, we shoot sororities and fraternities; different events for them, etc. This is a typical shot from a GYB shoot:

Flash stands, speedlights, umbrellas and a backdrop. Almost as easy as it gets...

On my way back to Florida from Pennsylvania, I was able to stop by the Greek Yearbook offices in Hunt Valley, MD. Walking around, I felt like an old man. I'm pretty sure I was the oldest one in the building by 20 years. To be honest, though, it felt good to be around such a young, vibrant company. I figure as long as they're able to put up with me and my bullshit, we're going to enjoy a wonderful relationship going into the future.

I've also been shooting (albeit not nearly as often as GYB) for Boston-based Gameface Media. Gameface provides photo coverage for "OCR" events. "OCR" stands for "obstacle course racing". You know them; the gladiator-mud-run-savage-race things where people pay big money to punish themselves through a six or seven mile course littered with impossibly difficult obstacles. 

Unlike a GYB shoot, where I'm usually working alone, a Gameface shoot usually takes, sometimes, up to a dozen photographers. The downside is that you get assigned one obstacle for an entire day, so you're not really able to get a lot of variety in your shots. The upside is that they pay very well which, frankly, is a lot better than getting a lot of variety in your shots. In fact, "variety" can go straight to Hell in lieu of a nice payday.

But, really, you do get some pretty cool shots:

A couple of shots from past Gameface Media shoots...

Of course, the gig I'm most proud of is the one with St. Augustine Social Magazine. I've been with them since day one, and it's nice to have that feather in my cap, especially since more and more people around town are not only getting to know the magazine, but they're recognizing me from the staff page, too, which is kinda' weird:

The staff page from St. Augustine Social...

I started out as a photographer with the magazine, but found myself writing for them before too long. The magazine has a pretty dynamic website which I provide content for, but I'm also doing restaurant profiles for the print issue. I've done six so far (the magazine publishes every two months), and I've found some amazing eateries in St. Augustine as a result.

Aside from all of that shooting, I also do what I refer to as "me shooting". St. Augustine is a pretty target rich environment for photography.  I also like to venture out away from town, though, and shoot motor sports and motorcycle events down in Daytona. That was the case just this past October during "Biketoberfest". No one pays me to do that, I just enjoy the Hell out of it:

Motorcycle racing at Daytona International Speedway...

And, I would be remiss if I neglected to mention the photography I do for the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and St. Augustine Amphitheater. Generally speaking, they're not "paying" gigs, but I do get to see some pretty cool shows as a result. Most of my shooting will now be done at the PVCH but, once Spring comes back around, I'll be back out at the Amphitheater:

A few concert shots from the St. Augustine Amphitheater...

So, yeah, it's been a while since I've been able to get the blog updated but, suffice it to say, the camera's been keeping me pretty busy lately.

I kinda' hope it stays that way...

The Big Apple...

New York City is one of those places that you just have to visit when you get the chance. During my visit to Long Island, I was able to do exactly that.

It was a two day visit. Patty, Eileen and I went in on Saturday so we could catch a friend of mine, Steve Poltz, playing at the Rockville Music Hall in Soho. It was Eileen's birthday, so I figured I'd spring for tickets. Steve is always "on", and always puts on a great show. You just never know what's going to happen at a Poltz show (including a synthesized "Happy Birthday" song, written on the spot).

I knew Eileen and Patty would enjoy it.

With Steve Poltz in New York City...

The "big day", though, would be Sunday. We decided we would go into full "tourist mode" and buy tickets to ride one of those double-decker buses that cruise around the city. It was actually a pretty fun way to spend the day, and the guide knew an awful lot of New York City trivia, considering he was from Lubbock, Texas.

The nice thing about these tours is that they're "hop on/hop off", so you're not captive on a bus that meanders through the city. See something that catches your eye? Well, you can get off and check it out. Bored with the tour guide's lack of a sense of humor? Get off and wait for the next bus. 

We had a great time wandering around the city.

Radio City Music Hall... In black and white...

Rockefeller Center...

The Flatiron Building, built in 1902, in lower Manhattan...

I should probably be more familiar with New York City that I am, so it was good that I didn't have to figure this out on my own. I can easily wander aimlessly through the city, but it's good to have some direction from time to time, too. And, if you're going to take the time to figure out a strategy for visiting the city, you might as well do it over lunch.

Lobster mac & cheese for lunch. Best mac & cheese ever...

Times Square, as seen from the Broadway Lounge at the Marriott Marquis on 8th Avenue...

Other than the World Trade Center, I've never really spent much time downtown. I had a hotel room in Chelsea once, but spent most of my time in the city uptown during that trip. Lower Manhattan is a very cool area to walk around, though, with no shortage of landmarks and funky little shops to enjoy.

An entire store dedicated to The Big Lebowski...

I always wanted to walk along the Brooklyn Bridge. Check...

Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village...

Looking through Washington Square Arch up 5th Avenue...

The Empire State Building from waaaaay downtown...

Hey, if you want chicken...

A cool little bookstore in Soho...

The tour we bought also included a boat tour of lower Manhattan, which was very cool. I'd never seen New York City from the water before. It affords views that you simply won't get any other way.

This is the closest I've ever been to the Statue Of Liberty, so I figured I should take a picture...

The Manhattan Bridge, on the Manhattan side...

The Brooklyn Bridge, on the Brooklyn side...

I love how the Empire State Building dwarfs everything else in this photo...

From one of the "hop off" points on the boat tour...

I like the way this one turned out. It didn't work in black & white, though...

If you lived a hundred lifetimes, I'm pretty sure you would still fall short in having enough time to take in everything there is to see and do in New York City.  It was, is and always shall be the greatest city in the world...

Deja Vu All Over Again...

Two years ago, right around this time, I was leaving Portland, Oregon for what ended up being a 25 day, 5,800 mile cross country trek. I was excited because, not only was a traveling cross country, but I was also relocating. I was excited and apprehensive and anxious and, well, you get the picture. I had a stop for the summer in Poyntelle, Pennsylvania, mind you, but I eventually ended up in Florida.

Now, here I am, two years later, and I'm planning another long drive. While I'm not relocating, I am heading back to Poyntelle. I've been hired by the camp that hired me in 2013. I didn't return last year because I wanted (read: needed) to get established here in St. Augustine, although I did go up for a visit. They contacted me a couple months back and asked me if I wanted to return. I'm fortunate that I've worked myself into a position where I could take it, so I shot them a number. They countered with a slightly lower number. 

I forget who blinked first, but we came to an agreement and I signed the contract.

My trip starts in just six days; June 1. If all goes as planned I'll get to visit friends along the way. I'm referring to this as the "Ex Drummer Visitation Tour". I played in two bands while living in California. The last band, Zendogs, broke up in 2005 when drummer Greg Simms decided to move his family east after the death of his father. Greg's settled in Wilmington, NC, and has a spare couch I can use for a couple nights.

From Wilmington, I'll drive north to Newark, Delaware. After moving to California in 1990, I joined the band Dog Beach. See, evidently, every band name is cooler if it has the word "dog" in it. Drummer Ian Greaves, a British transplant to the Golden State, was the first really good rock drummer I ever played with. I've been offered his couch for a night.

From there, it'll be on to Long Island, where I'll stay with friends. I was going to try to slide through Philadelphia and do some shooting with friends, and I suppose that could still happen, but I'll need to see how I can fit it into the schedule. Maybe a day trip on a day off would be a better idea for that. Philly's only about three hours away, so it's supremely doable.

The task at hand now, however, is packing. I've actually decided to pack clothes into a small suitcase and live out of that suitcase here for the next week. That  way I can get everything packed that I need to pack. The camp, while not the most primitive of places (there's electricity and showers and the like), does lack a bit in the creature comforts, so I'll need to bring these things with me. Things like a desk lamp, coffee maker, Hell, even a rug to put on the bare wood floor. Everything needs to be "trucked in".

I suspect it'll be a good summer, with new challenges, but it's something I look forward to. It'll be tough to be away from home for three months but, at the same time, a brutha's gotta' earn a living.

Now, if I can just get my laundry done...

Waxing Philosophical...

I've been doing some introspection lately.

Recently, after a long phone conversation with a dear friend of mine, some things dawn on me about friends; about friends, family, lovers, acquaintances. I think all serve a purpose towards giving us a livable life. After all, a life by yourself would simply suck.

My friend and I agree on one very basic tenet: Everything happens for a reason. Despite appearances, nothing is left to chance. 

Three years ago, I had to walk away from a job which I loved. I couldn't stay and they couldn't keep me. At the time, I had a difficult time making sense of it. What I had no way of knowing, though, was that leaving that job meant that, a year and a half later, I would be able to celebrate my Dad's 80th birthday with him in New York, yet that's exactly what happened. I also had no way of knowing that it would be his last, as he passed away less than a year later.

My friend recently went through a pretty rough time, because of someone else, and if anyone knows that "things happen for a reason", she does. But she's a fighter, and she fought. I've known her almost my entire life and I never knew she had that kind of fight in her. She did, though, and she's the better person because of it. That may have been the "reason" behind her troubles: For her to find out how strong she is.

I try to keep things in perspective now, probably more than ever. 

Family is, without a doubt, the most important thing in my opinion. I hope it's that way for all. I don't have a large family, so it's important not to drift away too far.

Friends? Friends are a lifeblood. I have many friends here in St. Augustine, but the ones I know I could count on in a pinch are those I've known since childhood. That small nucleus of people is vastly important to me. In a way, it defines me. These are people who, in some cases, I've known since I was five years old. These are people who, when the shit hits the fan or tragedy strikes, they're right there. They don't hesitate, and they don't waffle. They act. They step up and help, or they jump in with badly needed moral support, and they do it for no other reason than they consider you a friend.

Lovers? Well, that can certainly be a bumpy road sometimes, can't it? I was married for 27 years, and that marriage was a good thing for 26 of them. At the end, though, the wind had come completely out of the marital mainsail. I'm thankful we're, at least, still able to be cordial. 

Now, 27 years is a long time. It makes me wonder what would be considered "long term". Two years? Five years? When a relationship suddenly and unexpectedly hits the rocks, do you lament the fact that it sank so close to shore? Or do you accept that, as good as it was, it had run its course and served its purpose? Leaving the rusted hulk of a relationship on the rocks can be healthy.

Thinking back on that phone conversation with my friend, I've come to understand some things. She's a ridiculously positive person, especially considering what she's been through in her life. How she's able to do that astounds me sometimes, but she's proven to me that ruminating over something lost rarely produces positive results, and that we can't be happy until we move past it.

The loss of a relationship is only that: the loss of one relationship.

It's been said when one door closes another one opens. I truly believe that. The constraints imposed by something simply, and quickly, disappear when that "something" goes away. I think it's important to know that and to accept it. No one says it's easy and, in fact, it can be damned difficult. 

But, when you throw off your bow and let the current carry the boat away, you really can't be concerned where it ends up, as you have your own course to steer...

Making Preparations: 18454...

Well, it's May 1st, and that was the date I picked to commence preparations for my summer trip.

I'm heading back to a gig I had two years ago, following the epic cross-country drive. I'll be shooting at Camp Poyntelle Lewis Village in Poyntelle, Pennsylvania. The town literally doesn't even have a stop light, and I think it has a total of two stop signs. The camp is a Jewish summer sleep-away camp about an hour south of Binghamton, New York. It was more than a little bit out of my comfort zone two years ago, but I'm far more comfortable with the gig now. I visited last year, and was taken aback by how many people, both staff and campers, asked me if I was going to come back this year.

Well, the answer to that would be a resounding "yes".

The 69 acre lake at Camp Poyntelle. I took this the first morning I was at the camp in 2013...

Before actually arriving in Poyntelle, though, I'm going to take some time driving. I'm going to make a right at some point, off of I-95, and head over to Wilmington, North Carolina. My old drummer lives there, as does another friend. I would love to see both of them.

Next, there may be some stops near the Chesapeake Bay and the Baltimore area. At some point I'll end up on Long Island, where there are more than just a few people I want to see and spend some time with. I'm pretty sure a trip into Manhattan might be on the agenda, too. I'd like to spend a week on the Island if I can swing it.

Then it'll be up to the summer gig on June 21.

But, for now, the fun begins. The next month will be comprised of lists and shopping and packing and shopping for what I didn't have on hand to pack the first time and then more lists to weed out the stuff I never should've packed in the first place.

Should be a good time...