Saturday was Prom night for Tarpon Springs High School where Amanda & Michael go to school. So we were shooting back to back Prom sessions this week.  I always give pause when shooting on location when I am not familiar with the place wherein I am to be creating images. Saturday was no different. I arrived early, as I always do and scouted the area in and around Amanda's home. At first I thought, oh ok, this is acceptable but I'd have to work hard to keep out distractions in the background. I then finally caught my minds eye and found "the" spot in which I wanted to shoot. I then to work. The flow sometimes goes smoothly and other times, not so.  It was hot and Michael was heating up fast, so I had to work even faster. I am happy to say, neither the images nor Michael look rushed. It my pleasure creating images of Amanda and Michael.

Friday I had the pleasure of shooting Katie & Tyler's Prom photographs as well as photographing Matthew too. I love to see my clients children grow up, but it is making me feel very old now.  You can hardly call them children anymore when they look you in the eyes. Thank you Jill for thinking of Osgood Photography for all your photography needs, it was a pleasure creating prom photos of Katie & Tyler.

What a day. January 6th, 2012 will be remembered as one of the most exciting and unusual events in the history of this festival.  As thousands gathered at Craig Park surround Spring Bayou waiting to see who was going to retrieve the cross and be blessed for the coming year, the suspense was incredible. The Archbishop threw the cross in and the boys quickly dove in the murky water. Boy after boy came up for air and then went back down, yet no cross yet. Minutes passed, seeming like hours. You could almost hear a pin drop in the crowds. Then as everyone could sense the frustration and fatigue of the boys, people began to whisper, "What now?"
 
After probably close to five minutes had passed when the decision was made to throw a 2nd cross.  Oh boy, what happens now if both crosses turn up?  Sure enough seconds after the 2nd cross was thrown, it was retrieved. A collective sigh of relief immediately followed by a thunderous clap of approval was heard.  The ceremony can continue but wait, boys are still looking for the first cross thrown.  Showing a healthy determination several boys re-entered the water in hope of bringing good luck for their families. Nobody was leaving.  Come on, everybody was trying to tell the boys to dive where they hadn't been looking, on the right side of the dock. A few minutes after the Archbishop had began to leave for the church an outstretched arm emerged from the water. We have a 2nd blessing!  Oh my, most of the people in the crowd murmured. We've never heard of such a thing. Many wondered, will he and his family be blessed too?

The general spirits of the throngs of people exited the area, excitedly talking about the day that would mark a special occasion in the history of the Epiphany. I was amazed at how well organized the city had planned for this big event with the abundance of law enforcement officers to ensure all the pedestrians and motorist were able to leave in an orderly and safe manner. 

Always love to see repeat clients and how their children have grown. Had the pleasure of photographing Samantha and Anthony yesterday. What good kids they are. See for yourself.....

Tarpon Springs is one of the most picturesque towns in Pinellas County. Sitting on the Anclote River is the former Greek Fishing Village which is now more of a tourist destination than fishery. In its day though, there were throngs of fisherman and spongers as we know them. They would dive for the vast beds of sponges located in the Gulf of Mexico. Today, the Sponge Docks is better known for their Greek Foods and Pastries and the Fresh Seafood.  A few places on the Anclote River are accessible from the River.  One of the more prominent Restaurants that sit on the River is the former Louis Pappa's Resturant, now known as the Riverside Grille and on the rooftop is the Veranda as seen in this photograph. In the foreground is a gorgeous Hatteras Yacht.

The St.Petersburg Pier has been slated for demolition by the City Leaders. You can read more here City Council votes to demolish the Pier. So I took a little trip down there last week and spent about an hour photographing the pier from many perspectives.  Here is but one image I created of the soon to be faded memory of the pier.

With that in mind, I set out today to work on some personal projects of mine.  I like to promote the area attractions and points of interest. So I traveled across Pinellas County from the North End to the South End and ended up in St.Petersburg.  I stopped in several cities along the way though.  One of my first stops was in Dunedin, on the causeway.  Love this area, so beautiful, especially as it was today. Chamber of Commerce kind of day with the exception of it being a little hot. Anyhow, below is one of my first images taken this afternoon on the causeway at the Recreational Rental Facility.