Sunrise At Night

I got the opportunity to go see the space shuttle Endeavor launch last night, and what a light show that was! I was worried that I wouldn't get any pictures of it, because of the wind and the 14 mile distance. That, combined with the general difficulties of shooting at night had me worried, but I wound up getting a decent shot or two. Could have been better, but I was happy to get anything. This shot is just a few seconds after launch, so you can actually see the shuttle thanks to all the reflected light coming off of the steam clouds rolling out from under the gantry. Most of the other shots once it got in the air only show flame shooting out for hundreds of feet behind the shuttle, which isn't itself visible. Biggest drawback of the trip was the ride home, and the three hour traffic jam on a section of the ride that should have only taken about 30 minutes. And that was after we waited an hour for the traffic to clear. Oh, well, that's the price you pay, I guess.

Back For More

Some little rabbit told me this sculpture was back in town, but this weekend was the first chance I'd had to get down there and see for myself. Sure enough, they've brought back Unconditional Surrender by Seward Johnson to the Sarasota Bayfront. Technically, this isn't the same sculpture that was here before. The earlier one was a styrofoam model, and this one is a finished aluminum piece. It also looks a little smaller to me, but that may just be my eyes and my memory letting me down.