Suzanne Havens

On a tiny island across the IntraCoastal Waterway from Gasparilla Island, white pelicans gather year after year just for the season. They are larger than the brown pelicans who live here year-round. Instead of diving for fish, they work together to drive the fish into a circle and dip them from the water. This year there is an outbreak of red tide and poisoned fish in the area. I hope they find enough to eat. On this tiny island other bird species join them, including the brown pelicans and I saw no fighting despite the cramped quarters during high tide.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida is currently hosting a special exhibition, Gauguin: Voyage to Paradise. The Gardens, Conservatory and Mansion display the impact that Paul Gaugin’s study of Tahiti had on western art and culture. His woodblock prints revived the practice among 20th century artists. Later called a post-impressionist, Gaugin influenced the art world and society in returning to so-called “primitive” genres and cultures. Tropical plants displayed in a dugout canoe floating on the koi pond exemplify the lush palette and textures Gaugin found in the Tahiti landscape.

The Venice Florida Orchid Society presents an annual orchid show. When I enter the community center the heady fragrance of multiple kinds of orchids enchants me. Various area orchid societies and orchid growers create exhibits. The orchid growers also have a large sales area. The difficult part about making orchid portraits in this setting is the abundance of orchid plants vying for attention. This year I used an off-camera flash to illuminate the flowers from a high angle and let the diminishing light provide separation from the background. Another method, where the flash is too far from the orchids, is to use a slow shutter speed, but this requires a tripod. Fortunately our camera club arranged for us to arrive before the official opening time and use tripods for an hour. I chose these orchids as a series because they contain white.