Feliz Navidad, Carajo!

Happy Christmas to All from Michael Pancier Photography and may Santa bring you new camera gear during this Holiday season.

Fowey Rocks Lighthouse

An image I took a few months ago while flying with local pilot Robert Buschel.  You usually never see this lighthouse unless you have a boat as the Fowey Rocks Light is located seven miles southeast of Cape Florida on Key Biscayne, Florida. It's an old structure having been completed in 1878.  The light has withstood a plethora of hurricanes and storms throughout the years, but it still stands and is in operation today.  The light is 110 feet above the water.

Fowey Rocks are named for the Royal Navy frigate HMS Fowey which was wrecked on a different reef to the south in 1748.  The deadly Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 washed away the first deck of the lighthouse, 15 feet above the water, but the tower survived. The lighthouse is currently inside the boundaries of Biscayne National Park.

Pictures at an Exhibition

Pictures at an Exhibition from Michael Pancier on Vimeo.


I haven't been updating this blog much, but thought it was time with a little video slideshow I made.

Please check out my new website at www.michaelpancierphotography.com. The holidays is a great time to give art and there are a lot of new photos available.

Also,  check out my Facebook Fanpage and press "Like" if you enjoy the content. Always some latest images and news on that site as well as on my Twitter feed.

Have a great holiday season and hope to see you out in the field.

Colorado & Rocky Mountain National Park

My photos and video slideshow of the Rocky Mountain State put to music.  You can hear John Muir's call in the Rockies. If you're smart you will listen to it and go.

Please visit my updated website at www.michaelpancierphotography.com
Likewise you can follow my latest work by following me on Twitter at @MAP_Photography and by joining my Photography Page on Facebook by pressing "Like"

Fall in Colorado

Maroon Bells

I haven't updated my Blog much since the death of Tony Lopez.  But in the interim, I managed to get out and experience Autumn in one of my bucket list places, the Maroon Bells.  It's a place that's well worth getting up at 4:00 a.m. to get there and stand out in the cold to capture it in early light before the sunrises and makes the scene too difficult to photograph.

If one has a chance, this is a place that must be experienced once in your life.

Tony Lopez A Legend in Cuban Sculpture Dies at Age 92

An icon in the history of Cuban artists Tony Lopez left us this morning at age 92.  For me, this is a person who has been part of my life since I was born. He was one of my parents best friends, and as a kid, we always saw each other every week at the beach.  As I rediscovered photography 13 years ago, I made a point to visit Tony and photograph him.  I've put those photos in the above slideshow.  I've also been lucky to have had my bust as a child sculpted by Tony and you can find that in the slideshow and in my Flickr gallery.  Tony was always there for Thanksgiving and Xmas Eve at my moms. Of course that ended when my mom passed away in December 2008.  But those memories will always remain in my memory. (In the slideshow, I've included a pic of him with my parents in the early sixties with a pic of myself as a young todler).   I'm sure he's having a great time with my parents in the other world catching up on things and hearing all of Tony's latest jokes. No one could tell a joke as well as he could. I'll sure miss them.

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There's a good write up on his life here in Spanish.  From his Bio:

Born in Cuba in the early 1920s, Tony Lopez was exposed to the art of sculpture since the beginning. His father and grandfather were both sculptors and Tony spent much time modeling clay.

"I can't remember which came first to me, crawling or drawing, When I was in school, art was my favorite subject and I excelled in it." Tony Lopez smiled mischievously, "My father couldn't keep me away from his studio. Many times he would tell me to go and play ball with the other kids."

Tony's father was a sculptor, and little Tony learned to shape clay and carve, while others his age were learning the alphabet. By the time he was a teenager, he was quite skilled in what was to be his profession. His father died while working on a commissioned monument, which was finished by the eighteen-year old Tony.

He has sculpted all his life. "There is nothing else I want to do; sculpture is my only means of expression. It is my passion in life."

"I have never followed one school of sculpting or sculpting trend. In politics and philosophy as well, I cannot align myself with one discipline. There is good and bad in everything."

An abstract expressionist, Lopez' works are soft, rounded and sinuous. Wavelike swellings ripple within the works. Strong and tender, almost vibrant with emotion, they reflect the intensity of the artist. "When working the feeling is ecstatic, it is almost indescribable."

In 1958, he and his family fleed Cuba's revolution and came to live in the USA.

"The most important thing is to be free... to express yourself. Although the environment helps to determine the creative process, the evolution my work has undergone was inevitable."

For the last forty-four years, his Miami studio has become more than a place of work. Other artists often worked there, while visiting the Untied States, "I delight in lending a helping had to these sculptors who otherwise would be unable to pursue their creative talents in this country."

Tony Lopez sculptures can be seen around the world. He has exhibited in galleries from to the Museum of Modern Art in Washington DC to Rockerfeller Center in New York City to the homes and business of private collectors around the world.

Historical landmarks include:
Holocaust Memorial - Miami Beach, Florida
The Torch of Friendship - Miami, Florida
St. Mary's Cathedral - Miami, Florida
Governor Boden Monument - Grand Cayman
Jose Martí - New Orleans, Louisiana

I'm On the Pier to Nowhere

Sunrise, 8/7/11, Sunny Isles, Florida

Cool Off With Some Pacific Northwest Waterfalls from Oregon

Oregon is a waterfall wonderland. I was only able to scratch the surface while there.  Hopefully this video and photo montage will give you a taste of what is known as the Waterfall Wonderland. During the dog days of summer,  the falls will definitely cool you off. 

A Beautiful Summer Day at the Beach - Cape Florida State Park

Cape Florida Lighthouse - Summer 2011

I never get tired of photographing my favorite lighthouse.  Today was such a beautiful summer day at the beach. The colors, sounds, and sights of the beach today is one of the reasons why I love Florida and one of the reasons Florida is my home. Yes, there are some amazing places around the country that I just love to visit and photograph, but at the end of the day,  in the middle of summer, there's nothing like spending the day at the beach with your kids. Especially when it's the same beach that my parents took me when I was a kid. El Farito is even more beautiful today than it was back in the 1970's. And BTW, this was taken with a P&S Olympus waterproof camera; not anything fancy now.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter @MAP_Photography and head on over to Facebook and "Like" my fan page.

See you at the beach folks ....

Oregon Waterfall Slideshow

Just A Sampling of some of the waterfalls I got to photograph in what I think is one of the most beautiful places in North America. Please follow me on Twitter @MAP_Photography and take a look and "Like" my Facebook Fan Page while you're at it ....

Toto, I don't think we're in Florida anymore ...

Cannon Beach, Oregon

Well actually I am back in Florida after trekking through Oregon for 10 days. I started along the Columbia River Gorge near Portland and photographed an amazing series of waterfalls. Worked my way through the Northern Cascades and Mt. Hood and stood in feet of snow in the middle of summer. I then worked my way along the Northern and Central Coast with a short visit Washington state. Finally ended up in Crater Lake National Park and the Willamette National Forest.  But what is mind boggling is the Coastal Landscape. To see monoliths over a hundred feet tall on the beach is a sight to see especially here at sunset.  I'll be processing images for the rest of the summer it will seem.

The Burrowing Owls of Broward County

The Beach Boys & John Stamos Live at Sun Life Stadium

Beach Boys Live in Miami - A Photo Essay from Michael Pancier on Vimeo.

After the Marlin's game Saturday night 5/21/11,  I got to see the Beach Boys, one of my all time favorite bands. Here is my slideshow of the event.

All Images © 2011 by Michael Pancier Photography

Happy Mother's Day - 2011

Crandon Park circa 1968

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts." -Washington Irving

Cinco de Mayo - 2011

To celebrate the day - here's a photo of "My Corona" ... Everglades City, Florida

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Join and Like my Facebook fan page to get updates and images of the day.

Mayday - 5/1/11

I don't just photograph wildlife and nature.  I like to photograph people, models, and live bands.  Here's a musical slideshow of some of my live band images from last Friday.

See you out in the field or in the bar, or some studio somewheres.

Follow me on Twitter @MAP_Photography and check out my website at www.michaelpancierphotography.com

Also look for me on Facebook and like my page for new images, photo series, and events.

Easter 2011

Scenes from Easter Morning 2011 from the Commercial Boulevard Pier in Fort Lauderdale Beach, Florida.

Hope everyone had a good holiday. Big month up ahead.

Please follow me on Twitter at @MAP_Photography for the latest in my photo adventures.

My Tribute to the Cafecito

I love to photograph coffee cups and shots of coffee and coffee itself. It is the essence of my everyday existence. So I decided to gather up these images and a little iPhone video I took of the brewing process and made this little video tribute. Enjoy it with a nice cup of java of course.

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Flight of the Osprey - Blue Cypress Lake

Last month I went to Blue Cypress Lake in Indian River County, Florida with my friend Carlos Molina to experience osprey heaven. Several of my fellow nature photographers like Al and Fabiola Forns have been raving about this place and their pictures have been amazing.  So I left Hialeah at 3:30 am to drive up to Middleton's Fish Camp just east of the Yehaw Junction exit off the Florida Turnpike. Met up with Carlos and made it to the Camp by 6:50am, which was about 25 minutes before sunrise. We went out on the Pontoon boat driven by Joe and in two hours, I got some of my best osprey photographs ever. So many keepers and from such a great perspective.  Being on the pontoon boat and sometimes being at eye level with the osprey really brings you into their world.  I had two cameras with me, one with a 400 5.6L and the other with the 500 4.0L.  I sometimes had too much lens and think a 100-400 zoom would be best.  But let me tell you, the place is beautiful.  The cypress trees with Spanish Moss which dot the shoreline are perfect settings for photographing these beautiful birds.  Even my friend Carlos, who's a landscape guy by nature, was having a field day there.  I've photographed osprey all throughout the State of Florida, and this is by far the most concentrated number of osprey in a pristine environment that I have ever seen.  Blue Cypress Lake is old Florida.  No development out there.  No nothing.  It's an oasis from the urban and suburban nightmare that Florida has become. 

Since I had so many keepers,  I made a 4 minute video slideshow which will hopefully give you a taste of this amazing place.

See you out in the field folks.

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or visit my website at www.michaelpancierphotography.com

April Come She Will

Model: Jackie Sanabia

When streams are ripe and swelled with rain...

March 2011 was a very productive month for photography.  I had the opportunity to photograph hundreds of osprey at Blue Cypress Lake and the Super Moon, and lots of birds at my local rookeries. I ended off the month photographing the human form which is always fun and as much a challenge. In particular,  I photographed some of the lovely models at the Rock Angel Benefit Fashion Show in Fort Lauderdale last week to benefit women's cancer research.  The pictures are too numerous to post here. So if you'd like to see them,  head on over to my link here.  And while you're at it,  head on over to my Facebook Fan Page and press "LIKE" to show your support.  Planning some more exciting photography in the next few months. Hope to see y'all out in the field.

Super Moon of 2011

Pompano Beach, Florida

Today is the first day of Spring, the Vernal Equinox, which coincides with the Super Moon of 2011, a perigee moon.  This was taken about 7 hours ago at the beach in Pompano Beach, Florida.

"If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's ok. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot." - Confucius

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Miami Skyline in Photos - 2001-2011

After the birth of my son in 1998, I began to get back into photography after a long hiatus.  Back in those days I was shooting film of course and I was experimenting with medium format as well. I used my old Canon Rebel, then my Canon Elan7e, and my last film camera, an EOS 3.  I also played around with an old 40 year old Yashica D TLR Medium format camera that belonged to my dad.  In 2003, I decided to go digital and have shot digital ever since (though occasionally I would bring out my Medium Format Mamiya 7ii for special landscapes).  No matter what I was shooting,  at some point in time, I would photograph the Miami Skyline. You can photograph it from Watson Island or Brickell, from the Bay, the Port, or from the highway or bridges.  It has always yielded some cool images.  What one does not realize is that in only a short span of time, a decade, the skyline has changed with the construction of new buildings.  This slideshow documents how the skyline has changed in the last decade.  The first set of images were taken in 2001-2003 and the last set of images were taken just a few months ago.  In between, I have images I've taken as well during a lot of the construction which is evidenced by cranes and booms.  I also included images from several July 4 firework shows from the skyline which were taken from 2007-2010.  Many of my images were taken from Watson Island under the bridge (which you can no longer do due to tunnel construction. Other images I took from the Bay, from Brickell Key, from Key Biscayne, and from the Highway and Bridges along the Miami River.

The music? Well I selected a piece called, "Miami" by Paquito D'Rivera.  Enjoy the next five minutes, and hopefully in ten more years, I'll be able to create part 2.

All Images © 2001-2011, Michael Pancier Photography

The Birds of Wakodahatchee Wetlands - 2011 Edition

My latest photo essay from my recent visits at Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Palm Beach County, Florida.  I've been lucky to see 10 generations of blue herons there in the last decade, and they're still going strong.  Hope you enjoy the images, especially those of the baby blue herons.

An Hour With the Skimmers

I had one of the most amazing hours photographing some black skimmers yesterday.  It was gray and overcast, and rain was on the horizon. One would think it would otherwise be terrible conditions for photography. I decided to give it a shot.  I rarely see skimmers on the Atlantic coast. I usually have to travel to the west coast, Marco Island, Naples, St. Petersburg, and Indian Rocks, to get the chance to photograph these guys.  So learning that I had a local colony only 30 minutes away, I could not resist. 

After one hour,  the rains came and I packed my lens/camera equipment and bolted back to the car and back home.  The lighting was poor by that time.  Upon getting home, I was pleasantly surprised to find so many keepers in this batch of images. So much so, that I decided the best thing was to put the series into a slideshow.

I will be posting some of these images up on my Flickr account and on my website in the coming weeks if anyone is interested in a print.  Have a great weekend and a great Valentine's Day. As for me, I'll be out in the field.

Night View of the Miami Financial District

© 2011 Michael Pancier Photography

 

Got some great colors of the skyline of the Miami Financial District the other evening. While I'm a nature guy by nature,  I still enjoy skylines, and Miami has quite a diverse one to photograph.  This view is from the area West of the Brickell Avenue skyline.

For copies of any of my Miami skyline prints, drop me a message at www.michaelpancierphotography.com

See you out in the field

Great Blue Heron Action at Wakodahatchee

Great Blue Heron - Wakodahatchee Wetlands - Delray Beach, Florida

Taken on Sunday 2/6/11 early in the morning. Activity was good for the herons, ducks, and the regular gang of waterbirds. See you all out in the field as the activity picks up just in time for spring.

Winter of 2011 Getting you Down?

© Michael Pancier Photography

Journey to the Wave

It's been nearly two years since I made the journey to the Wave in the Paria Canyon  / Vermilion Cliffs Wilderness Area in Arizona. This journey fulfilling one of my bucket list places.  Finally, I've gotten around to putting together the photo essay of the entire hike which wasn't as grueling as the hike itself.  Also featured in the video is photographer Mike Jones of Mike Jones Photo from Mesa Arizona and Charly Moore, the guide from Overland Canyon Tours, in Page, Arizona,  an artist in his own right.  The hike was exhausting as you could see from our faces (except Charly's).  A hike worse than Delicate Arch. But worth it.

If you have seven minutes, then lay back and enjoy the scenic journey.

A Beautiful Sunrise in My Beloved Everglades

Woodstork - Nine Mile Pond - Everglades National Park

Photographing a landscape is like playing the lottery, although with better odds.  You never know if the elements will cooperate with you or not.  On Sunday morning,  I felt like shooting the sunrise at Nine Mile Pond in Everglades National Park.  This location is amazing if you have the right elements, clouds or fog. Otherwise, it's pretty lame. Fortunately, despite the weather forecasts for cloudless skies,  I decided to go shooting anyway. The elements came together. No fog, but I had a cooperative woodstork to anchor my image.   See you out in the field.

Opening in Theaters Today 1.1.11

A New Year at Fort DeSoto

As I have done now for the second year in a row, I decided to spend New Years Eve and New Years Day in one of my favorite places,  Tierra Verde aka Fort DeSoto in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida.  The birds are not there yet in number, but I cannot help but love this place. I've seen so many sunrises and sunsets there I never get tired of them. It's a new show every day.  Thing is, I really love the Gulf of Mexico.  I've done my best photography there. I've done my best fishing there.  I love the beaches there. The Gulf has so many bird and wildlife opportunities that I just don't find on the Atlantic side of the state. The water there is warmer, clearer, and calmer.  Last year we really had a scare with the oil spill.  We have seen the enemy of the Gulf and it is us. It must remain pristine.  Here are some of the images of the Gulf and from Tampa Bay taken on New Years weekend 2010-2011 at Fort DeSoto Park.

Last Sunset of 2010 - North Beach Fort DeSoto

Egmont Key Lighthouse - Taken from Fort DeSoto North Beach

Sunshine Skyway Bridge - Tampa Bay Sunrise - From East Beach

Sunshine Skyway Bridge and Freighter - Tampa Bay - From East Beach

Black Skimmers at North Beach

Please visit my website at www.michaelpancierphotography.com and my Facebook Fan Page for the latest news and images of where I'm shooting. See you out in the field folks.

Remembering 2010 in Photos

2010 - A Year in Review from Michael Pancier on Vimeo.

Hope everyone had a great New Year.   All I can say is that 2010 was quite a year and here's to a better 2011.  Here's my updated video which shows over 1000 of my images from 2010 in a three minute time span.   You'll be surprised as to how much your mind can actually process all these images given their average .04 second speed.  I had prepared an earlier version of this video, but it did not include photos from December 2010, which this one does.

Happy New Year and thanks for your support.