A Day at Fort DeSoto

Featuring the birds of Fort DeSoto.

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The Florida Scrub Jay - Nemesis Bird No More

It's got to be close to 8 years since I got hooked on photographing birds.  For many years I had what I called my three nemesis birds: bald eagles, roseate spoonbills, and scrub jays.  I photographed my first scrub jays this year after trying to find them for nearly six years.  It seems that everytime I went to the scrubs, they weren't there.  Well they finally cooperated.  I now have my fill of images of these friendly and rare bird endemic to our state.

I wish they would change the Florida state bird from the Northern Mockingbird to the Scrub Jay. The mockers are all over the place, but this guy is truly a native Floridian, found only in a few scrub areas in Florida such as Brevard County, where I found this guy and his buddies.

So do I have any new nemesis birds to photograph? Hell yeah!  Need to find me some wild screech owls, or any other owls (other than Burrowing Owls, Horned Owls, and Barred Owls) .... but I'll likely have to leave the state for some of them ...

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You can also visit my website at Michael Pancier Photography to see my portfolio.

Tybee Light Station

One of my must stops whenever I'm driving up I-95 through Georgia is the historic town of Savannah. And when there, besides stopping by Paula Dean's for a hearty meal,  I always head out early in the morning to the Tybee Light Station before all the tourists are there. The lighthouse traces its roots to the colonial days.  It poses a challenge to photograph given the powerlines and houses in the area. But I found that early morning is best.  You can find more information on the light at the Tybee Light Historical Society.  

I have a collection of lighthouse photos from Florida and the Atlantic coast on my website. Please visit www.michaelpancierphotography.com and check it out.

Revisiting The Big Crater

Meteor Crater in Winslow Arizona is kind of a tourist stop off of I-40,  but it is worth a visit as it is one of the few pristine impact craters one can see here in the USA.  It's difficult to photograph as it is so damn wide.  A pano is usually suggested in my opinion.  The photo I took there a few years ago was taken with my 15mm Fisheye on a full frame camera and you can see how you barely capture the entire scene. But just so you can get an idea of how large this crater is,  take a look below at the image from space (yes it can be seen from space).....

As the space image shows,  probably the best way to get a cool image of meteor crater would be by taking an aerial image.  I think I'm adding that to my bucket list.  Now time to charge my batteries and head out to the field.

Please take a moment to visit my website at www.michaelpancierphotography.com where I have new images posted from time to time and for daily images, please visit and "like" my Facebook Fanpage for up to date images and photography news. And finally, if you're into Twitter, you can follow me there too at @MAP_Photography

Tribute to MLK

A little photo and video montage I made from images I took at the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

A New Year in the Smokies

One of the New Year Celebrants in the Smoky Mountains I encountered last week in the Cades Cove section of the park.  A smiling white tailed deer.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy new year and are ready for a fantastic 2012.

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.

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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