the magic of disney...

a weekend disney getaway

outside the magic kingdom looking towards the train station @ the head of main street u.s.a.balloons!

my favorite view of cinderella's castle

toys and other merchandise are everywhere(the buying frenzy makes a normally sane individual not as spend-thrift as they thought)

a great white egret... there are birds all over disney... especially in frontierland around the turkey leg stand.

spinning tea cup madness... i think i became twice as dizzy because i was looking through the lens...

an up close view of cinderella's castle

a peacock in the spectromagic parade

reflection of the castle @ night... beautiful.

at the gorilla exhibit @ animal kingdom.

a grouping of pale flamingos that we saw on our african safari ride in the animal kingdom... absolutely fabulous.as we were driving by the lioness got up, stretched, and roared...talk about timing. :)

this last photo is a joke... i'm always telling my sister-in-law that travel magazine photographers love to take shots of old walls with bike leaning against them to show rural foreign places. so, while in the africa section of animal kingdom, what should i find but an old bike leaning against the wall... too funny!

speaking of garden spaces...

Landscape Design Lecture
January 21st, 2009
for details click here.

Michael Gilkey, Jr. lectures @ USF.lecture team:
laura gilkey, michael gilkey & jason riley

project photos for the lecture were provided by:
~*~ Strawberry Moon ~*~

beach scenes...

took these photos last week when i was exploring some the local beaches with my cousin. enjoy.

sea grapes @ turtle beach...beach vegetation

trail to the beach

footprints in the sand...

black and white: contrast

a few black and white photographs to show contrasts in natural light.

country road, take me home...

we took an unexpected trip to georgia this past weekend to attend my uncle's funeral. it was a very sad occasion, which the weather seemed to mimic with cloudy skies and intermittent rain. my uncle was a country man, through and through. he loved nothing more than fishing in the pond, riding the trails, and hanging around a fire barrel. he had a larger than life personality that will live on in the stories of everyone who knew him.

here are a few pix i took while up there:

country road...

a camilla flower after the rain...pecan orchard...a little pony...a fork in the road...

georgia pine...

stem structures...

trail blazing...

sparks from the fire barrel...

inspiration: one blossom

sometimes inspiration can strike in one single object of beauty. something so beautiful that you can't walk by without looking (or in my case, taking a photo). in the last few weeks, for me this has been a flower:

the 'hawaiian sunset' hibiscus

beautiful outdoor spaces...

This past weekend I photographed a recent landscape architectural project for Michael A. Gilkey, Inc. MAG, Inc. designed all of the landscape areas, as well as, the intricate hardscape patterns. The well planned out and thoughtfully designed outdoor space by MAG, Inc. compliments the beautiful home perfectly (by architect Jonathan Parks).

CHEROKEE PARK
Sarasota Residence

Landscape Architect: Michael A. Gilkey, Jr.

a sarasota sunset...

a fisherman @ last lightbeautiful glow

character clouds

vibrant orange...

sinking fast...

opposite ends: the rising moon and fading sun

amazing sunsets make all sorts of things seem possible, including walking on water

a sparkling new year...

in celebration of the coming new year, we lit sparklers and fireworks... which looks totally awesome when the shutter lens is left open.
HAPPY 2009!!