Kew West Light in 3 views Photo

Photographer’s Note

Three views of Key West light is my first foray into warm weather in a very long time. I worked up a sweat climbing the stairs to the top and it was well worth it. The interior of the light is a spiral stair that is mounted to the floor and not the walls of the tower, and despite its seeming small dimension the stair is very solid.

From our Wikipedia source:

The Key West Light is located in Key West, Florida. The first Key West lighthouse was a 65-foot tower completed in 1825. It had 15 lamps in 15-inch reflectors. The first keeper, Michael Mabrity, died in 1832, and his widow, Barbara, became the lighthouse keeper, serving for 32 years. The Great Havana Hurricane of 1846 destroyed the lighthouse

The new tower for the Key West Light was completed in 1849. It was 66 feet tall with 13 lamps in 21-inch reflectors, and stood on ground about 15 feet above sea level. In 1858 the light received a third order Fresnel lens. In 1873 the lantern was replaced (it had been damaged by a hurricane in 1866), adding three feet to the height of the tower. The growth of trees and taller buildings in Key West began to obscure the light, and in 1894 the tower was raised twenty feet, placing the light about 100 feet above sea level.

After the Coast Guard decommissioned the Key West Light in 1969, it was turned over to Monroe County, which in turn leased it to the Key West Arts and Historical Society. The society operates the lighthouse and its associated buildings as a museum. On display at the museum is the first order Fresnel lens from the Sombrero Key lighthouse.

dta, Longroute, fulvio52, ribeiroantonio, gunbud, phwall, bakes888, Budapestman, stego, jlbrthnn, vmf-214, ManuMay, amaryllis, patdeph, Royaldevon, Charo, Didi has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

dta (4454) 2009-03-08 13:03

Hello Greg ,
I like a lot this close view of the light house , with the beautiful foliage of the palm tree . Very good sharpness and colors . The longer view is nice , too . But I prefer this one .
Regards

Longroute (8915) 2009-03-08 13:22

Waw Greg!
The view of this lighthouse with the palm is gorgious! Such a smart and bright composition, clear and vibrating with light.
All the elements are set in the right place and so create an harmonious whole. I like it very much!
Compliments,
Donato

fulvio52 (8314) 2009-03-08 13:26

Hi, Greg.
I hope you're aware of the fact I could KILL to be in Key West right now, walking in Hemingway's footsteps, drinking Piña Coladas at Sloppy Joe's... I know that joint inside out, y'know... Man, you didn't tell us nothing, you just went to Key West, LOL! GREAT shot, it's got Key West written all over it, as simple as that! Enjoy your staying, see ya later.
Fulvio.

kris30d (46) 2009-03-08 14:09

super,super zdjecie

ribeiroantonio (21753) 2009-03-08 15:46

This truly is an excellent posting. I like this type of work with the wide view for context, the focus on a detail and the featuring of something else interesting. You have all the three complemented by a very informative note. Well done.
Antonio

gunbud (27585) 2009-03-08 17:56

Hey Greg,
I see you treated yourself to a trip to the tropics and you can't beat this view of the tall tower seen against the deep blue sky and lovely palms.
The color and clarity here are first rate to go along with your unique POV.
Not a good time to be taking pics up here with all the mud and dirty snow.
Regards, Tom

phwall (5428) 2009-03-08 18:12

Hi Greg,
In the footsteps of Hemingway, and all the other marlin fisherman of the Keys, wish I was there too.
Good detail, the light off-set with the palm tree immediately says where you are, in the tropics. The deep blue sky, the black and white tower and the green palm make for wonderful complimentary colours. I feel like a Rum Punch just looking at your capture.
Thanks too for the great note and the workshop shots, really gives a wonderful sense of where we are.
Cheers
Peter

bakes888 (18055) 2009-03-08 23:22

Hi Greg. No longer a beacon for boats, now a beacon for photographers! It seems all lighthouses attract photogs like flies, my wife especially ;-). (not that I mind) Well captured, great colours and wonderful sky. Nice natural framing of the foliage also. thanks for sharing.
Have a good week, Paul.
PS Pleased you’ve thawed out a little ;-).

Budapestman (41086) 2009-03-09 6:33

Hi Greg,
Superb series from this lighthouse...with the help of the note and the photos we receive a hypotenuse picture. The composition is superb, the tower appearing beside the palm tree is an attractive sight, the colours are beautiful. Splendid shot. Have a nice week
George

stego (22340) 2009-03-09 13:04

Hi Greg,

Quite a change from your last post, directly from the snowed North to the warm, greens and blues of the (almost) tropics of sunny Florida. I like any of the three, but this one is surely the most attractive, with the top of the lighthouse wonderfully framed by the trees.

The only thing that maybe could be improved is the apparent tilt to the right.

The panoramic is also very pretty and very effective as a complement of the presentation. I like how the trees encircle the lighthouse. By looking at it, I wonder how you got the POV of the main post.

The sense of motion and perspective of the spiral stairs is amazing and you turned it into a great photo also.

Regards, José.

guitianmiranda (3540) 2009-03-09 13:44

Don’t know why, but light houses has something special, something of mysterious. If I Have to choose one of the three pictures of another great note, I choose the second one, where the composition is beautiful as a long vertical canvas.

Best regards Greg.

jwmunro (6561) 2009-03-09 19:22

Hello Greg -

This is a very nice image and a pleasing composition. I think the palm placement is spot on and the clouds enhance the image giving us some depth in the sky. My only comment is that being so close and tilting the lens up you introduced some distortion that should have been addressed in PP. Well seen and presented.

Thank you for sharing.

John

mauro61 (14734) 2009-03-10 0:50

ciao Greg,
questo faro che sbuca dalla vegetazione, anche se un po' pendente, mi piace molto.
Bellissimo il blu del cielo in un 'ottima composizione,
saluti
maurizio

jlbrthnn (37038) 2009-03-10 4:30

Hello Greg,
Cheer! I like this judiciously framed and composed image, and which more is, of an excellent quality. I appreciate the ws, themselves of a very good realization. Nice images and interesting note.
Have a nice day
Cpordially
Joël

bracasha75 (21707) 2009-03-10 5:22

Helo Greg
I belive that lovelyer place in USA than Key West not give and this is only part of this beautiful island in Mexican Gulf!!!!!
Thanks for sharing
Bratislav

vmf-214 (1620) 2009-03-10 19:28

Hi Greg,

Good POV of the lighthouse and a nice close up through foliage of the palm trees gives great depth along with the blue sky for the background. Great job Greg.

Best regards
Jason.

ManuMay (10348) 2009-03-11 5:33

Hi Greg!

i like very much this close view, and the way you have composed, full of colours and having great definition.

Have a nice day.

best Regards

Manuel

emka (21143) 2009-03-11 5:47

Hi Greg, Very nice short series of the Key West Light. I think, I like best the full view of the building from WS, but this one is also very nice. Good composition with the palm, splendid colours and sharpness. I like it very much.
I wanted to go to Key West some years ago, as these small islands like beads seemed to me an interesting place and of course I wanted to see the traces of Hemingway. But I had bad luck. The day I wanted to go there Rita came and the people from all the islands were evacuated. Thanks for sharing

Malgorzata

amaryllis (17131) 2009-03-11 9:37

Bonjour Greg
un bon cadrage de ce phare avec cette végétation à côté, de belles couleurs et un format carré comme je les aime mais j'ai des difficultés à les réaliser
la netteté est remarquable et le ciel est d'un beau bleu que j'aimerai avoir ici
excellente réalisation
juliette

patdeph (17462) 2009-03-14 2:31

hello Greg
I like very much this POV where we can se the top of the light-house emerging from the trees and going toward the sky!The colours are splendid,and this is superbly framed!I even like the tilt that gives something special and original to the photo!
Regards
Pascale

Royaldevon (5824) 2009-03-14 6:09

Hello Greg,

I just love the composition of this shot with the lighthouse appearing to eminate from the jungle plants. A very unusual juxtaposition of features.
Excellent details, colours and light.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Charo (31651) 2009-04-02 10:49

Hello Greg,
I do not know why the lights are always very attractive and photogenic, perhaps somewhat influenced literature and film we are irresistible.
Beautiful capture and great contrast to include the leaves of the palm.
Best regards,
Charo

Didi (35782) 2009-05-01 0:02

Hi Greg
Nice frame on the lighthouse.
We are able to appreciate the details.
Perhapf one day you will able to show us a viev in the twilight with the lights on.
Best regards