Gibraltar of the West

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Gibraltar of the West
Photo Information
Copyright: Paolo Motta (Paolo) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4584 W: 146 N: 8650] (38107)
Genre: Places
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2008-04-27
Categories: Nature, Transportation, Architecture
Camera: Nikon d40 dslr
Exposure: f/10.0, 1/400 seconds
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2008-05-09 1:10
Viewed: 300
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
A view of a small island in front of Key West.
This is also my 800th image on TE! So much!

Key West is a city and an island of the same name near the southernmost tip of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida, United States.
Key West is known as the Southernmost City in the Continental United States. It is also the southern terminus of U.S. Route 1, State Road A1A and the East Coast Greenway.
In Pre-Columbian times Key West was inhabited by the Calusa people. The first European to visit was Juan Ponce de León in 1521. As Florida became a Spanish colony, a fishing and salvage village with a small garrison was established here.
Cayo Hueso (pronounced [ˈkajo ˈweso]) is the original Spanish name for the island of Key West. Spanish-speaking people today also use the term Cayo Hueso when referring to Key West. It literally means "bone key". It is said that the island was littered with the remains (bones) from an Indian battlefield or burial ground. The most widely accepted theory of how the name changed to Key West is that it is a false friend anglicization of the word, being that the word "hueso" (pronounced [ˈweso]) sounds like it could mean "west" in English. Other theories of how the island was named are that the name indicated that it was the westernmost Key, or that the island was the westernmost key with a reliable supply of water.
Many businesses on the island use the name, such as Casa Cayo Hueso, Cayo Hueso Resorts, Cayo Hueso Consultants, Cayo Hueso y Habana Historeum, etc.
In 1763, when Great Britain took control of Florida, the community of Spaniards and Native Americans were moved to Havana. Florida returned to Spanish control 20 years later, but there was no official resettlement of the island. Informally the island was used by fishermen from Cuba and from the British Bahamas, who were later joined by others from the United States after the latter nation's independence. While claimed by Spain, no nation exercised de facto control over the community there for some time.
In 1815 the Spanish governor in Havana, Cuba deeded the island of Key West to Juan Pablo Salas, an officer of the Royal Spanish Navy Artillery posted in Saint Augustine, Florida.
After Florida was transferred to the United States, Salas was so eager to sell the island that he sold it twice - first for a sloop valued at $575, and then to a U.S. businessman John W. Simonton, during a meeting in a Havana cafe, for the equivalent of $2,000 in pesos in 1821.
The sloop trader quickly sold the island to a General John Geddes, a former governor of South Carolina, who tried in vain to secure his rights to the property before Simonton, with the aid of some influential friends in Washington, was able to gain clear title to the island. Simonton had wide-ranging business interest in Mobile, Alabama.
He bought the island because a friend, John Whitehead, had drawn his attention on the opportunities presented by the island's strategic location. John Whitehead had been stranded in Key West after a shipwreck in 1819 and he had been impressed by the potential offered by the deep harbor of the island. The island was indeed considered the "Gibraltar of the West" because of its strategic location on the 90-mile (140 km) wide deep shipping lane Straits of Florida between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Of Mexico. On March 25, 1822, Matthew C. Perry sailed the schooner Shark to Key West and planted the U.S. flag, physically claiming the Keys as United States property. Perry reported on piracy problems in the Caribbean. Perry renamed Cayo Hueso (Key West) to "Thompson's Island" for the Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson and the harbor "Port Rodgers" for War of 1812 hero John Rodgers.
Neither name was to stick. In 1823 Commodore David Porter of the United States Navy West Indies Anti-Pirate Squadron took charge of Key West, which he ruled (but, according to some, exceeding his authority) as military dictator under martial law.

Model: NIKON D40
Software: Ver.1.10
Exposure Time: 10/4000 sec
F-Stop: f/10.0
ISO Speed Ratings: 200
Focal Length: 18 mm
Date Taken: 2008-04-27 18:07
Metering Mode: Pattern
File Size: 194 kb
KavadarGevgelij, Budapestman, azaf1, isabela_sor, vinicio, bobocortis, trekks, Silvio1953, Romatou, jusninasirun, feather, bostankorkulugu, g__clemens, Charo, danyy has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To bobocortis: rePaolo 2 05-09 14:18
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Critiques [Translate]

Hi Pao;o
Great picture great place
Just like from the James Bond moovies :)
Best regards,

Hi Paolo,
Great shot with wonderful colours and light.Lovely long exposure photo. I love the effect on the sea and the perfect sharpness.
Georg

Ciao Paolo

Congratulations for you 800th!

What a relaxing blue view in front of my eyes!.
Hmmm...love that island...in the middle of "nowhere"
Nice composition and blue color..very vivid.

My kind regards

Hi Paolo,
Picturesque view with fine composition I like the beautiful blue colours and the atmosphere, great perspective. Very well done! Have a nice day
George

  • Great 
  • azaf1 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1214 W: 112 N: 1456] (7355)
  • [2008-05-09 2:54]

Hi Paolo
Congratulations on your 800th composition. Key West is just beautiful. I like the 1/2 frame and the rich blue color.
TFS
Argiris

What a shocking, outrageous blue! The island is so inviting. The boat adds dynamism to the othrewise static looking scenery.
Regards,
Fusun

  • Great 
  • Nicou Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1862 W: 0 N: 4257] (20118)
  • [2008-05-09 3:34]

Hello,

toutes me félicitations pour ce 800ème psote, superbe.
Et quelle image ce bleu de la maer est merveilleux avec le bâteau, la peiti îl, paradisique.

Bravo et amitiés

Nicou

Eden on Earth
I wish I were there !!!!!You are really cruel posting images like this
The island superbly placed in this blue
Hugs
A great weekend

Primadi tutto complimenti per il traguardo delle 800, notevole davvero.
Poi complimenti per questa estiva e invitante foto di un bel mare e dell'isola.
Buon fine settimana
Ciao
Vinicio

Ciao Paolo.
Buona 800ma!
Buona composizione, con la pennellata sottile tracciata dal motoscafo ad incrementare la piacevole asimetria dell'inquadratura.
Dovendoti fare un appunto, le nuvole rosate non mi sembrano realistiche in relazione all'ora di ripresa. Le avrei sfreddate un attimino. E' ovviamente un dettaglio minimo.
Ciao, Bobo.

Congratulation to your 800th upload on TE. This is a very nice choice, well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

Wow, Paolo, what a blue theme! Looks like a great island surrounded by blue sea and a good place for holiday. The blue tone is really striking in this capture.

tfs, bill

Ciao Paolo, nel blu dipinto di blu per festeggiare la tua splendida 800ma, magnifica composizione di mare con il motoscafo che lascia la sua scia davanti la deliziosa isoletta, gran bella foto, complimenti ed auguri per le prossime ottomila, buon week end, ciao Silvio

Hello paolo. I like the color and saturation from D40. The perspective is awesome with the boat hitting the sweet spot and balances well with the island. Very well composed shot and thanks for sharing. Regards. Jusni

an image that works well to me ,the toning is very attractive . Shows a great eye.

François ,

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4386 W: 110 N: 382] (38162)
  • [2008-05-09 23:43]

Hi Paolo,
very nice view, amazing island near by Florida, fine composition. Good note also. Well done picture. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

  • Great 
  • delkoo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3432 W: 201 N: 4265] (21274)
  • [2008-05-10 1:06]

hi paolo
great challenge to reach 800 photos on TE, your entry is a symphony of blue just break by the small island and boat.

carry on
ciao
didier

800! Congratulations Paolo; so many of them are the sunsets you hate so much too. ;D. Good shot of one of the Florida keys. The inclusion of the speed boat is an important part of the image. Well done
Kath

800!... that's a lot... but checking your map and seeing the list of the countries you ve been it is not surprising paolo... a nice shot again in vivid colours as always... keep going ragazzo...

korkut;)

Ciao Paolo,
complimenti per il traguardo raggiunto frutto di un grande lavoro fotografico ad alti livelli.in questa foto mi piace molto il mare e il senso di liberta' dato dal motoscafo.
ancora complimenti
Giorgio

  • Great 
  • Charo Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1862 W: 9 N: 3241] (13024)
  • [2008-05-11 10:52]

Hola Paolo,
Una imagen minimalista donde el azul es el predominante de la toma. Bonito lugar.
Cordialmente
Charo

  • Great 
  • danyy Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 6915 W: 366 N: 9137] (46984)
  • [2008-05-12 14:44]

Bonjour Paolo,
des couleurs très différentes dans tes dernières photos, je me pose sur celle ci pour son festival de bleus intenses et ses airs très balnéaires.
La Floride d'ailleurs est balnéraire presque du nord au sud.
Beau dépaysement pour nous, europééens.
Regards.
Daniel.

Hi Paolo

Wonderful shot and very beautiful colours. I love the effect on the sea and the perfect sharpness.

regards
Muhammad Hanif

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