Beach Drive's Changing Skyline

Beach Drive in St. Petersburg is changing (note: link is from 2005 and likely outdated, although the interactive graphic is worth a look). We begin with the completed Parkshore Plaza (photo progression here)...

...on the 400 block of Beach Drive, a new condo building takes shape behind Grayl's Hotel...

...and, the beginnings of the planned two-story $16 million north wing at the Museum of Fine Arts.

Shorty's Raucous Cuban Club Courtyard

A clip from a Trombone Shorty concert in New Orleans, one of the acts scheduled at Saturday's Tropical Heatwave. From a trombone player, the unexpected:

My windshield's usually too dirty to take pictures through:
Yesterday's wildfire smoke on U.S. 19.

Mashing Up the Old Masters

A week or so ago, there was a photo tip from Photojojo that got immediately popular on the Internets, that used artistic masterpieces as color enhancers for your photos. I took some ordinary shots from the waterfront downtown near the Pier, and mashed them up. The first try, which immediately came to mind, was the Monet owned by the Museum of Fine Arts:

Monet's blues and purples were there, but it didn't look right without that spatter, so I added some of the effect from the filter gallery.

English majors may recognize the next sample, which served as the cover of the Norton Anthology of English Literature, Vol. 2 for many years. The downtown waterfront and James McNeill Whistler's Nocturne: Blue and Gold - Old Battersea Bridge...

....gets the Battersea Bridge to St. Pete.

Derby Day at Derby Lane

Across-the-board betting sure saved my Kentucky Derby stake. I'm talking to you Hard Spun!

Godzilla vs. Rodan, Tampa: The Battle for Ashley Street

The Castle Door

A side door at the Castle, Ybor's Goth social hall.

You're Mired!!

All Your Asphalt Cannot Tame The Land (For Now)

Here in the middle of the state's most densely-populated county, there are still places of refuge where you won't experience the last-second highway merge in front of your car being committed by those that either bear an out-of-state license plate or display a straw hat on their back dash. One of these places, in St. Petersburg, is Sawgrass Lake Park.

At top, a view from the lookout tower on the lake, where you can also spot prehistorical descendants (below) accompanied by the constant hum of I-275 in the background.

Backlog

Gallery viewers at last month's Sensory Overload, at the Cuban Club, and a detail from a video installation at the multi-media show by Shawn Cheatham (inset).

Ybor Roofline

Open 24

Laundromat, 4th Street North (St. Pete).

The Return of Frankenstein

A recent day on the Howard Frankenstein Bridge.
No accidents, 5:30 traffic, 40 minutes to cross.

Signals and Waves

Beneath the radio tower at Gandy Beach in St. Pete.

Found Photo Series, No. 11

A photo of the Municpal Pier during the 1930s, with Goodyear blimp Vigilant in the background. According to the book this photo was copied from, the blimp was available for passenger rides. From St. Petersburg In Vintage Postcards, by Donald Spencer, 2002.

Also:

• FPS, No. 10
• FPS, No. 9
• FPS, No. 8