October 3, 2022

First Sunset

Ah, Lido Beach. It will always hold a special place in my nostalgia. While Siesta might be voted “best” and Bradenton Beach is probably where I spent more time because of family and friends, Lido is probably my favorite of all the Florida beaches. I even worked on St. Armand’s for a year between earning my BA and starting grad school in the early-nineties. After a long drive today, I needed a sunset that only Lido could provide.

Kip and I took the Benz to Lido about 30 minutes before sunset. While Kip took a ride with an old dude in his Corvette, I walked Tito to the beach. Obviously, I had my trusty Leica M8 with me as I was eager to test it out away from home.

And the sunset seemed to have all the colors of a Romantic painting by Turner complete with Homer’s wine dark sea—captured here pretty damn well by the M8. I’m never 100% pleased with my photos of sunsets: the horizon always looks crooked. I think here, the triangular perspective skews the right of the image up, so it looks higher than the left. I see, too, a little vignetting with the Ultron 2/28, but nothing egregious.

So, Kip, Tito, and I hung out a bit on the beach—with many stopping to marvel at the dog—then we walked to Columbia for some dinner. I had a mojito and their famous 1905 salad. It was a pleasant way to end a long day.

I look forward to hanging with my buddy over the next few days, even though our time in Placida is unpredictable thanks to Hurricane Ian. Kip says the house weathered the storm well, but I’m interested to see the effects as we head south.

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