Cedar Key & Its WaterWomen

“The Honeymoon Cottage at Low Tide….”

2012-02-11T13:03:00.000-05:00

The structure in the middle of the photo is variously referred to as the Honeymoon Cottage or The Thomas’s Guest-house. It is probably the most photographed feature in Cedar Key. As you can see, it has seen better days, and is an abandoned structure. I do marvel that it is still standing. I first photographed it about 30 years ago, and it did not look a whole lot better the, but it still had some glass in its windows, and I caught the reflection from the setting sun in them. If I remember correctly, you can find a picture of it in the November 1973 issue of national Geographic. Since then, I think I have photographed it once or so, but I do believe that every tourist coming to town has a picture of it.

Title: The Honeymoon Cottage at Low Tide….

Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 5.25" printedon 8.5 x 11" matte paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

“Five Cedar Key WaterWomen…”

2012-01-22T19:37:00.002-05:00

Title: Five Cedar Key WaterWomen#1

Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 4.6" printed on8.5 x 11" matte paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

Title: Five Cedar Key WaterWomen#3

Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 4.6" printed on8.5 x 11" matte paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

"Cedar Key Sunrise..."

2012-01-15T16:00:00.003-05:00

This is one of Cedar Key's enduring views. I love the 'corner' where this was taken. There is the old fish-house which no longer serves that purpose, unfortunately. Across the street are Rain's cottages, and remnants of the old wooden bridge that now serves mostly as a storage place for crab traps. The fast food store with its gas station [the only one in town], or as it is known locally as the 'New Jiffy' even though it has been there the thirty so years that I have been in town, they collectively make, at least for me, a very important 'Cedar Key' place.

This photo was made with a pinhole camera, which is nothing more than a little plywood box with just a pinhole for its lens. The one I used here is a somewhat fancy version known as the Zero 2000 . I have several pinhole cameras, ranging from the old Quaker Oatmeal box to a crude 16x20 plywood box I made to take that size enlarging paper for making pinhole paper negatives.

One thing that is very nice about the Zero 200 is that it takes 120 roll film, and thus I can make 12 exposures before it has to be 'reloaded.' It takes either b&w or color film. This particular photo was made with b&w Neopan 400 film, I developed myself and then scanned the negative. Of course I have also made regular b&w prints from the negative, and the ones that 'worked' for me the best were the ones made with lith developer.

Title: Cedar KeySunrise...

Edition: open

Size: aprox 7 x 5" printed on8.5 x 11" matte paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

"Sunday Morning...."

2012-01-12T18:54:00.000-05:00

Although I probably should put a little more variety into the images I upload, I can't help but post another one of Jeanine, this one not oysterfarming but relaxing off Atsena Otie Key.She had invited me to come along with her family and do some photography. That kind of opportunity does not come very often, almost never, so I gladly went. For one thing, I almost never see Jeanine not working. No matter when I drop by her oyster-house I always find her going full tilt, and although dressed for shucking oysters or some other equally messy task, she always looks like she is ready for a cover shot on a glossy magazine.

I mostly worked with my 35mm Yashica SLR and its 50mm Zeiss lens that morning, but I did remember that I had also brought my Holga along, so I waded out into the Gulf, with the 'plastic fantastic' over my head trying to keep it dry. Along with the cameras I had brought some fabric and I tossed a white piece of it to Jeanine, who dove with it wrapped around her and surfaced looking like The Madonna of The Gulf of Mexico.

Now I have to be honest and also tell that when I went to develop the film, I forgot to put the stem holding the reel into the tank - with the result that I got light leaks while developing the film. Probably photo mistake

#35784.498 - 5a - what can I say. I am not new to this, but I guess it does happen. So, when I looked at the film it seemed that all the images on the roll were a total loss. Fortunately I did not throw the roll away, but finished processing it, and eventually got around to printing it, discovering that with a lot of burning and a little voodoo, I had a very compelling image - at least I think so.

Title: SundayMorning

Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 4.6" printed on8.5 x 11" matte paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

"Oysterplanting with Jeanine..."

2012-01-11T19:47:00.000-05:00

I have written about this photo before, but since this is the first time it appears in the Photo-Store I think a repeat of how this suite of oyster planting photos came about is ok:

There was no doubt that it was going to be a hot Cedar Key summer day. Although the Cedar Keys stick out a couple of miles into the Gulf of Mexico, and one might think they get nice cool 'ocean breezes' in the summer - that is not the case, quite the reverse. The Gulf becomes extremely warm then, with water temperatures above 80 degrees, day and night. When the tide is out it gets even warmer on the sun burned flats and oyster bars surrounding the islands. So when Jeanine invited me to come along with her crew to photograph them while oyster planting, I prepared by wearing a wide, floppy hat, lose clothing, and carrying a small cooler with loads of water and sandwiches. Oyster planting involves moving oysters from exposed oyster beds to deeper water where they can grow better, and later can be 'harvested' and sold. While I thought I was prepared, for the day, I was mistaken. Gathering clumps of oysters into their big red plastic buckets, then carrying these buckets out to the boat and emptying them into wooden crates, to be transported to deeper waters and dumped, was enormously strenuous and back-breaking work for the crew. So that there is no misunderstanding, I was not doing that, I was just standing around on the exposed oyster beds observing and taking photos. I was also beginning to be extremely thirsty and hungry. There was no way that I could, in good conscience, eat and drink while the crew was working at top speed, without any breaks. Eventually they did take a short break, but what saved the day for me was getting some great photographs and a thunderstorm that materialized early in the afternoon forcing all the boats with their crews to return to Cedar Key earlier than planned.

Title: Oysterplantingwith Jeanine

Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 4.6" printed on8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

"Annie's Cafe..."

2012-01-10T15:48:00.000-05:00

No, this is not Annie's Cafe, but it is the storage shed just outside the main entrance to the cafe. You can see it in the background to the left of the shed.

We almost made it there for lunch today. We had to spend the morning in Bronson, which is about 30 miles away, but then it got later and later and so we had to skip the stop here. I was really looking forward to a small burger with fries and a beer. Hopefully next time.

Just about every-time I walk past Annie's I want to take a photograph, and this structure and its wonderful sign has always fascinated me. Despite several tries, I never felt that I 'nailed' it. Finally I took my trusty Holga camera, and as so often is the case, I got the kind of funky image I was looking for. One of the problems in photographing the shed is that the sides are roofing tin, facing south and east. So, if the sun is out, [which here it is most of the time]the image contrast is simply overwhelming.

Title: Annie'sCafe

Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 6.9" printed on8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

"Faster Than Lightning..."

2012-01-09T13:44:00.001-05:00

Glenda was kind enough to let me photograph as she was working in her restaurant Annie's Cafe. It is my favorite place to get breakfast or a burger for lunch. When I moved to Cedar Key air-conditioning wasn't used in most restaurants and homes, and unless you have been here in August you can't imagine how hot it gets here, even though we are stuck out into the Gulf of Mexico. Anyhow, Annie's is still without a/c or much heat, for that matter, and that's the way it should be because it makes it 'feel right.' It's a reminder as to why we live in Cedar Key and not some 'high powered' place.

Now, photographing Glenda was an extreme challenge. Firstly her kitchen is small and secondly, she moves like 'greased lightning.' I was working with my 35mm Yashica SLR with manual focus and manual exposure. Keeping track of them and Glenda proved to be next to impossible. Although I did end up with quite a few good photos, this one is my favorite because it embodies so much of what makes Annie's special, from the open kitchen door [to cool the kitchen down] to how dynamic and powerful Glenda is, working hard and moving fast!

Title: Faster Than Lightning
Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 4.5" printed on8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

"The Lone Net Fisherman..."

2012-01-08T15:45:00.002-05:00

"Slick Calm'...Morgan Fine on his birddog after a day of mullet fishing. With his pocket net on the net table and fish in the ice box." Diana

Title: "TheLone Net-Fisherman…:

Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 6.9" printed on8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print from Holga film negative
Price: $ 24⁰⁰

Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

"Morning Sky, Cedar Key Beach..."

2012-01-07T15:32:00.000-05:00

Title: MorningSky, Cedar Key Beach
Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 4.7" printed on8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

"Diana shifting her boat..."

2012-01-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

Diana wrote of the thoughts that were going through her head when looking at this photo of her: "...Always dreaming and knowing that if you want to go somewhere or do something - first you must place one foot in front of the other to get any closer to the destination. The sky is no limit!!!..."

I took this photo the first time I went out on the water with April and Diana. Since then she has married, is raising two children and is the proud co-owner of the clamming co-op Clamtastic.

Title: DianaShifting her Boat…
Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 4.6" printed on8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

Designing WaterWoman

2011-12-31T13:28:00.002-05:00

Title: Designing WaterWoman
Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 5 " printed on8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

2011-08-23T13:10:00.000-04:00

Early morning clamming. Thanks to my friends Wayland and Milinda, I was able to go out with them while they pulled about a dozen bags. It was a gorgeous morning on the water. While the temperature in Cedar Key was already in the low 80's, once we got on the water and moving, the air was balmy and pleasant.

Palm Trees, Gulf Boulevard, Cedar Key

2011-01-21T16:12:00.005-05:00

Down the street from where I live in Cedar Key are several empty lots with stands of palm trees. Walking by them, with the morning sun shining on them, they always fascinate me, and every now and then, I just have to go over there and take a photo of them. So far, the ones that 'speak to me' and that come closest to realizing in print what I see with my eyes and my mind, are the ones I have done with the simple and cheap Holga camera. I developed the film for this one in my darkroom at home. The vignetting, that is, the darkening around the corners of the photo comes from two sources. One from the lens hood I often use to shade the lens from reflections of the sun, and two from the fact that the primitive lens on the Holga tends to darken the area outside the center of the image.

I do love the fact that there are so many wonderful and varied opportunities for photos so close to the house. I think that probably 95 percent of all my Cedar Key photos were taken not further than two miles from our house.

Title: Palm Trees, GulfBoulevard, Cedar Key
Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 7 " printed on8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

Harriet on her clam lease off Cedar Key

2010-12-01T15:22:00.002-05:00

This photo of Harriet was taken not too long after the net-ban became law in Florida. Supposedly aimed at stopping overfishing by commercial fishing trawlers, it was championed by sports fishermen, the outboard motor industry, and some misguided ecologically minded folks. In Cedar Key where net fishing had been carried on for generations in small boats, usually manned by one or two fishermen, it had devastating effects. Not only did it destroy a traditional way of life, it also added immensely to the economic burden of the local population, which, on the whole, had always lived on the edge of poverty. Harriet had ditched a well paying job in a larger city to come to Cedar Key to 'get away' from the hustle and bustle. To make a living she painted houses, did some net fishing, took tourists on nature tours, opened a book store and finally got into clam farming. She enrolled in the first class on clam farming to be held in Cedar Key. I had also thought of taking the class, but decided to get my captain's license instead. She was the first clam farmer I could persuade to take me out with them to get some photos. In those days, one of the major challenges facing the clam farmers was getting their clams to market. Cedar Key is at least 60 miles from any city, and as of then, there were no intermediaries in the clam business. So, each individual had to market their own clams, that is, drive a hundred miles or more to get them to some restaurant or seafood outlet. Here Harriet is loading some small bags of clams into her boat to take 'to market.' She had 'harvested' them the day before, but kept them out on her lease in the Gulf so that they would be fresh. A practice no sane waterwoman follow today. Now there are refrigeration and processing facilities ashore where the clams would be prepared for market.

Title: Harriet on herclam lease off Cedar Key
Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 5.7 " printed on 8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

Cedar Key's Heather Calvert ready to head home

2010-11-11T19:08:00.011-05:00

For a long time I had been hoping for a chance to go out and get some clamming pictures with the Calverts. After all, Doug and Nena had been instrumental in getting clam farming started in Cedar Key. If it had not been for their drive and vision who knows what would have happened to the fishermen and the community when the Florida Net-Ban was enacted. So, when I got a call from Doug saying that they were going to pull 'a couple of bags of clams,' I grabbed my camera and met them at the boat ramp. Their lease wasn't too far out, and soon we all were in the water. Doug, Josh and Heather pulling clam bags and loading them into the boat, while I was photographing. Well, it turned out that the 'couple of bags' were about twenty bags or more. As I figured it, at least a ton of clams. After the last bag was pulled and loaded, Heather went over to pull up the anchor, and that is when I got this photo, one of my favorites.

Title: Cedar Key's HeatherCalvert ready to head home
Edition: open
Size: aprox 7 x 4.7 " printedon 8.5 x 11" paper
Media: Archival Pigment Print
Price: $ 24⁰⁰
Shipping cost: $ 6⁹⁵

Suwannee Dawn at Hardee's

2010-11-07T19:15:00.006-05:00

This is no other than 'Suwannee Dawn' reviewing the proof copy of volume 1 of the WaterWomen book. SD looks like she is getting ready for a fashion shoot for Vogue Magazine. However, we are only at Hardee's in Old Town – I think it's the only place where you can get a cup of coffee. I really don't know anything about Old Town, except that I drive through it a lot when travelling between Cedar Key and Tallahassee. It's also the place to turn when heading for SD's place.

Door in the Lutterloh Store, Cedar Key

2010-10-18T19:43:00.013-04:00

When we moved to Cedar Key, the 'Avon Lady' lived upstairs. Downstairs, to the right of this door, was the Cedar Key Realty through which we bought our house. Called the Lutterloh Store, it was built around 1875, and the rough texture you see around to the right of the door is coquina, a 'stone' native to Florida, and used for hundreds of years as a building material, much as concrete block is used now.

The building sits on the corner of 'D' and Second Street, and this view is right across the front door of the Drummond Bank. It was and is a fascinating building to photograph, and especially so with the evening sun just about ready to disappear behind the Drummond Bank building. Unfortunately, I have not done any photography in the building, which is now vacant.

Recently the Lutterloh was part of a development project, which went bust along with the rest of the economy, proposing to create a 'Cedar Key Village' resort centered around the downtown block of which the building is a cornerstone. The promotional literature for the project stated, "the Lutterloh will soon be home to a 3-bedroom luxury suite …and a sports/recreational outfitter." Well, it did not happen. The exposed coquina you see in this photo has been patched over, and a few other minor cosmetic fixes have been made, but other than that, the building sits there, vacant as before.

Cedar Key's Jeanine Beckham & Billie Jo Booth Oysterplanting

2010-09-23T19:06:00.022-04:00

There was no doubt that it was going to be a hot Cedar Key summer day. Although the Cedar Keys stick out a couple of miles into the Gulf of Mexico, and one might think they get nice cool 'ocean breezes' in the summer - that is not the case, quite the reverse. The Gulf becomes extremely warm then, with water temperatures above 80 degrees, day and night. When the tide is out it gets even warmer on the sun burned flats and oyster bars surrounding the islands. So when Jeanine invited me to come along with her crew to photograph them while oyster planting, I prepared by wearing a wide, floppy hat, lose clothing, and carrying a small cooler with loads of water and sandwiches. Oyster planting involves moving oysters from exposed oyster beds to deeper water where they can grow better, and later can be 'harvested' and sold. While I thought I was prepared, for the day, I was mistaken. Gathering clumps of oysters into their big red plastic buckets, then carrying these buckets out to the boat and emptying them into wooden crates, to be transported to deeper waters and dumped, was enormously strenuous and back-breaking work for the crew. So that there is no misunderstanding, I was not doing that, I was just standing around on the exposed oyster beds observing and taking photos. I was also beginning to be extremely thirsty and hungry. There was no way that I could, in good conscience, eat and drink while the crew was working at top speed, without any breaks. Eventually they did take a short break, but what saved the day for me was getting some great photographs and a thunderstorm that materialized early in the afternoon forcing all the boats with their crews to return to Cedar Key earlier than planned.

"Summer Storm - Beach, Cedar Key"

2010-09-22T20:51:00.010-04:00

This photo was made with a pinhole camera during a summer storm, that was not a hurricane!