Incredible beach day and I've got pics!
 

I went to Naples Florida to ring in the New Year with some old friends and had a really great time.
It was during one of the coldest days on record as Florida went through several days of record lows but
that didn't stop me from hitting the beach for some fun.

Here's a few pics of what I found.

Naples is a small but very rich community and I always see some cool cars driving down 5th ave to the beach.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/01.jpg

My parents bought a house just off the beach in 1972 for $60,000. It still stands but all around houses are being bought, leveled and replaced with ones like this which is just a block away.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/02.jpg

Growing up I spent all my time fishing or surfing at the Naples Pier which was just a short walk from my home.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/03.jpg

If you take the time to look around there is so much to see and it helped bolster my appreciation for nature.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/04.jpg

Even though it was record lows and the water was a chilly 53 degrees my friends couldn't stay out of the water
and hit the small but fun waves for some surf.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/05.jpg

They used to call us ripple riders for surfing in Naples but pulling of moves like this requires a lot of skill
and many Naples surfers have gone on to ride waves around the world.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/06.jpg

It's very rare to see something like this in Florida especially several days in a row.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/07.jpg

The late afternoon light is perfect for shooting models at the beach and one of my favorite spots is just south of the pier.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/08.jpg

Every day people come to the pier to watch the sunset before walking over to 3rd street for dinner and drinks.
Sometimes it's hot and sometimes it's not. This day the pier emptied out as people thought the sunset was a bust when the sun went behind the clouds. Experience told me to wait it out.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/09.jpg

The clouds were moving fast and the sun worked overtime producing a very pretty sunset for those that waited.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/10.jpg

The next night the same thing happened. The disappointed crowd left early and I waited to see what would happen.
After the sun dipped below the horizon the after glow produced one of the best sunsets I've ever seen.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/11.jpg

I've only seen one sunset better than this. It was in 2005 and I was out surfing in Tamarindo Costa Rica.
Earlier in the day was a solar eclipse and we watched it while out in the water. At the same time a light fog formed over the water giving the eclipse a mystical feel. After the eclipse the fog cleared and a few hours later the sun set. It was just as colorful and vibrant as this one but it took up the entire sky from the horizon to the mountains behind me in a gradient color spectrum that was pulsating. It was low tide so the wet sand was reflecting the sky. It takes a lot to blow me away and that one did. It was magical and I stood there in awe until it went dark.

Still this wasn't a bad way to start the New year and I hope the rest of it is just as colorful.
http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/12.jpg

Awesome pics man.

Impressive pics :rasta

Lucky you i must say because here is so fucking cold

Great pics!

Beautiful pics :thumbsup

Lovely pics. Thanks,

You need to release those sand dollars! They're dying to get out. :winkwink:

My parents had a time share in Marco Island so we spent quite a bit of time in the Naples area while growing up. Fun place.

Great pics.

Great photos.

great pics thanx for sharing

Those are some killer sunset pics :thumbsup

amazing...

Awesome pics :)

Great Pics man :thumbsup

Wow.. nice shots! :)

Good pics dude!

nice pics doode! congrats!

nice photo documentary of naples...have you ever seen the "green flash" at sunset?....i never have, but always try when in west fla.

Very Nice Photos...

This is a stunning photo. Shallow DOF with flying birds... and a slow shutter speed... awesome combination.

http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/04.jpg

WOW, just amazing !!!!

You don't have a bigger pic do you? I'd love it as a desktop... :thumbsup

Wow nice pics, the sunset looks amazing... :thumbsup

good. very good.

Awesome pics .. thanks for sharing :thumbsup

I've seen the " green flash " a half dozen times over the years but only once when I had a camera
with me and was able to get this picture.

Many people think the green flash is a burst of green light but it's really about duration.
Just before the sun is completely below the horizon the sides of the top of the sun come together as it disappears.
Most of the time it's orange but on a rare occasion when the conditions are just right
that last disappearing sliver of sun will turn green like in the picture.

http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/13.jpg

I keep telling you guys there is still money in Porn. lol. Look at how those guys are living.

very impressive pictures... The brid one caught my eye first, then of course the hottie and then the sunsets....


VERY VERY COOL Shit!

very nice photos man :thumbsup

Really really nice pics bro

beautiful pics!

amazing pics, thanks for sharing!

I tried to pick out pics that would appeal to everyone. :winkwink:

and thanks everyone for the nice comments. :)

What I thought would be a busted beach day turned into a photographic feast.

My friends thought I was crazy as I scrambled around the beach to get different angles.

http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/14.jpg

Nice!

My buddy was in Naples for Christmas/New Years as well. His parents have a vacation home down there. Looks like I need to take him up on the offer for some R&R down there one of these days.

When my family moved there from Miami in 1972 it was a one stop light, one high school, one cop car two bar town. There was less than a hundred students in my graduating class which means there were less than a hundred kids my own age. Everybody knew everybody.

Today southwest Florida has lost that quaintness as development has merged Naples to Ft. Myers to the north. It's getting to look more and more like Miami / Ft. Lauderdale. It's still a beautiful place and well worth a visit but the laid back lifestyle has long gone.

sweet man

Naples is a nice area but mostly old people.

Just amazing pics, thanks for sharing.

Great pix,I need a vacation

very nice, i wish

Fabulous shots!

beautiful photos :thumbsup

great photos!!

amazing photos man. They made me feel a little warmer (it's -15 at the moment in the city)

great pics man.. :thumbsup

Great looking photos :thumbsup

great pics !!!

It used to be that way but now it's grown and evened out. There's a college nearby and lot's of tourists, many from Europe, come to visit year round. My friends in their 20s aren't complaining and have plenty to do unlike when I lived there thirty years ago and had to go to Ft. lauderdale or Miami for some action. BTW South Beach used to be considered " mostly old people "

You need to catch up with the times :winkwink:

Wow, those pics are amazing!

Great shots! This sunset was amazing!

Absolutely superior work! I'll take mine in 1920 x 1080 please :winkwink:

50 wallpapers for my friends

get'em while they're hot :winkwink:

http://www.julie-clarke.com/public_html/promo/NY/11.jpg