About the Image(s)

BLOWING ROCKS STATE PARK
Main Image: Nikon D850, 24-70mm lens. ISO 800, f11, 1/640, handheld
Second Image: Nikon D850, 24-70mm lens. ISO 250, f13, 25 seconds. Tripod with cable release
Here I go, I’m trying to create a nature story using a landscape image. PSA says it is possible, but quite rare. The beach at Blowing Rocks State Park in Jupiter, south Florida is not your typical Florida sandy beach with palm trees. After years of erosion caused by the ocean’s waves what remains is a rugged shoreline made of Anastasia Limestone. This soft, sedimentary rock is steadily being eaten away as constant waves pound and wash against the exposed rock. Over time the sea can carve holes into the rock and actually creates tunnels extending from the sea inland. Sometimes the pounding of the water not only creates tunnels but can create a vertical chimney. When a chimney is created a strong wave created by high tide or storm surge (storm surge is best) can force water through the tunnel and up the chimney where it explodes in a rising column of water. My image this month tells the story of this water action. This image was taken just after dawn at high tide and was handheld as it is impossible to tell exactly where the fountain of water will appear and I had to adjust at each eruption to get the shot. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
The Second Image: I thought you needed to see how dull and ordinary this Anastasia Limestone actually is in order to appreciate the second image (this is the one I went to the park to photograph). If you are at the state park on a morning in the fall when the sun is rising a bit more form the south east than true east ??“starting date is September 22 (the Fall Equinox) and the sky has some cloud cover that is a bit pink or orange you mayl be treated to a magical transforming of the dull beige, grey stone into a golden glow. For just a few magical moments, as the sun rises, the rocks blaze with golden hues while the algae and seaweed that grow on the stone and are kept moist by the sea glows with an emerald green. On the rare occasions when I have been fortunate enough to experience this transformance I have wondered if the Spanish explorers who arrived on these shores in the early 1500s might have seen this and thus given the coast it common name, “The Gold Coast”. Seeing how ordinary the limestone looks during full daylight one would never guess the beauty that lies waiting for the lucky few. Now is this good enough for a nature story. Without the backstory I doubt anyone would ever know.