Top Photos From 2023

The past year offered many opportunities to get out in nature and photograph her beauty. Though I stuck close to home in the Tampa Bay area for several reasons, photo ops still abounded. These are my top photos from 2023.

You can always follow my outings on Facebook and Instagram to see more photos from the parks and small towns I visit throughout the year. I also post videos on YouTube from time to time with a goal in 2024 to be more consistent about that.

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Winter Cobweb

On New Year’s Day 2023, I visited John Chesnut Park in Palm Harbor. The lakeside park was shrouded in heavy fog and the soft light created some beautiful photos.

Cypress Dome

Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park in New Port Richey offers a fantastic place for outdoor recreation. Visitors can camp, hike, have a picnic, ride the mountain bike trails or the paved bike paths, or bring the horses to enjoy the equestrian trails. More than 8,000 acres (nearly 20,000 acres when combined with adjacent conservation lands) offer more than 20 miles of hiking trails passing through several ecosystems.

Safety Harbor Waterfront

The Safety Harbor waterfront includes a popular waterfront park, marina, and boardwalk. The city holds festival at the park, making it a great endpoint for the city’s vibrant downtown region.

Epiphany Morning at Spring Bayou

One of the largest Epiphany celebrations is held each January 6 in Tarpon Springs. The Orthodox Greek community and thousands of visitors line Spring Bayou to watch the Greek teens dive for the cross, a tradition brought from the Greek islands.

A Shady Spring Run

Werner-Boyce Salt Spring State Park in Port Richey features several springs and a unique tidal waterfall that is only visible at extreme low tide. This spring is Caldera Spring near the parking lot with its beautiful shaded spring run that flows to the main waterways in the park.

Sunflowers at Sweetfields Farm

I visited Sweetfields Farm in April with my photography club, and the sunflower fields did not disappoint! A 6-acre sunflower maze is the highlight of the farm (it’s a corn maze in the fall), but there are so many other things to do – farm animals, farm games, a country store, a playground, and u-pick flower fields.

Pet Me!

Another fun outing with the photography club was to Patti Johnson Farm in Pinellas Park, a 10-acre educational facility with the purpose of providing a rural spot in the middle of Florida’s most densely populated county. This cutie wanted nothing more than pets. And maybe a treat or two.

Farm Sink

Also shot at Patti Johnson Farm, I couldn’t pass up the curves of the sinks and faucets and felt it worked best in black and white with the high tones (whites) brought up.

Ybor City Rooster

Another photography club outing, we rode the historic TECO streetcar from downtown Tampa to Ybor City where we visited the Ybor City Museum State Park, walked the streets to enjoy the architecture and historic sites, and ate lunch at Gaspar’s Grotto.

Tampa’s Thai Temple

Tampa’s Thai Temple is a true hidden gem and makes a wonderful unique experience. Visit Sunday morning for the food market featuring authentic Thai dishes.

Little Manatee River

I took one of my last hikes of the year at Little Manatee River State Park in Wimauma. The park at the main entrance features a short nature trail, campground, playground, kayak launch, and equestrian trails. It’s the north trail, though, which is the most stunning. It passes near the river including some incredible bluffs I didn’t expect to see in this part of Florida. For this photo, I explored a small side trail which eventually led down to the river and a sandbar from which I captured this photo.