Portland Bight (2 of 2)

Rocky Point

Funny enough for a protected zone the Portland Bight Protected Area (PBPA) is full of commercial and industrial areas.  Go Figure.

There are two Bauxite ports, one at Rocky Point and the other at Port Esquivel.  The Jamaica Broilers Group has a Ethanol Dehydration Plant at Port Esquivel as well. There are also several fishing villages within the PBPA. Jamaica Power Company has a ailing power plant in Old Harbour bay as well. I believe it is now complimented with a power barge moored on its western side.

The JPS Plant in Old Harbour Bay

A ship being loaded at Rocky Point (above and below)

The large 300 food diameter dome at Rocky Point

Aside from the above the PBPA is a beautiful place.  It is home to several mangrove forrests that provide shelter for young fish.  As well as several rivers.  The most popular of which is Salt River.

The remains of the jetty and defunct beacon at the entrance to Salt River

A rainbow over the Salt River Area

The Marina by the pumping station at Salt River (Above and Below)

Rocky Point taken from the mouth of Salt River.

As we left Salt River and circled around Rocky point a small squall set in while we were in open water headed to Pigeon Island.  I have come to realise that experiencing some wind and rain at sea is far different from on land (see previous post).

Small squall in Portland Bight

Past the squall

Pigeon Island is a lush green isle in the middle of the mouth of the bight.  A beautification project that started off as a hobby for John Greaves (see article) keeps the island this way.  Its now filled with coconut trees and other vegetation.

Coconut trees in the middle of Pigeon Island

Garbage washed up on one of the beaches on Pigeon Island

Old Harbour bay as seen from Pigeon Island.  On the Horizon just left of the beacon tower is Goat Island.

A makeshift tent on pigeon island (above and below)

Rocky point as seen from Pigeon Island

Portland Bight (1 of 2)

Portland Blight was made Jamaica's largest protected area just before the turn of the turn of the century.  According to the Jamaica Protected Areas Trust (JPAT) the Portland Blight Protected Area (PBPA) measures 1,876 sq kilometres (724sq. miles).

Old Harbour Bay

During World War II this quiet area was home to a US naval base.  As part of the "Destroyers for Bases Agreement" parcels of land within the British Empire were leased to you the United States in exchange for destroyers.  Goat Island was home to one of  two naval bases on the island.  There was another naval facility at Port Royal and an Air Force Base (Vernam Field).

Periwinkle growing on a beach of shells on  Little Goat Island

The view from Goat Island with the JPS Power Plant in the background (above and below).

Teal Point on Little Goat Island

(Part 2)

Getting married in Three Hours!!!

Thanks to all those that read this blog for all their support.  When I woke up this morning I was going to post my images that were taken at Portland Bight ( See my fiance's Images of the same trip here).  Unfortunately I'm getting married in two and a half ours and right now I figure that I wouldnt do the place justice. 



So for now I'll just post photos of the "crew" on the high seas.

Heading out to Salt River

Dilly D prepping the machine

Krystal and I braving the Squall

Thanks Mark for hiding in the bow of the boat.  Without you we wouldn't have  this photo.

After the Squall

Bright skies for the rest of the day

I'll start blogging again in two weeks.

Peace.

Downtown Kingston, A different perspective

South of Cross Roads and west of  South Camp Road is the area more generally referred to as "Down Town".   A part of this area along the waterfront and north to North Street forms a almost uniform grid.  A bird's eye view reveals the dormant structures, and a potential lost. 

Ironically, even with all the "desolation" downtown remains a central hub in this land we love.  There are several corporate headquarters, Government ministries and offices, and cultural interests nestled in the grid-like conundrum that we simply call "Down Town".  

Looking north west towards Cooper's Hill.  In the middle is the Supreme Court and parking complex.  To the right of which you can see the steeple of the Kingston Parish Church,  St. William Grant Park and The Ward Theatre.

Looking north along Duke Street, in the distance lies New Kingston

Looking north along Duke Street and John's lane to Stony Hill.

Looking east over the Kingston Harbour  just before sunrise.

The eastern end of The Palisadoes at dawn

Shells - What once held life pt.1

I started a project last year collecting random shells and shell fragments (mostly Conch shells).  I started to explore the shells initially as abstract forms similarly to the pepper still life images made popular by Group f64 member Ansel Adams.

After failing miserably at trying to capture the kind of imagery that would evoke the same emotional response that I felt the first time I saw one of Ansel's prints on display.  I gave up.

I have long come to the conclusion that I am no master.  And the first time I saw Ansel's images i was really unimpressed.

Well truth be told the way the gallery in Toronto had his exhibition arranged was rather confusing to me.  You were first greeted by his "Pre F64" work.  Half worn original prints hardly the work of a true master.  To be more precise it was more of what I call a "mind grine".  The work looked poor, they were bunched together like items on a supermarket shelf.  I was confused. Where was the father of modern photography I had read about all these years.  At that moment I was lost.

My boss who was there as well was quite confused as well.  He had been to a exhibition years before and these "shells" on the walls where not, we concluded, the work of Ansel Adams.  The prints were done on "cheap" looking paper, quite close to the texture of newspaper.  They lacked contrast.  Emotion.

Just as a chess master plays, moving each piece with calculated motive so I assumed the curator planned the layout of the exhibition.  Hence the "mind grine".   At the end of the "supermarket shelf" prints was a arrow with the wording "exhibition continues". 

Around the dark corner lay prints that would capture even the most idle of gazes.  They took you into the mind of a master.   Staring at "Moonrise, Hernandez" I was shocked.  How could I have doubted that this was Ansel Adam's work and not some sham.  The books  that bear his name do him no justice. 


Squirrel!!!!


If you didn't get that last line I suggest you close this browser window.  Get off you bum and go out and enjoy life a bit, watch a movie.  


Where I was going with all this?


Ansel had to start some where.  He was no prodigy.  He was talented.  He worked hard.  His first works were "normal" at best.  He, however, persevered.  And today is dubbed the "father of modern day photography". 

Why the Ansel story.  Well after exhausting composition of curves of conch shells it hit me.  These once held, protected and housed a living creature.   What follows is a conch "memorial" of sorts.  A shell on a bed of pebbles in a pine box surrounded by darkness. 

Squirrel!!

Rings That Bind

"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie."

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

 In Less than a month's time I will embark on a epic quest that I pray will last till the day I die.  Unlike Frodo in Tolkien's book I will make this decision to wear my ring willingly, and it will be by no means a burden. 

To some of my more inept readers:  it means i'm getting married.  The lucky lady is Krystal G. Moodie (check out her blog via the link).

We needed to take some shots of our rings for our wedding book/album/website.  The experiment proved challenging as polished tungsten carbide acts like a mirror.  Unlike the images you see in catalogs I wanted to leave the images of the rings untouched by the clone tool.  Comment on the images below.  

All of the above images were taken with one (1) light and a few reflectors to catch highlights.  The rings are Tungsten Carbide from Titanium Jewelry..

Next post:  Into the mist