Xynn Tii Imagery's photostream

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The Edward Ball Nature Trail seems to be a very under-utilized resource of the University of West Florida. I found that out this semester during my class project for Leadership Communication. Our Team (named Project Pavilion) was assigned to bring life back to this Pensacola landmark. It was not an easy task, at all. But we managed to plant a seed, creating a vision that will hopefully set the tone for progress in the near future. As we found out, only so much can be accomplished within one semester due to red tape and more red tape. =/

Our project involved taking tons of pictures, an assignment to which I was able to contribute the most. During one of our hikes on the boardwalk I came across one of the many plant species of the trail. Even though we had a couple of environmental scientists on our advisory board, I forgot to get the exact name of the plant in this picture. Who knows, it could just be an ordinary weed. But what was so spectacular about this plant is the fact that it was growing from the inside of a tree stump. I was confused and mesmerized at the same time.

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My first sunrise picture! I must admit I am not disciplined enough to wake up this early in the morning. But a close friend of mine recommended this day (of all days) to capture the sunrise. Surprisingly, I listened and traveled west to Gulf Breeze Florida early enough to witness something quite remarkable. As a fisherman approached the boardwalk, he put down his gear and enjoyed the view for a couple minutes. He stopped directly in the center of the frame, as if it was a planned task. His solitude really complimented the setting as I watched on with him. Hopefully he (whoever he is) will get a chance to see this someday because I never got a chance to introduce myself. =/

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I am pretty sure I pissed off that wonderful Starbucks lady, after I strolled in and asked to use the Honey Teddy Bears. As I expected, she looked at me with curiosity. I honestly did not have any set plans. My only motive was to test out my new 50mm lens. Besides, the low aperture allows for a blurry background, which is something I have always loved within photographs. I conveyed this very message to the her as she continued to look at me strangely.

Because there were no customers around, she decided to jump in on the fun. She actually helped me create a story between the two Honey Teddy Bears. The entire time, I was taking pictures with just one of the bears, while her vision called for something more relatable. To be honest, I must give her credit for this picture because it was her idea, not mine. To show my respects, I plan to go back in to ask for her name. She deserves to be represented appropriately, if you ask me.

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➥ Shortly after leaving the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola NAS, I made my way past Barrancas National Cemetery at the Naval Air Station. I drove in and chose to commemorate Charles Johnson's grave within this photograph. Well, I really did not choose, I just read his credentials and was transfixed. I closed my eyes and took a moment of silence to imagine how much he had actually been through over the years (the sacrifices, the pain and suffering of witnessing death). To physically and psychologically survive three wars is quite remarkable.

I transformed the photo into a dark contrast of monochrome to coincide with the mood that surrounded me as I walked past hundreds of gravestones.

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This place was far more immaculate than I had initially anticipated. Luckily, my premiere visit to the coast of Hurlburt Field's Soundside was accompanied by a sexy sunset. Just after taking this picture, I moved closer to the water, where I wanted to have the bride in its entirely running along the bottom of the frame. The entire time I was setting up, the nearby dog kept flirting with me, barking away. The couple kept staring at me, as they probably thought I was trying to sneak in some paparazzi shots of them. Clearly not.