Freedom Ride 4

As has become my personal tradition, July 4th is the day I jump on my bike and ride around Orlando looking for interesting stuff to photograph. There is little traffic, so it makes it possible to attempt to photograph places in the city which would be more difficult to access on other days. And for me nothing feels more free than riding around taking pictures. The pursuit of happiness at it is finest.

Happy Independence Day!

Freedom Ride 3

Maybe it's the fact that there isn't much traffic and I can ride places I normally can't. Or maybe it's the fact that it's a holiday and I feel free to indulge myself in a leisurely bike ride. Whatever the reason, I sure do enjoy going on a point-n-shoot photo safari every Fourth of July. Here are photos from this year's ride around Orlando... and happy Independence Day!

Check out photos from my first two Fourth of July photo safaris: Freedom Ride 1 Freedom Ride 2

Freedom Ride 2

I guess if you do something two years in a row, it's a tradition.  Last year I did a quick bike ride/photo safari on the 4th of July so I followed it up with a peddle though the summer heat this year as well. I documented anything that spoke to me in the communities of Conway, Belle Isle, Pinecastle and Edgewood near Orlando.

Happy Independence Day!

Freedom Ride

I had a half hour free this morning so I snuck out for a quick bike ride to grab some images for a 4th of July blog. My intent was to photograph this patriotic mural on the side of a building on Orange Avenue, as it is as powerful patriotic statement as I can think of in Orlando. Painted after 9/11, this artwork is hard to miss as you head south from downtown.

Next up was Constitution Green, a park off Summerlin Avenue commemorating the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Constitution. The focal point of this urban green space is a wonderful Live Oak whose long limbs stretch to the ground to create a wonderful natural canopy in the middle of the city. While not the largest oaks in the city, it is one of the few that has been allowed to grow unhindered in every direction. Perhaps that is real freedom.

And finally on the way home I happened upon the aftermath of some early celebrating. When I was a kid with fireworks, waiting until the 4th of July was like waiting for Christmas and we would usually have fired off everything well before Independence Day. And by the look of things kids today are just eager to get the festivities underway.

So from Visual Ephemera have a safe and enjoyable holiday and may you experience the day with the same sense of wonder you had as a child!