The Wandering Disciple

An orangutan hangs from the ropes at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida. The zoo in the heart of Tampa is home to hundreds of animals and is rated as one of the top Family Friendly zoos in the country. (Photo: January 21, 2007)

A baserunner for the Venice Lady Indians dives back into second safely during a preseason game against the Booker Lady Tornadoes. (Photo: January 29, 2016)

An outfielder for the Booker High Lady Tornadoes jumps for the ball during a preseason game against the Venice High Lady Indians. (Photo: January 29, 2016)

Venice, Florida: Cool, crisp air set in over the field as the Venice Lady Indians hosted the Booker Lady Tornadoes in a preseason match-up as both teams prepare for the 2016 high school softball season. Despite being pretty evenly matched in the hit column, errors would doom the Lady Tornadoes as they were shut-out by the Lady Indians 6-0. Both clubs were held off the scoreboard through the first three frames. It wasn't until the bottom of the fourth that Venice broke the scoreless tie. The Lady Indians added four more runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 6-0 lead. Booker threatened in the top of the seventh by loading the bases. But the Lady Tornadoes couldn't find a way to translate the baserunners into points on the scoreboard as they fell 6-0. Click on the photo above to view my Lady Tornadoes/Lady Indians photo gallery .

The iconic image of Mickey Mouse ears adorns the smoke stack of the Disney Wonder while docked in Nassau. The fun and excitement of the Disney empire takes to the seas on a fleet of four family friendly cruise ships. (Photo: October 27, 2006)

A moss covered turtle swims by the glass in the hippos exhibit at the Edge of Africa. Despite the hippos being the main attraction, plenty of colorful fish and turtles are fun to watch as well. (Photo: December 31, 2006)

The Carnival Triumph sits at the docks in St Maarten. The Triumph is one of five ships in Carnival Cruise Lines Destiny Class and entered into service in 1999. The ship has had a storied history. In 2012 it was held in seizure in a lawsuit in Galveston. Then in 2013, the ship suffered a generator fire that disabled the ship and left it powerless in the Gulf of Mexico for three days before tugs could pull it into Mobile. Finally while the ship was docked for repairs from the engine fire, it was struck by a dredging vessel, ripping a 20 foot gash into the side of the ship. (Photo: October 25, 2006)

A marine patrol from the West Indies Company helps protect the harbor in St Thomas. The harbor opened in 1912 as a Danish businessman opened a coal bunker. But today it is tourism that keeps the port alive as large cruise ships brings thousands of passengers a day to the tropical island and it is the job of the Port Security to ensure the ships and their passengers arrive safely. (Photo: October 24, 2006)

Underground tunnels like this one were used to safely transport troops and goods through the fort at Fort San Cristobal in San Juan. Today visitors can tour the historic fort that help protect the island city of San Juan. (Photo: October 23, 2006)

The sun sets over the horizon of the Atlantic Ocean while on board the Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas. Cruising the open ocean gives you a stunning view of sunrises, sunsets and starlit skies without the light haze of big city lights. (Photo: October 22, 2006)

The downtown Miami skyline shines bright along the dark Floridian nighttime skies. This sight is usually the first thing that cruise passengers see after returning to the port following their cruise. This photos was taken from the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas and features the Port of Miami bridge in front of the downtown skyline. (Photo: October 28, 2006)

A special operations technician with the Sarasota County Fire Department demonstrates a high angle rescue at the training facility. Every year in October, the men and women of the SCFD showcase their skills for the public at the annual Fire Prevention Open House. (Photo: October 7, 2006)

Racers speed down the track of the Tomorrowland Speedway at a blazing 7 miles taking drivers on a family friendly race through Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. The ride was one of the original attractions at the Magic Kingdom Park, entertaining guests since 1971. (Photo: August 19, 2006)

An F-5 Tiger II from the Marine Fighter Training Squadron 401 comes in for a landing at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. The group known as the "Snipers" is based out of Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and is the only adversary squadron in the US Marine Corps. These aircraft are used to simulate enemy combat maneuvers during training missions. (Photo: January 19, 2016)

A T-38 Talon operated by NASA departs Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. NASA uses their fleet of Talons for astronaut training as well as chase planes for the shuttle program. The T-38 program is operated at Ellington Field in Houston. (Photo: January 15, 2016)

An osprey enjoys a dip in the lake at Englewood Sports Complex.  There are several nesting osprey at the park that can be seen fishing in these very lakes.  (Photo: January 14, 2016)

Large crowds gather around the entrance of Test Track, one of the most popular attractions as Epcot.  Test Track takes riders on an inside look of the rigourous test that vehicle withstand before making it onto the assembly line.  The ride is the fastest ride at Walt Disney World with ride vehicles reaching over sixty miles per hour on the speed testing portion of the ride.  (Photo: August 18, 2006)

Truck 13 of Tampa Fire-Rescue responds lights and sirens down Busch Boulevard in Tampa.  Tampa Fire-Rescue uses a staff of over 750 career firefighters to run over 75,000 calls a year.  (Photo: January 1, 2016)

Rhinos like this one are one of the many animals you can get close to on the Kilimanjaro Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom.  The off-road safari brings park guests on a trek through the bush filled with rhinos, giraffes, crocodiles and even lions.  (Photo: August 18, 2006)

Mayan ruins adorn the Dig, a popular activity spot at the Coronado Springs Resort at Walt Disney World.  The Dig located at the center of the resort and features a pool, waterslide, the largest hot tub at Disney, a playground and the sand play area featured here.  (Photo: August 18, 2006)

Aeromed lands on the roof helipad at Sarasota Memorial Hospital after transporting a trauma alert patient from a traffic accident.  Medevac helicopters like Aeromed are used to get victims with serious injuries to a trauma within an hour of their injury, enhancing their changes of survival in what is known as the Golden Hour.  (Photo: January 11, 2016)

The Boca Grande Lighthouse has been serving the Boca Grande Pass for over a hundred years, helping ships navigate the coastal waters off Boca Grande.  The light was first lit 1890 and remains in service to this day.  It also serves as a museum to showcase the maritime history of the region.  (Photo: March 5, 2006)

No details are spared in recreating the Medeterranian waterfront in the heart of Central Florida.  The Portofino Bay Hotel brings all the charm of coastal Italy and transplant them into the Universal Orlando Resort.  The thrills of the theme park are just a short boat ride away from the dock of the resort.  (Photo: January 27, 2006)

A United Airbus A320 awaits departure at Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.  United operates several flights a day from SRQ, serving Chicago and Newark.  (Photo: January 4, 2016)

After making his annual national television appearance during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Snoopy and all his balloon friends make the trip south for the winter to perform in the Universal Studios Florida holiday festivities.  Snoopy, Curious George and many more massive balloons make the journey through the park, bringing the NYC tradition to the streets of Universal Studios.  (Photo: December 25, 2005)

Soaring through the air upside down, the Incredible Hulk Coaster takes riders on a wild ride through the skies over Marvel Island at Islands of Adventure. Opened in 1999, the launch coaster takes riders on a 4-G ride reaching speeds of 65 mph. (Photo: December 25, 2005)

A seaplane from the fictional Royal Pacific Airways sits in the lagoon at the Royal Pacific Resort. The South Seas come to life in Central Florida through this theme park resort, one of four to serve the Universal Orlando Resort. (Photo: December 24, 2005)

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree... Well not actually in a gum tree and not in Australia, this Kookaburra hangs out at the Lory Landing at Busch Gardens Tampa. The Kookaburra is a kingfisher found throughout Australia and New Guinea and is the subject of a popular Aussie nursery rhyme. (Photo: November 12, 2005)

Riders get some reprieve from the Central Pennsylvania heat aboard the Canyon River Rapids at Hersheypark.  The Canyon River Rapids takes six riders on a white water rafting adventure through the park.  The ride was closed in 2008 to make room for the expansion of the Boardwalk and the ride rafts were transferred to Kennywood in Western Pennsylvania.  (Photo: August 29, 2005)

Sometimes called the snakebird, Anhingas are a common sight along waterways in Florida.  They can be seen diving and swimming looking for fish with just their necks sticking out above the water givng them an appearance of a snake.  Or like this one, sitting along the banks of the water drying out its wings.  (Photo: January 1, 2015)

A belted kingfisher stands guard on a downed tree in the Hillsborough River.  I have been trying for years to get a photo of a kingfisher and during our kayak trip down the river, I managed to get a few good ones.  (Photo: January 1, 2016)

This little gator lies on the bank, just waiting to charge our kayak as we passed by.  This photo is just a tease of what's to come over the next few days as I work through the several hundred photos taken on our 9-mile journey down the Hillsborough River.  (Photo: January 1, 2016)

Thonotosassa, Florida: Beginning in the Green Swamp and flowing 59 miles south into Tampa Bay, the Hillsborough is one of the many scenic rivers within the state of Florida. A large section of the river is a designated canoe trail and there is no better way to explore it than with Canoe Escape. Canoe Escape is based out of John Sargeant Park, one of the many parks that line the river. Here you can embark on one of several self-guided trips on the river or just rent a boat by the hour. The self-guided trips are from one park to another with a return back to Sargeant Park provided by the tour operator. The offer three legs that combined cover almost 14 miles of the river from Sargeant Park to Rotary Park. We decided to take a trip with Canoe Escape on New Year’s Day as a way to usher in 2016. We embarked on the Trip 4 which combined the first two legs of the tours, starting at Sargeant Park and heading south on the river for about 8 ½ miles until we reached Trout Creek Park. ...

Happy New Year from Donten Photography! 2015 was a great year for the website, while I did not have money to do any travelling like last year, we did manage to get a bunch of local stuff photographed. It was also a big year for me in print photography, as my works have appeared in several new places resulting in new exposure for the site and my work. Unfortunately, lack of finances really put a hamper on my ability to cover new places. So I focuses a lot on stuff that really didn’t cost much including nature photography and aviation photography. We spent a lot of time hiking, kayaking and even tried geocaching. My aviation photography continues to be one of the most popular subject to appear on Donten Photography. Over a third of the visitors to the site are here to my aviation photography. I also expanded my baseball portfolio as over the summer I was asked to join 27 Outs Baseball as a photographer. As a result, I attended a few more games as in past season. In additi...