A while back, I was driving my father over to Boca Grande in southwest Florida. On the way I was looking for a seafood market where I could purvey some local fish or shrimp. We were passing through Gasparilla Island, and my Dad pointed towards a dusty dirt road, and suggested I try “down there”. After about a quarter of mile I came to grinding halt amidst a cloud dust in front of a small building on the water with a couple of shrimpers tied up out back. I saw through an open door a couple of men cleaning fish, so I figured I could find some fish for dinner. On my way around to the front of building, I spotted this guy having lunch. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry, nor was he particularly concerned about my presence. I quickly returned to the car, got my camera, and I half expected for the bird to be gone by the time I returned. He wasn’t. In fact, he turned this was and that, posing. He swallowed the fish and returned to standing under the conveyor belt, waiting for another fish to fall off. Once inside, I commented upon the bird outside, and one old fellow with a cigarette stub hanging from his lip, filleting fish , coughed out, “oh, hell, son, he’s here everyday for lunch”.
What I particularly like about this image is the quality of the light. Clearly it was about noon with the sun directly overhead. There’s something about the bird’s feathers that I love. I also like the juxtaposition of the bird amongst all the geometric shapes of the building and the conveyor belt behind him/her.
