Now and Then Print Exhibit

OK Gang,

My Print exhibit, "Now & Then" has been up at the National Gallery in the main floor show space since 11 October and the last day to see it will be 11 December, so put it in your calendar under "must do" ASAP.  According to the Gallery this show has had more foot traffic to date than any other in the history of the gallery.  Wow!  This was designed to be a time machine, utilizing archival images from the 1950's, reshot from the same position today and blended in Photoshop to reveal a sense of change and the passage of time.  I think it worked.  Here is a sneak peak in small snap shots, but of course, you will only be able to properly appreciate the large prints in person, so go on down soon!  Viewing hours are:  Monday thru Friday 10AM to 5PM and Saturday from 10AM to 3PM.  Enjoy!  Comments welcome.

Hi Fish Fans, 

This week is the last chance to give your input to the DOE  about the new Marine Parks proposal, so please ask everyone you know to say "yes" to the new proposal before the end of November.  To be clear, this is their final public input period in formulating the proposal that they will present to the Cabinet for approval.  Our reef fish continue to decline rapidly and will all soon be lost if we don't hit the brakes hard now... no exaggeration!  Contact DOE at: doe@gov.ky       The last time this was done 25 years ago, not enough people stood up for the proposal (there were plenty who cared but sat on their hands thinking it was obvious) and we got fishing on the 80' profile as a result of a few noisy fishermen.  That fishing of the 80' profile is the biggest reason our marine park was not much more effective than it has been (as well as too late closure of the grouper spawning grounds).  Because we now have much fewer fish for recovery, we need much bigger parks and new fishing regulations (not yet addressed by this proposal).  Let the DOE know that we accept their new parks proposal. Don't let the few naysayers be the only voices counted in shaping how the proposal that goes to Cabinet will look. 

We continue losing dive tourism numbers and millions of $ in tourism as we lose fish.  If we still had today, the fish that we had in the 80's we would easily have at least four times the number of divers coming here, because everywhere else in the Caribbean is also fished out.  This is our chance to lead the competition.  There is still a chance to reverse the current decline if we act quickly and willfully enough.  This is an economic issue in which all Caymanians will either lose or gain depending on what we do with the last few fish we have.   As for fishing, if they catch the last fish there will be nothing left for them to catch, so why do that!  I am sure there are many preservationists who just don't understand that this input opportunity is about the DOE comparing how many people want more protection vs how many want more fishing in order to shape the proposal.  This is your "vote" on the issue!  You must not sit quietly expecting that the obvious shall prevail.  Everyone counts and this is not just for registered voters.  Anyone can and should give their opinion.

I have recommended we accept the DOE proposal as it is except for:  extend the proposed 200' depth fishing limit along the parks drop-off to 600' to make it more enforceable; make Little Cayman a complete marine sanctuary (or nearly so);  Grandfather in the currently dive buoyed enclosures at commercial shore diving sites as no-fishing zones within the proposed fishing zone of NW Point to Barkers (Lighthouse Point, Cracked Conch and Cobalt Coast);  add new fishing regulations ASAP (we need catch limits and special species protections).  Please forward to everybody you know and let's get heard this time!   Speak up... pump up the volume... raise your voices to a crescendo that commands respect.

Email your recommendations to DOE at:    doe@gov.ky

Forward, forward, forward this to everyone who cares.

Be counted!

Thank you and may God bless us all with a renewed bounty,

FBC Easter Choir Concert 2012

First Baptist Church held the first Easter concert of two nights of worship and praise, giving thanks for the great gift of The Risen Christ tonight.  It was another "taste of heaven" for those who attended.  Thankfully you get another chance to hear it this Sunday night at 7PM, so spread the Word and come on out for it!  Thank you Lord!

Day Flying Moths Mating

My wife and I worked together to photograph this pair of day flying moths that were mating yesterday.  We first saw the brilliant color of their fluttering wings as they sought a safe and (they thought) private spot to complete their coupling.  This is one of Grand Cayman's most colorful moths and never fail to catch the eye when in flight.  Enjoy!

Mermaid Sighted on the Kittiwake Shipwreck

It was one of those really amazing dives when it seemed  that almost anything could happen on the Kittiwake, but all we saw was this mermaid hanging out in the pilothouse.  Other than this and the big Black Grouper I had photographed earlier, there really wasn't much else worth working for.  So I snapped one of the mermaid and called it a day.  It made an amazing image from a great first effort with Kimberly Parker.  Click to see larger!

Christian Heritage Monument Groundbreaking

Tonight the Honorable Premier of the Cayman Islands, McKeeva Bush led a devotion and groundbreaking at the George Town site of the future Christian Heritage Monument.  A number of church leaders led prayers in honor and glory to God, while the FBC choir led voices in praise.  Thank you Lord!

Kittiwake Black Grouper

I went back to the Kittiwake yesterday looking for the Goliath Grouper that has been sighted off-and-on over the past three weeks... and found a large Black Grouper instead!  No mistake, this is a different and also very large fish.  It was admiring itself in the mirrors of the lavatory, just as several other fish have done. 

Because large groupers like this have become so rare in Grand Cayman and they are immeasurably valuable in real tourism dollars, it would behoove us to guard them jealously if they should move in permanently.  Poaching inside the marine park in the 80's stole the biggest attractions for diving tourism that we had at that time.  "Sweetlips", the Goliath Grouper on the Oro Verde shipwreck, and the stars of Waldo's Reef: Waldo, Waldine, Wilber, Wilma, Stubby, Blackie, Benji and Snaggletooth, were all poached by a  spearfisherman and a fisherman.  Two selfish men took the crown jewels of Grand Cayman... gems worth untold $millions$ in diving tourism had they been left alone.  Big stars like these attract professional photographers, who get published, which brings more divers.  That's how it works!  No photo ops, no free publicity, fewer divers.  Law enforcement assigned specifically to the Kittwake would be a smart move if these fish appear to make permanent residence.  It would be cheap insurance for the potential economic returns.  These few big fish are like real-life unicorns, they've become so rare In Grand Cayman now.

I specialize in Portraits

I specialize in Portraits on location...