Pier 60
Having lived in the Tampa area since 1984 I have visited Clearwater Beach countless times and have witnessed a massive transformation over the years. During my high school years my friends and I would venture down to the beach to play volleyball, later on restaurants and bars like Frenchy’s and the Palm Pavilion became places of great entertainment with live music, and in the past couple of years I have ran past the pier and beautiful high-end resorts both in training and during two Clearwater Marathons. The entire time Pier 60 has stood and watched it all.
Once the site of the railroad depot; in the 1960’s it was redeveloped to become a fishing pier. Now this locale hosts nightly sunset celebrations and movies on the lawn in front of the pier. It has truly become a place where people gather and a sense of community is built for both locals and tourists alike.
During my recent stay in Tampa I spent a few days down near the beaches photographing scenes that I have passed countless times and never seized on the opportunity to look and explore with fresh eyes. I’ve always planned great photography trips to get inspired and have found some of my best work has been right in my own backyard!