I’m INVITING you to take photo journeys with me throughout this year – today sky diving is our first stop.
New Year’s day we took a ride to investigate a place whose roadside bill board we’ve passed along the road for years. The establishment is a Central Florida historic inn and restaurant.
As we approached we saw the sign at the edge of the road pointing in the direction a long and winding driveway. Pulling into the parking area I began to wonder if I’d taken a wrong turn since my minds eye had envisioned a grand building and what I saw was nothing like I had imagined. For now we will keep the Inn a mystery to be revealed some other time because skydivers landing in a nearby field became a distraction and their activity was as interesting as the Inn.
Unless a person is an experienced sky diver instructors go through a ground training with new jumpers.
One of the instructors was showing me the wrist cam used in tandem jumps. The experienced diver films the entire tandem jump and the videos are available for purchase to jumpers.
To answer the question, no I didn’t jump. Perhaps one day 🙂
Special thanks to JUMP FLORIDA SKYDIVING CENTER and the patrons that took time to talk with me about their business and experiences. For more information check their website: www.JumpFlorida.com
Do You See What I See? The question is rhetorical but if you would like to share your thoughts I would like to know what you see too.
© PC PHOTO 2012 All rights reserved
Patty Charles 
Oh wow, skydiving is in my bucket list. The only thing stopping me? Fear. But your photos make me want to go now!
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Great! Keep me posted 🙂
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A tandem jump is on my bucket list. Good enough for Bush, Sr. – good enough for me. Go for it!
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I’ll cheer you on from the ground, lol.
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No jump is on my agenda…but I will gladly watch you jump! 🙂 I bet you really enjoyed your day, how interesting of a subject and how cool to just get to watch (although I would have never gotten the great shots you did – I’d probably have my eyes closed) lol
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DH has the desire to jump. I’ll be the photographer on the ground, lol.
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Interesting subject. I think I’ll keep my feet on terra firma, thank you very much. I like how you incorporated your copyright statement into the parachute lines of the last image. 😀
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Thanks Val! I like my feet on the ground too.
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It’s a really great beginning, “jumping dowm from heaven”, but in this case I prefer watching and not diving.
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I agree completely!
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Nice series of images and dialogue to accompany
Hang-gliding is on my Bucket List…but as I get older my body says ‘dont be silly boy’
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Anything involving a parachute has been scratched from my list for decades. Still would like to go soaring in a glider plane.
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From time to time I dream about jumping again and always know i’m dreaming because I was scared out of my mind every single time I let someone talk me into jumping out of a perfectly good airplane;-)
BTW; The last time I DID let someone talk me into doing it was an adventure. The drop zone (DZ) we were supposed to hit was on Eglin Air Force Base. Thanks to some screwy winds and a main chute malfunction I got to take a dip in Choctawatchee Bay instead and I shed myself of some very expensive US government property in order to avoid drowning!
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You gave me gooser’s reading about your adventure! I guess there are times when we Have to do what we Have to do!
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Jump into the New Year . . . well maybe not . . .
Love the photos of the jumpers and the interesting wrist camera.
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You know, the wrist cam might be just the carrot that would get me into the sky.
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Nothing in the world could entice me to eject myself from a perfectly serviceable aircraft and how are you supposed to take photos when you are shaking like a giant yellow Blancmange?
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You said a mouthful!
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Great photo essay. I like the Orton effect.
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Thank you Bobbie and thanks for stopping by!
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No way! I love to watch films of people jumping but that’s definitely as close as i’d ever get to jumping out of an airplane.
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I could watch people jump all day as long as my feet are on the ground and I have a camera.
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Great shots! I especially liked the photo of the wrist cam. Usually, I like to give specific feedback, but in this case I can’t. I just think its a striking shot. 🙂 As cool as your photos are, I am still content NOT to jump out of airplanes. lol…. 🙂
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Thank you Ericca!
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Love your pictures but like a lot of the others I prefer to do my thrillseeking on terra firma.
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Yes, my thrills are best when my feet are on the ground too!
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Taking advantage of chance situations helps getting theme photos. You are clever in “almost” hiding your copyright 🙂
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Yes, just going to roam is inspiring! Thanks for stopping by Esther!
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Both my parents have skydived, my dad did a solo jump in his 30s and my mum did a tandem jump in her 50s. They both loved it. Me, I’d rather take photos I think.
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If it weren’t for the free fall feeling I might try it, lol. Your parents are adventurous!
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Hi!
It looks so much fun, but I’d never do this. I have an awful fear of heights. Love that first picture. Have a great day!
Sherrie
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The jumpers were so excited to try to express the thrill they had jumping.
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I love your processing on these, a fine start to the year. I think I’ll stick to shooting though too.
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Thank you Ellen. I’m trying to use a lighter hand with hdr processing, lol.
Great seeing you trip photo’s.
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these are so colorful and intense! They’re awesome!
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Thanks Jeremy!
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This is as close as I ever want to get to dropping from the sky (or anything for that matter!). LOL Love the processing on the photos.
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LOL I’m with you all the way about dropping from the sky. Glad you enjoyed the pics!
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I’m afraid of heights, so there’s no skydiving on MY bucket list–or any other! But I thoroughly enjoy watching others who are not afraid of the sky, be it hawks stalking pigeons or skydivers wanting to return to earth, but GENTLY, gently!
The only ones I don’t get are the ones we have here around Lake Lavon: Their contraptions look like go-carts attached to parachutes! I’m certain they’re out there to thin the gene pool. (Don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad one!)
My goal is to get some really nice shots of the hot-air balloons that come overhead from time to time. Lot of hot-air balloon races around, so hopefully . . .
Enjoyed your photos, of the skydivers and the airplane!
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From your description it sounds like ultralights or parasailers.
Love hot air balloons – hope you get to attend and get some great photo’s!
Thanks for your kind comments.
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I would go out on a glider – or even into space (were there a chance), but skydiving….another story. Like processing on the shot of the hand & camera.
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You said a mouthful about skydiving. Thanks for your comment!
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An elevating post. Well done !
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lol, Thank You!!!
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Cool shots!!! Would love to try the tandem jump!
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Thought this might capture your interest. You jump, I’ll shoot from the ground 🙂
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Sky diving is on my to do list this year. However first some pre training in a wind tunnel. There is one not far from where I live in Western North Carolina. I want to do it. I want to be fearless and test my nerve. Last year it was caving, zipping, and mountain biking.
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Wind tunnel training – sounds serious to me! Surely this would test your nerves 🙂
I have been entertaining zipping this year – did you actually do it?
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