Old Photo: The Cocoa Beach Pier
The Cocoa Beach Pier is surrounded by waves and illuminated by the early evening light in Cocoa Beach, Florida.
The “world-famous” (as the signs say) Cocoa Beach Pier used to be one of our regular stops when we would visit Cocoa Beach. The hotel we would stay at when we were there was right by the Pier, so when we would go out to the beach, the Pier would be in our view all day long. We didn’t usually actually go out on the Pier itself, except for a few times at night, just to say that we did. During the day, we preferred to be either on the sand or in the water.
This photo was from our 2010 trip, which ended up being the last time that we stayed in that area of Cocoa Beach. When we got there, we saw signs that the water quality was bad there around the Pier, as well as at a few other places in the area, and swimming wasn’t recommended. So we looked around at a few other options, and we eventually found Lori Wilson Park, which has been our go-to beach spot in Cocoa Beach ever since.
If you are wondering, the water quality issue was short-lived, so there isn’t that to keep you from visiting there. But we found that we liked the more relaxed atmosphere of the beach at Lori Wilson Park. Because of its prominence, there are always several people around the Pier, and it seems to have more of a party atmosphere, probably because of the restaurants and bars up on the Pier itself. Lori Wilson Park, being a park, doesn’t have any of that, so it is quieter and more low-key. Just like us. Plus, the Pier is closer for those coming over for a day trip from the Orlando area, while it takes a little longer to drive to Lori Wilson Park. If you know anything about where we live, you know that out-of-the-way isn’t a problem for us.
We talk about visiting the Pier sometimes when we are there, thinking of dropping by in the evening when they stop charging for parking in the Pier lot, but we haven’t made it back there yet. Something else always seems to divert our attention, for one reason or another. But one of these days we will be back.
If you think about it, life should really be a good mixture of the old and the new. You can’t forget the old things, but sometimes it is good to let go of the old things and go on to something new, which might even be something better. But it is still good to remember the old things, remembering where you came from or why you liked what you liked and did what you did. Because those old things helped to make you who you are.
By the way, the Old Photo tag is for photos from the past that I am taking a new look at, either by using different processing or just posting for the first time. These photos are usually 5 or more years old, but not necessarily. So check back from time to time for more Old Photos.
I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. - Psalm 77:11
About the photo:
Because some of these old photos were with older cameras, they aren’t quite as high resolution as the more recent photos here. I don’t think that is all that noticeable when you just look at them on a screen, but I can tell a difference when I zoom in on things. No big deal, just the progression of technology.
Fortunately, I had already started shooting in Raw format well before 2010, so that still allows me to do some pretty good processing on these older photos. If you haven’t already started shooting in Raw format, I strongly suggest that you do. Because of Raw, I was able to pull a lot more color detail out of this photo than I would have been able to do otherwise.
If you need further convincing about shooting Raw, here is the before-and-after view:
What a difference a little bit of processing can make!
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT
Date: July 20, 2010
Location: Cocoa Beach, Florida
