Shark Tooth in Venice, FL, USA
It was Christmas morning and I’m a like a little kid, I woke up excited at the crack of dawn. There was this thick fog blowing in from the coast. I figured if I was up I might as well take advantage of this weird weather so I jumped on my bike and headed for the beach. I got there at low tide, which meant lots of elderly folks shelling and looking for fossilized shark’s teeth (Venice is world famous for these). In the distance I saw this one guy all by himself looking for teeth in the fog. It was such an eerie scene. I love that my town can get that way sometimes.
Place you live: I live in Brooklyn now but the photo I’m submitting is from my hometown of Venice Florida. I’m way more of a local there than here in Brooklyn.
Place your photo was taken: This photo was taken on Golden Beach in Venice Florida.
Can you sum up Venice, FL? Venice is a time warp and that’s what I love about it. It’s a little island on the Gulf Coast of Florida separated from the main land by three drawbridges. The median age is around 70 years old; it’s not uncommon to see grey haired ladies pedaling adult sized tricycles down the street and old men playing shuffleboard on our public courts.
Occupation: Photographer
Preoccupation: Powerlifting, thrift store shopping
A perfect day in Venice? For me it’s hitting the thrift stores in the morning, the beach in the afternoon and biking the empty streets at night.
If someone was visiting, what must they do? Start at the middle bridge and walk down Venice Ave. until you hit the beach. You’ll pass funny stores selling Florida kitsch, giant banyan trees, and plaques telling you about the city. In the end you can sit under our funky looking beach pavilion and eat a snow cone while watching the elderly sing some excellent karaoke.
What and where is a perfect meal in the place you call home? I love anything and everything served at Curry Creek. Its way underappreciated and probably the best food in town.
What is the best thing about your spot? The friendly people. Venice is the kind of place where complete strangers will smile and wave and say hi to you when your walking down the street.
What is the worst? How homogenized it is. If you’re looking for a multicultural experience this isn’t really the spot to be in.
A little known fact about where you live? It’s the Shark’s Tooth Capital of the World, meaning if you look hard enough you can find shark’s teeth in the tideline.
Where is your favorite place in the world? Impossible to say. Udaipur? McLeod Ganj? Venice? It changes.
Who are your three favorite photographers? Right now I’m really into Alec Soth, Scot Sothern and Phillip Lorca diCorcia.