| The recent surge in digital camera sales has been | | | | the lifeguard stands had vivid colors and the sand, |
| possible due to the low cost camera that | | | | sky and sea glowed. Lighting and time of day are |
| anybody can afford. Basic digital photography | | | | very important in shooting outdoor photos. |
| techniques are simple to master with just a little | | | | More South Florida Photography Opportunities |
| bit of practice and patience. | | | | South Florida has many great places for your |
| I recently bough a new camera for myself and | | | | Photo Safari. Palm Beach offers many great |
| then gave my daughter my old one. It was a | | | | places to shoot photos. Along Flagler Avenue you |
| simple point and shoot with the ability to set the | | | | can shoot multi-million dollar yachts in the water or |
| shutter, aperture and ISO. Within a few weeks | | | | the buildings that line the Avenue. Worth Avenue |
| she sent me a bunch of photos by email and | | | | in West Palm Beach also offers a photographer |
| they were pretty good for snapshots but lacked | | | | many opportunities. |
| any really good shots. In most cases the lighting | | | | Fort Lauderdale offers many of the same type |
| was poor or were just poorly framed. | | | | of shots. One idea is to hop on one of the many |
| A few weeks later we were in South Florida, | | | | tourboats along the waterways and get great |
| South Beach Miami to be exact, and we | | | | shots from there. |
| embarked on an Urban Photo Safari. We started | | | | The Everglades is one of Florida's more popular |
| early and headed down by Ocean Avenue. | | | | eco-destinations. Birds, alligators and other wildlife |
| Knowing the sun was directly in our face while | | | | make for great subjects. For the thrill of a lifetime |
| looking to the east, she snapped a away at all the | | | | try an airboat ride, you'll get plenty of great shots |
| cool lifeguards stands and the water. I on the | | | | from one of those too. |
| other hand photographed the Art Deco style | | | | The Florida Keys are another great |
| hotels and restaurants. | | | | Eco-destination. John Pennekamp State Park in |
| When we returned to our hotel later in the | | | | Key Largo offers many trails and walkways |
| morning I down loaded the images to my laptop. | | | | above the mangrove swamp. |
| My daughter was disappointed at how her photos | | | | Islamorada in the middle of the Keys also offers |
| were all washed out. How the water was dark | | | | unique photo opportunities. Fishing boats of all |
| and the sky was more white than blue. When we | | | | types, from rugged commercial vessels with their |
| reviewed my photos, the buildings were sharp, | | | | salty flavor and rustic rigging to the mega yachts |
| the colors were bright and while a few of the | | | | with black and gold fishing rods and other bling |
| photos had shadows, most of the shots were | | | | make for great photos. If you're there in late |
| pretty good. | | | | August you'll see lobster traps stacked high on |
| Then she asked why I did take any photos of | | | | every vacant spot (near the water and on the |
| the beach. I told her that I knew the lighting was | | | | boats), that can make for some interesting |
| bad and that they would probably not be very | | | | photos. |
| good. At that instant I could practically see the | | | | If it's interesting people you're looking for Key |
| light bulb come on in her head and a valuable | | | | West is the place. People who go to and live in |
| lesson was learned. | | | | Key West tend to march to the beat of a |
| Later in the afternoon we went back to Ocean | | | | different drum. From salty old commercial |
| Avenue on South Beach and this time we had the | | | | fishermen to female impersonators, the people of |
| sun to our back. Her photographs were beautiful, | | | | Key West are truly unique. |