PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE Sunshine State
Florida is a wonderful, unique and challenging place for nature photographers. The first thing you notice here: It’s flat. Really flat. The landscape is mostly wide-open spaces or jungle, so you’ve got to be versatile. We do have hills here and there, and we have upland pine forests, coastal oak hammocks and lots of water.
Surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida is blessed with hundreds of rivers, lakes, swamps and marshes and the wildlife that make their homes here. But while you’re looking for that epic watery vista to photograph, you should also look for more intimate woodland scenes. In those places, latch on to something, anything of interest, to anchor your composition. In the woods and swamps, try to find that little slice of order in the midst of all the chaos.
For the most part, Florida isn’t a place with “stand here” spots to get those iconic images that everyone else has. You’ve got to hunt for your own unique compositions, and the land changes every day with the tides, weather, storms and a multitude of other factors. When you do find it, it’s got to be when the light’s just right or it’s
