Florida

Sublimity

During our stay in Florida, I had the opportunity to visit the small coastal town of Cape San Blas. The lighthouse is a prominent feature of the town and a great place to visit anytime of the day. The pond with lily leaves created an interesting foreground element.

A Remnant from the Past

It had been a cloudy week as the moon had finally dwindled enough for Milky Way photography. The forecast had been iffy but I figured it was still worth trying since this tree stump was not too far from our campsite. I stood for over an hour patiently waiting for the clouds to dissipate, wiping the inevitable dew drops off the lens. Finally, the Gods took pity on me and a small clearing happened for just enough time to capture this image.

Revelation

It started out as a fairly bland sunrise with only a few clouds in the distant horizon. However, the calm water during low tide was still very inviting and I was enjoying photographing the reflections and sand waves as the sun rose. In the meantime, clouds were quietly drifting in and before you know it the sky was suddenly aflame with beautiful golden colors.

Midnight Light Show

There were not too many thunderstorms in the winter during our stay in Carrabelle. There were at least two good ones but I have to admit that I slept through the first one realizing in the morning that I had missed an opportunity to capture something great. So, I was much better prepared when the next one came around and it did not disappoint.

Standing On The Edge

I had a great time photographing the beautiful coastline at Cape San Blas, FL. A short hike along the beach led to the Donna Kay, an abandoned shrimp boat that ran aground shortly before Hurricane Michael made landfall. Attempts to remove her have been unsuccessful; she may become a permanent fixture on this remote stretch of beach in the Florida Panhandle.

Donna Kay Ashore

I had a great time shooting the Milky Way over the beautiful coastline at Cape San Blas, FL right before the COVID-19 lockdowns. A short hike led to the Donna Kay, an abandoned shrimp boat that ran aground shortly before Hurricane Michael made landfall. Attempts to remove her have been unsuccessful; she may become a permanent fixture on this remote stretch of beach in the Florida Panhandle.

Hide and Seek

It was supposed to be a Super Moon but it ended up not being a clear night. When the moon finally showed up it was dark and playing a quick hide and seek behind the clouds. So, had to come up with an alternative composition. Single exposure: ISO 320/30sec/f9

Light Show

The sunrises at Carabelle, Florida could present a different look each morning. Being winter but still warm it was relatively easy to wakeup 'early' each morning of a new spectacle unfolding. This was a low tide morning with amazing colors and reflections as the sky lit up an amazing color this morning.

Phantasm

Milky Way captured above a pier during our stay in Florida. Haze and light pollution were a significant issue with capturing the night skies and single exposure or stacking did not yield satisfactory results. I felt that the tracker did a better job in capturing the night skies.

Moment in the Sun

A beautiful sunrise with morning fog in the background. The bird and paddle boarder complete the scene.

Elemental

The sunsets at Carrabelle were typically more muted compared to the spectacular sunrises often observed here. Many attempts at sunset photography ended up feeling meh except for this evening when conditions came right with the low tide creating beautiful waves in the sand. This was early winter so the setting sun direction behind the forest worked out well for this image in my opinion.

High & Dry

Another colorful sunrise during our stay in Carrabelle, FL

Roots

These trees and roots fascinated me each time I walked past them and I struggled how to get a decent composition. The Milky Way did line up nicely between the trees and the nearby light pollution helped light up the scene well.

Last Light

I did make one trip to St. Marks State Park as the lockdown restrictions were starting to ease up. It is a beautiful and peaceful state park with plenty of hiking and bird viewing opportunities. The lighthouse is worthy of exploration as well but was closed at the time of my visit. It is one of the most photographed landmarks on the Gulf coast and the second oldest lighthouse in Florida, and the oldest on the Gulf coast. The current tower was completed in 1842.

Swampland Reflections

Equipped with a lens warmer this time, it was a much easier experience photographing the Milky Way in Florida.

Sunset Symphony II

Another beautiful sunset at El Matador Beach.

Nocturne

These old trees presented themselves in the right orientation so I could resist capturing a Milky Way composition here.

Patterns

The patterns in the sand would be different and quite amazing as low tide settled in. In this instance, the haze and light pollution were helpful in lighting up the foreground nicely for this Milky Way shot.

At Peace with Nature

This was a high tide morning but the waters were calm and silky. It was really worth the effort get up early and experience this beautiful serene moment.