At The Edge of Land and Water
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.
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.
The sea stacks at El Matador State Park can present an interesting foreground at sunset. However, hoping to catch clouds lit up under the right tide conditions proved to be a bit of a challenge. Most of the one hour trips yielded blue skies or completely overcast skies until this day when everything came together.
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.
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.
I really looked forward to the sunrises during our stay in Carrabelle especially when clouds were predicted in the forecast. This morning, the forecast was for overcast skies and I almost slept in but at the last minute decided to get out of bed and take a peak. It was then a mad rush to get out to location. Luckily, this tree was close to our campground and was waiting patiently for me.
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.