Sunrise at the Shell Beach

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Down by my grandfather’s place is a wonderful beach known in our family as the “Shell Beach.”  As children my cousins and I played there, gathering shells and other treasures of the ocean.  It remains a special place, not just for the shells but for the beautiful beach sunrise vistas.  I took these last May when I visited south Florida to photograph the Burrowing Owls.

Clouds at the Dawn
Clouds at the Dawn

It was one of those breezy summer mornings when the weather forecast predicted over 50% cloudcover.  I wondered if I would wake up and find the clouds too dense for sunrise, but the weather cooperated.  (It doesn’t often do that!)  I love the rocks at this beach, which were such fun to climb on as a kid.

I used my neutral density filter so that I could select a slow shutter speed and blur the water.  The waves were very choppy, so I liked my blurred water shots the best.

Sunrise at Coral Cove
Sunrise at Coral Cove

The sun was fun to watch as it gradually lit the clouds and then finally peeked out over the horizon.  I knelt with my camera and waited for the waves to break on the rocks in front of me.  The rock formations at this beach are pretty, but I find I have trouble with composition there.  For the shot above, I think I would have liked a wider-angle lens to capture more detail in the foreground.

Rays of the Sun
Rays of the Sun

As the sun moved higher in the sky, its rays shone down on the ocean.  Last time I was at this beach I saw a dolphin out in the early light, but this time I wasn’t so lucky.

As we left the beach on our way to see the Burrowing Owls, the skies cleared up quickly and soon there was no cloud in the sky.  I was lucky to get the clouds for sunrise!

Want to learn more about nature photography at Coral Cove Park?

Check out my Coral Cove Park page with more information about the location, map, website, photography tips, etc. It is archived by date so you can see my images from previous visits. Maybe you'll be inspired for your own trip!

Planning a trip to Florida? Don't miss my Central Florida Bird Photography Locations reference guide!

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