Florida Keys

Lyla hasn't been to the Keys yet!...pack up the camping gear and call up Grandma and Grandpa for a place to stay...we are headn' south.

First stop - Big Pine Key

We met up with friends at Sugarloaf Key on Friday and set up camp. April is kind of pushing the camping season with the heat and bugs, but we figured we would give it a shot, since we havent been camping since Lyla was born.

Lyla slept peacefully almost the entire 4 hour trip...

which was great because the car seat isn't Lyla's favorite place to be these days.

Lyla got to hang out with her friend's Ariana and Rosa

We searched high and low for photographs...

but made sure not to miss naptime...

Searched by hiking...

on the boat...

even had snacktime on the go...

Well Lyla I agree, time to put the camera down and just enjoy the relaxation of the keys for a day or two.

I had great aspirations to explore and capture some great images of Big Pine Keys, but I will have to settle with this sunrise shot

Time to party!!!

chill by the pool...

and...

skip naptime...

and get silly

Next stop - Marathon Key

Camping was a blast and Lyla did great but it was great to have a place to chill in the condo with AC and a shower, and not to mention a bed. I didn't get any impressive images while camping, so it was time to get serious and search out some landscapes of nearby beaches and natural areas.

Marathon Key DAY 1 : Sunrise to Sunset

Lyla and Nicky slept in on Monday morning but my dad was up for the sunrise. So off we went.

I found a spot on the outskirts of Bahia Honda State Park that offered some opportunity for some red mangrove shots that I was looking for.

I used a long exposure on these shots to soften the water

Dad found these upturned tree roots which made a great frame as I trudged through the muck...love this shot

I had to get an abstract shot of the roots

I was able to squeeze in one last long exposure shot of a mangrove before the sunrise was over

Finally...some shots that I am happy with

Back to the condo...Looks like Lyla is finally up and ready to explore

Nicky only has two days left in the keys so we headed to Bahia Honda State Park.  I thought there would be some great photo opportunities here but that was not the case, so we just enjoyed the beach

and explored the shoreline for a bit

Plenty of time...

 for a family photos

and off to the boat!

When I think of the Florida Keys I envision endless shorelines lined with palm trees to explore...well instead nearly all of the shorelines are private property or State Parks that close before sundown.  So I gave up on trying to find a piece of shoreline to shoot the sunrise and sunset, so plan B... we have to hit the water to explore sunset shots by boat.

Lyla was excited about that...as long we pack a picnic of course...and geeze Lyla, when did you get all those teeth! You are growing up way to fast!

Lyla learned how to sign "please"

We found a nice plot of shoreline that wasn't posted or fenced in!

Time to tromp around in the marl for a bit

Found an abandoned boat

Might make a great subject matter

Well, the sun is setting and we need to find some palm trees...where are all the palm trees on the beaches?

We found some palms which made a great foreground for the sunset

While I was focused on the sunset my mom pointed out this shot to the west

I had to shoot from the top of the center console.

since the tide was ripping out and the anchor line broke while we were setting up... Lyla had to keep me on the shot

I still cant believe it was this difficult to get a sunset shot of palm trees on the water in the Florida Keys!

One last shot as the sun dropped...

and we made it out of the water before dark and got Lyla in bed at a reasonable time.

It was my best day for shooting so far.

DAY 2 : Nicky's last day

Well, it was Nicky's last day in the keys so we just made it a relaxing family day before she had to go back to work.

We were all sad to see Mommy leave!

DAY 3 : Lyla increases her portfolio to 2 landscape images!

We found a small nature trail down the road called Curry Hammock State Park

It was great to see that Lyla still fits in her backpack and still enjoys being in it.

Well, this trail was a joke and it felt like it was 200 degrees and it was the longest 1.5 miles I have ever walked...Lyla is getting heavy!

We finally found a small beach so I set the camera down for a break and Lyla had a picnic with Grandma

After snacktime Lyla headed for the camera

She sets up for her second photograph

After a few minor adjustments

and a few pointers from Daddy

Lyla fires off a shot

;

Nice shot Lyla...a quick pose with the camera

And time to go find some water to cool off

and chill out with Grandma

I was convinced that Lyla was going to be the only one with a good shot here until we were driving out of the Park and we crossed over a bridge.  I almost jumped out of the truck window and into this tidal creek through the mangroves!

Sliced my foot wide open, but it was worth limping around for a week getting this shot

I used a 30 second exposure to capture this shot and was quite content with this unexpected landscape that I stumbled across. I feel like my mission is complete for the trip and I can relax now.

Time to go find some water to cool off...

and a bit of shade for Lyla

Day 5 : One last scout
So one day left to chill with Grandma and Grandpa on another hike

and a nap on the go

found another mangrove scene to shoot...

but with no help from Lyla, the shot was not as good as I was hoping.

Well, the trip came to an end and it was time to pack it up and head home.

Thanks Mom and Dad for all the fun in the keys. We are already looking forward to next year!

Never stop exploring!

Thanks for following along our journeys!