Miami South Beach is a fabulous destination to visit, whether you’re into people watching, enjoying the beach or enjoying the art deco architecture – Miami south beach has it all. The South Beach Miami area is home to over 960 Art Deco structures, a photographers dream land. In this Miami South Beach blog, I hope to point out some very special places to visit, tips on how to photograph these sites and best ways to get there. All photos were taken with either my Canon EOS 5Ds or 6D or 60D camera using a collection of my favourite lens – EF-16-35mm F/4L IS USM / EF 11-24mm f/4L USM / EF-24-105mm f/4L IS USM / EF-70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM / and my funky Lensbaby Composer Pro. Hope you enjoy the photos!
Miami South Beach Life Guard Hut
Miami South Beach is known for its beaches and the glamorous nightspots and celebrity-chef eateries, but for me I’ve always been attracted to the unique Art Deco structures. South Beach’s Art Deco District claims the largest concentration of 1920s and 1930s architecture in the world and is an architectural wonder and photographic wonderland. This photo was taken with my Canon 5Ds camera with an EF-70-200mm lens; in AV mode; at f/9 with an ISO setting of 100.
Miami South Beach Sunrise
If you’re an early bird, you need to get to the beach for a spectacular sunrise photo. Start at the crossroads of 8th Street and Ocean Drive after having a coffee at the famous News Cafe. The ocean is right in front of you. Walk up on the beach path and enjoy the sunrise. The early morning sunlight reflecting on the Art Deco buildings along Ocean Dr. makes for some pretty awesome photos. This photo was taken with my Canon 5Ds camera with an EF-70-200mm lens; in AV mode; at f/5.6 with an ISO setting of 100.
Classic Cars
You never know what kind of amazing vintage or rare cars may be rolling down the street or parked as you stroll through Miami Beach. Miami Beach has lots of these classic cars just waiting to be photographed. This photo was taken with my Canon 5Ds camera with an EF-24-105mm lens; in AV mode; at f/9 with an ISO setting of 125.
Watching the storm
The beach always presents you with some interesting activities to photograph. Here we had a group of storm watchers, yet the sun was still shining. At times I like to experiment with my Lensbaby Composer Pro with Sweet 35 Optic lens module. The lens is totally tilt able and all the settings are done manually (including drop in aperture rings) – but the results can certainly be different than anything else I’ve used.
Neon Ocean Drive
When the sun goes down, the neon glow of the Art Deco District comes alive and the photographic magic starts. Containing 960 historic structures, the Miami Beach Architectural District is full of photographic gems and is located in the South Beach neighbourhood. Featured in countless films and television series — older readers may recognize it from the 1980s classic TV show – Miami Vice. This photo was taken with my Canon 5Ds camera with an EF-16-35mm lens; in AV mode; at f/9 with an ISO setting of 250.
Flamingo Gardens
If you love flamingoes like my wife loves flamingoes, you have to visit Flamingo Gardens in Fort Lauderdale. It’s about a 45 minute drive north from South beach. Its a botanical garden & wildlife sanctuary for rare, threatened and endangered native animals. Everything about this 60 acre tropical paradise is beautiful and full of photographic opportunities. Containing some of the last natural jungle growth in South Florida, Flamingo Gardens is one of the oldest Botanical gardens in this part of the state and a fascinating place to visit. This photo was taken with my Canon 5Ds camera with an EF-70-200mm lens; in AV mode; at f/9 with an ISO setting of 125.
Morning Boardwalk Run
The Miami Beach Boardwalk is a great way to get around, and take in some of the best sites around South Beach. This walk runs 4 miles along some of the prettiest beaches in Miami. Starting at the southern-most end of the boardwalk, you’ll find yourself a Nikki Beach, with its beautiful views of the ocean and it runs right up to Indian Beach Park in the north end. There is no shortage of great photographic opportunities along the way. This photo was taken with my Canon 6D camera with an EF-24-105mm lens; in TV mode; at 1/500 sec / f/4 with an ISO setting of 1280.
Bird Lover
From South Beach to Sunny Isles Beach and beyond, Miami’s white sand beach is fantastic. Stroll the beach along Ocean Drive and you will find yourself in the heart of Miami’s most famous beach. South Beach stretches from South Pointe Park Beach all the way to Collins Park on 21st and 22nd Streets. Go early and you’ll not only enjoy the sunrise with very few people there – but you get to see other special sights like this lady feeding the birds. This photo was taken with my Canon 6D camera with an EF-24-105mm lens; in TV mode; at 1/250 sec / f/10 with an ISO setting of 100.
Romantic Miami Boardwalk
One of the 10 BEST romantic things to do in Miami Beach is to take your special person on a boardwalk stroll and drop in one of the many fabulous restaurants for breakfast – lunch or dinner. Dress up or dress down – it doesn’t matter – romance will be in the air as you breathe in the fresh air. The “All You Need is Love” mural at the airport will remind you to crank up the romantic juices once you arrive. This photo was taken with my Canon 6D camera with an EF-11-24mm lens; in TV mode; at 1/40-sec / f/10 with an ISO setting of 1250.
We hope you enjoyed our adventures to Miami South Beach and will stay in touch with us.
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