August 2024
When making plans for anything outdoors in Florida, you have to be ready to adapt to unpredictable weather, especially in August. August is the peak of the wet season in most regions of Florida. So when I planned my trip a couple months prior, I knew it was a gamble. I made sure to plan a couple of backup options in the event weather disrupted my initial plans.
Capturing the waves crashing on the rocks near Blowing Rocks Preserve.
Plan A
Plan A was to drive to South Florida with my family to visit a friend. While there, I would take advantage of the proximity to the Everglades National Park and finally make my first ever visit. Within a week of our planned trip, the Atlantic stirred up Hurricane Debby which ended up not directly impacting South Florida but it did send bands across the region during my couple days visiting. Enough to cause me to cancel the plans to drive even farther south towards the more active areas.
Slowing down to look down and capture details of the environment.
Plan BThat's why there's a Plan B. Plan B was to drive to Blowing Rocks Beach and the nearby Jonathan Dickinson State Park. This ended up working out, but even then, the plan to shoot these locations was disrupted by a couple of variables. First of all, Blowing Rocks Preserve itself does not open until 9a.m., so when I arrived at sunrise I had to park in a beach parking area about a mile south, and ended up shooting the sunrise at the beach down from Blowing Rocks Preserve - not in the original destination. This turned out fine as there were some good compositions to be made.
Getting in close with the details of the sedimentary rock, timing my long exposure shot with each wave to create the effect of the streams in motion.
However, my luck changed again when one of the bands from Debby came on early in the morning. I decided to abandon the beach location and head towards Jonathan Dickinson State Park. This park is amazing, and I will need to come back to really explore it properly. I had just came across my first composition when another band came through, causing me to pack up and take shelter in my car. After another 30 minutes or so of torrential rain, I went to the visitor's center and checked out some of their resources. Then I took my bike out onto the trails.
Taking in the view from the lookout tower.
After just a couple minutes, another band approaches
I was able to shoot the remainder of the morning, but by around 11a.m. it was getting very hot and humid and the light was not doing me any favors as it was getting too harsh to continue shooting. Checking the radar, I noticed yet another band approaching so I decided to call it a day and head back.
Shooting from the car with my back to the wind I was able to have the window in front of me down without getting rain inside.
Just after the rain, a brief rainbow appeared.
I had a great time exploring both parks, and because I planned ahead I was able to switch gears and still get some shots, instead of having to just admit defeat when Plan A was no longer viable.