In more than 35 years as a professional photographer, I’ve worked in almost every state and several different countries.
Sometimes it’s been corporate event photography. Sometimes sports. Sometimes a destination wedding or portrait session that gave me an excuse to pack way too much camera gear and get on a plane. I’ve photographed some pretty incredible places. But there’s something about Florida.
Colorado has an amazing climate. If you want clear turquoise water, it’s hard to beat the Bahamas. For incredible seafood, give me Bodega Bay, California. And if you want great music, come visit me in Nashville.
But Florida? Florida lightens my heart. It somehow feels like home. Which is a little strange considering I’ve never actually lived there.
A Camera, a Model and a Very Long Drive
Last week, I packed up my gear and drove from Tennessee all the way to Key West.
Yes, it was a long drive. And I enjoyed every minute of it.
Along the way I picked up Harlow Wilde, a professional model I’d gotten to know through Instagram. We’d talked plenty online, but this was actually the first time we’d met in person. Fortunately, neither one of us turned out to be a serial killer, so the trip was off to an excellent start. 😂
Harlow had agreed to model for me throughout the trip, which meant this wasn’t really a vacation. It was more like a very long, mobile photo shoot with occasional stops for food.
We made good time despite my tendency to disappear down side roads whenever I spotted someplace that might be interesting for a future photo shoot. We even spotted an endangered Key Deer, which immediately made one of those side trips worthwhile. Eventually, we rolled into Key West, had dinner on the beach, found our hotel and went to bed early.
Because the alarm was set for 5:00 a.m.
Chasing the Sunrise in Key West
The next morning, Harlow started working on makeup while I started packing gear.
Sunrise beach shoot. Camera and lens? Check. A couple of strobes with small modifiers because of the wind? Check. Knee pads, towels, sunscreen and water? Check. And, of course, Sunbelt granola bars. They’re my favorites. Don’t judge me.
We headed out in the dark and reached the beach during blue hour. While Harlow changed, I set up my lights and watched the sky begin to change.
And then Florida showed off.
The sunrise was beautiful. The beach was quiet. Harlow went through six different looks, and somehow we managed to work without too many people stopping to stare at the beautiful model standing in the waves. No interruptions. No chaos. Just a camera, a great model, beautiful light and an incredible Florida morning.
This is why I still love photography.
Chickens, Ice Cream and Underwater Cameras
Once the sunrise shoot was finished, we became tourists. We explored Key West, bought T-shirts, ate ice cream and met some of the famous Key West chickens wandering around town like they owned the place. Apparently they do.
We also squeezed in another photo shoot at the hotel pool. I have an underwater camera, and the brutal overhead midday sun photographers normally complain about? Underwater, it can be fantastic. Sometimes photography isn’t about finding perfect conditions. It’s about figuring out how to use the conditions you’ve got.
Twelve Feet of Red Satin
That evening it was time to do it all over again. Back at the hotel. Harlow started on more dramatic makeup. I started packing lights. But this time there wasn’t a bikini anywhere in sight. Instead, Harlow stepped onto the beach wearing a huge red satin dress with about a 12-foot train.
WOW.
Against the Florida sunset, it was exactly the kind of photograph I’d imagined when I planned the trip: dramatic, colorful and just a little bit ridiculous. In other words… Perfect. 😂
The next day we did it again with different outfits — sunrise, pool and sunset.
And somewhere in there we managed dinner at a restaurant called Pho King Awesome. Yes, that’s really the name. And yes, we picked it partly because of the name. 😂 Fortunately, the food lived up to it.
One More Florida Sunrise
Eventually we had to say goodbye to Key West.
We headed north through the Keys, stopping for a great picnic, exploring state parks and occasionally jumping into the Atlantic with the waterproof camera.
But we weren’t finished yet.
We reached St. Augustine Beach, where Harlow knew about a little hidden spot that turned out to be incredible for sunset photographs.
We grabbed a hotel afterward and prepared for one more sunrise shoot the next morning.
During the night, a storm rolled through. By morning it was COLD. Well, to be honest, it was February. The waves were crashing. The wind was blowing. Harlow was wrapped in blankets and using me as a windbreak. I was wearing my heavy hoodie and still shivering.
And then the sun came up. Florida. WOW.
The conditions were miserable. The photographs were incredible.
And this is where working with an experienced professional model makes an enormous difference. Harlow dropped the blankets, stepped into the cold and went to work. She moved naturally through poses and expressions, understood exactly how to position her body and never let the cold or wind show on her face. Then she’d run back to the blankets. 😂 We came away with some of my favorite photographs from the entire trip.
Afterward, we headed back to the hotel to thaw out — including a very well-earned hot bath for Harlow — packed everything up and went looking for breakfast.
Someone recommended the Beachside Diner. It was packed. Then I had their crab-and-shrimp crepes and understood why. YUMMY. Highly recommended.
And Just Like That…
The trip was over.
I dropped Harlow off, we hugged and immediately started talking about our next shoot together. She was fantastic throughout the entire trip, and I’d work with her again in a heartbeat.
Then I pointed the car toward Tennessee and when I crossed the Florida state line, I genuinely felt a little bit of loss watching the state disappear in my rearview mirror.
I’ve photographed all over the country and then some. I’ve photographed beautiful mountains, tropical islands, huge cities and some pretty spectacular locations. But there’s just something about Florida. Thankfully, I brought home a few photographs to remember it by.
Okay… A LOT of photographs. 😂
Behind the Lens with Brody Hall
Photography has given me an excuse to travel to some incredible places over the last 35+ years, from destination weddings and corporate events to sports, portraits and creative photo shoots like this one.
But the thing I still love most is never knowing where the next phone call might take me.
I’m based in Murfreesboro and photograph throughout Nashville and Middle Tennessee, but I’ve never been particularly good at staying close to home.
So if you’ve got an interesting location, a crazy idea or something you’ve always wanted to photograph…
Call me.
I probably already have the camera bag packed.
Model: Harlow Wilde IG: @wildeharlow
