The City of Miami has many great spots for taking photos, and Key Biscayne is one of the top five locations, especially for daytime photography. Capturing pictures from there at night is a challenge, as all the parks close at dawn.
During my recent time-lapse photography session, I visited Hobbie Island Beach Park. Although the beach is usually crowded during the mornings and early afternoons, I was fortunate to find ample parking and didn’t have to worry about any beachgoers obstructing my camera’s view an hour before sunset.
During summertime, the sun sets closer to the Brickell Avenue skyline but not behind the buildings from this spot. During fall and winter, you will see that the sun sets closer to Coconut Grove.
This Spot is Essential for Your Cityscape Portfolio
As each city has its unique climate challenges, Miami can get extremely hot during the summer months. It was so hot that all of my cameras, including the drone and action camera, overheated between the hours of 11 AM and 4 PM. Even the DSLR cameras were failing to work to the point where I had to use an umbrella to protect my gear while creating time-lapse photo sequences. Furthermore, I experienced heatstroke a couple of times.
Jaw-dropping Sunsets are Worth the Risk Even on a Rainy Afternoon
Miami’s weather can be quite unpredictable. The city is famous for having a large error margin in weather forecast models. Thus, it is essential to stay prepared for anything. That’s why I always make sure to keep my tripod low so that it doesn’t get affected by wind gusts. Additionally, I carry an umbrella to prevent my camera from getting wet when working on time lapses during rainy weather.
I don’t understand why the amount of trash left behind by beachgoers on this beach is always significant. It’s not just a couple of plastic bottles, but also plastic cups, glass bottles, paper bags, potato chip bags, abandoned clothing, and shoes, along with santería ritual items such as photos, letters, flowers, and candles left on the ground. I’ve been to Hobbie Island Beach Park at least 20 times, and this is a terrible issue. Despite the City providing trash cans everywhere, people are still not using them.
The Hobbie Island Beach Park allows food trucks and provides portable restrooms, which is convenient, especially if you are with kids.
You can fly drones from this beach park while respecting FAA rules and watching out for helicopters that frequently fly over Biscayne Bay.
If you enjoy nature photography, check out this article on finding the Z Tree in Everglades National Park.
