Having a busy week is one thing, but a busy and productive month...I've been waiting to blog about it. This month I was all over Miami and I traveled out west towards Naples. I visited Coral Gables twice for a photo shoot with two aspiring models, I took some candid shots at a birthday party in West Kendall, I captured some jump shots with an athletic model in South Miami, I stayed here in Coconut Grove to do a birthday photo shoot, and I hit the beach in Key Biscayne with a talented Miami Artist.

    Visiting West Florida with my child hood friend Ulises was a cool experience because till then I never traveled that far west. We stopped by one of the recreational areas located on Alligator Alley to check out something we didn't get the chance to see everyday; a quiet, peaceful view of nature and everything it had to offer. Walking out onto one of the floating boardwalks, and having my heart sink to the floor when he would shake the platform, I looked around my field of view and took in the moment. It was nice to get away from the honking of Miami drivers and the vibe of being in a city and I was able to get a couple of pictures of some baby alligators. But after a couple of bites from some Everglades mosquitoes and the sun baking our skin, we got back in the car and made our way onward with our trip.

     Coral Gables Club Prado is a classic spot for a photo shoot and I had the pleasure of shooting there twice last month. The location can compliment the model and the outfit depending on what the model decided to wear. The pillars draped with vines and flowers, an old fountain located in the center of the landmark, and an open area that can be used as a garden setting creates a modern and calm environment that captures the models subtle yet striking look. Just like any area in Miami, always be prepared to have a hand towel and water bottle with you for the heat. Besides that, be ready to take (or pose) for some fantastic pictures in this historic setting.

    In West Kendall I found myself walking into a Miami Dolphins Birthday Party. On the table was a Miami Dolphins Pinata, a Miami Dolphins' Jersey Birthday Cake with the Birthday Boy's name on it, Miami Dolphins Decor around the party, and the family even had matching Miami Dolphins shirts. It's safe to say this family are bonafide Miami Dolphins Fans. I caught some exciting candid shots of the Birthday boy, his family, and his friends posing and jumping off the top of the bounce house (that had a mini pool at the bottom of it) and some laid back shots of the adults socializing and enjoying the party. The party also provided 'water-gun' like tools that the kids used to have fun with and torment some of the adults. I quickly left each scenario that had poor shirt after poor shirt getting drenched. I would've stayed...but I didn't want me nor my camera to fall victim of getting soaked.

     Shooting a fade-away on one leg or heaving the basketball from half court with the hopes of making it were some of the moments caught on camera from this model. Besides the scorching heat and the humid weather, I was able to capture the ball going into the hoop and the model doing some impressive dribble moves up and down the court. I also put the camera down to throw up a couple of jump shots from mid range and I shot (and missed more than I care to admit) some three pointers. The location of the basketball court was in front of a beautiful garden area so it created a nice vibrant background for the photo shoot.

     Somewhere located "in the cut" of Coconut Grove is Alice Wainwright Park, adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean with vivid surroundings and landscapes. I shot there before for an athletic and couple's photo shoot, but this time it was for a 25th birthday photo shoot. With a custom outfit and some yellow balloons shaped in the numbers "2" and "5", we were able to use the ocean and a "rock wall" as our background to create some lively photos. Every once in a while a photo shoot will have some kind of inconvenience and during this specific shoot the wind decided to be the suspect. Capturing some shots of the balloons being held in the air was a challenge but other than that, we were able to improvise by holding the balloons in place on the ground and get the best out of the situation.

     Finally, In the middle of the month I celebrated my 24th Birthday and it was only right that I capped off that weekend with a beach photo shoot located at Crandon Park. The shoot featured the upcoming Rap Artist Goldmind Rex and was for one of his new upcoming singles. We were able to get some vivid shots in a small area as well as on the beach with some palm trees and the ocean in the background. The sun provided perfect lighting and the cool breeze from the wind created a nice environment to get the best photos out of the shoot. Goldmind Rex also had model Dee Jamila with him to help with the photo shoot so it was nice capturing candid and poses of them both. All in all my hunger of photo shoots and events were fulfilled for the month of October and I look forward to sharing what November and December has in store for me. Check out some of the highlights from this month down below and thank you for reading! Have a blessed day!