Summer is here and the heat is definitely upon us. I’m sure many of you northerners are happy about that. For this post I wanted to take it down south to the tropical city of Miami. Even though I live up in Chicago now, that doesn’t mean I won’t be showcasing a lot of my Miami photos. When you think of the tropics, especially Miami, what do you usually think about? I’m sure the first thought that comes to mind is the beach. What about the wildlife? Miami has so many amazing and beautiful birds that I just had to give them a special feature.
As shown in the photos above, flamingos are always connected to the vibrant lifestyle of Miami. You may see a plastic pink flamingo or two (or twenty) decorating some of the homes and gardens of Miami. However, these photos are real flamingos that I saw while visiting Jungle Island and the Miami Seaquarium. If you’re a tourist, then these are definitely must see places to check out. Not only are they great places to go with the family, and fun activities for the kids, but also the animals inside these venues are amazing to encounter.
Curious to know how I was able to capture so many great bird photos as shown in these photos? I’ll give you a few tips on how you can capture these types of shots and even where I recommend you should go. Below are my top 5 tips in capturing the perfect shot.

Tip #1 - Don't be afraid to get intimate with your subject.
Make sure to get low and get close to your subject. If you’re in a tourist attraction location, then more than likely those animals are used to seeing people on a daily basis and they might not mind you get getting close with your camera. If you can’t get close, then use technology to your advantage. I advise you to invest in a telephoto lens. Trust me, it will be worth every penny. Make sure to invest in one with a long zoom (I think you’ll be fine with up to 300mm) and one that has Image Stabilization built in. This will allow you to capture your subjects clear and sharp without having to worry if your hand is shaking or if a fence is in your way of capturing a shot.

Tip #2 – Composition
Composition is what makes or breaks a photo.

• Make sure to have a focal point. If a bird is your subject, focus on either the eye or maybe you want to emphasize something about the bird like its feathers as demonstrated from the photo above with the flamingo.
• Don’t always center your subject. Use the rule of thirds to help compose your photo. Imagine your scene divided into 9 rectangles (3 across and 3 down). Keep your focal point and subject along the lines of this grid and it will force your viewer to explore the entire scene not just in the center.
• Be mindful of your background. Do not let your background overpower your subject. Keep it simple. Don’t make it too busy. Use depth of field to enhance the focus on your subject while the rest of the background blurs out and creates a great backdrop. You can do this by playing with your F-stop/Aperture on the camera. Try putting your camera at F-8 and compare that to an F-11 or F-16 which sharpens your entire photo.
• Fill your frame. Depending on your subject, filling the entire photo with you subject like an animal can really enhance your photo. This will make your viewer focus on the details of your subject.
• Be aware of lines all around you. This is especially important for landscape photos. Can you try to lead the viewers’ eyes around your photo by using a sidewalk path leading towards your subject in the distance? Or is there a bridge that leads your eyes from the front of the photo towards the back? Play with lines and paths. 

For more tips on composition, I found a great article here: https://petapixel.com/2016/09/14/20-composition-techniques-will-improve-photos/

Tip #3 – Focus on the eye of your subject Eyes tell a story. Emotions are captured in a person’s eye. Whether it be emotions of joy, sadness, or anger, a person’s eyes can do wonders for your photo so always make sure they are sharp. Unless you are trying to emphasize a different part of a subject’s body (such as feathers on a bird, or a jewelry on someone’s body, etc), then always make sure to keep your focal point on the eyes.

Tip #4 – Anticipate your subject’s behavior and movements
By anticipating which direction your subject will move, it will allow you the opportunity to know where to angle your camera and still make sure the photo will be sharp the next time you click the shutter.

Tip #5 – Practice Often Practice makes perfect after all.

Looking into going on vacation in Miami but also want to take great photos other than just the beach? Try checking out these places:

• Jungle Island
• Miami Seaquarium
• Key West
• Key Biscayne (you will be able to see the Downtown Miami skyline from here especially at night. Also at the very end of Key Biscayne is a lighthouse)
• Butterfly World (located in the Davie/Ft Lauderdale area)

In honor of International Women's Day, I decided to post my latest photoshoot with this lovely African Nigerian beauty named Faith Désirée Grâce. 

Photographing nature photography always comes easy to me but with portraiture, this is when the challenge begins. It was not until a few years ago that I began to challenge myself with taking photos of people. I mostly did it for fun as I tagged along to a photoshoot with my best friend, but I quickly began to realize the art behind this new challenge. Photographing an individual is more than just snapping a photo of someone. This is the time to get to know your subject and discover his/her features. What angles enhance someone's natural beauty? Should your model smile? If so, should he/she show teeth? What are his/her eyes saying while staring at the camera? What message are you trying to say in your photo? A model's body language, even the look in his/her eyes, speak volumes so one must pay attention to these little details. 

While enjoying a beautiful day in Chicago by Millennium Park, I began my photoshoot with Faith by getting to know more about her. I told her to sit by a ledge and talk to me as I take test photos of her while adjusting the exposure and lighting levels on my camera. This allowed me to test the angles and the lighting that would work best with her features and skin tone, while encouraging my model to become more comfortable with me. Sharing common interests and making a model laugh will help ease the tension of a "photoshoot" and just make it a fun casual day to take photos outside. By relaxing your model, this will greatly impact your photos. Your model will no longer have tensed shoulders or hard facial expressions. The photograph below to the right was taken after Faith and I were laughing about a joke. As you can see, her face was more natural and relaxed. Always have your camera ready for casual moments like this. This is when you begin to see your model in her natural element. 

What I admire about Faith is that she embraces positivity, looks at the world with optimistic eyes, and moves forward with determination in her heart. She is an entrepreneur who does not allow failure to stand in her way. She embraces her cultural beauty and continues to find ways for personal growth. And most of all, she is a woman.

May all you women out there in the world embrace your own natural beauty and continue persevering during times of hardship in this world of inequality. Show everyone that you will not stand down for what you believe in. You will continue to laugh and smile despite the weight we as women carry on a daily basis. Do not let this be your only day to shine. Shine every day and embrace the beautiful woman that you are, both inside and out. 

I decided to change things up for this post. As much as I love the cold winter months and admire the beauty that can be found in snow covered hills and neighborhoods, I'm sure many of you across the nation do not currently feel the same as you are blasted with below freezing temperatures, black ice, and endless snow. Therefore, here's some pops of color to brighten your day. 

Visit the Winter Collection

Traveling to Banff National Park in June 2017, surprised me due to how much snow and ice was still prevalent everywhere. Even though I arrived on the outskirts of their “spring” season, it felt a lot like the end of winter with 30-degree weather every day and a half frozen Lake Louise. Despite the brisk air, and snow everywhere, this was a welcome change since I was coming from the tropical humid weather of 80 degrees. Being surrounded by endless mountains everywhere was a sight that I will never forget and the turquoise waters of Lake Louise, becoming ever more vibrant the further up I traveled, is an experience everyone should have on their bucket list.

After obsessing over the magnificent views of Lake Louise (with hundreds of photos filling up my camera’s memory card), it was time for the teahouse hike. As much as I love nature, hiking is not exactly something I do often… or at all for that matter. So this was going to be an experience. Before even reaching the hiking trails, I was already out of breath and grasping for my water bottle. Did I mention that I was at an elevation of 5,249 feet and I came from about 6 feet above sea level? Yeah, it was definitely an adjustment. The halfway point of the hike was a sight to see. We came across the Big Beehive mountain overlooking Mirror Lake. It was the perfect spot for a break to admire nature with birds chirping all around us. The mountain does indeed look like a beehive as it protrudes from the surrounding trees. Admiring the vibrant color of the lake against the untouched white snow and ice that floated on the calm water, I knew I had to take a photo. The stillness of the water made the scene so tranquil despite the many tourists that surrounded me.

During most of the hike many tourists surrounded us, which can sometimes be an obstacle when trying to do photography. However, I always make the extra effort to eliminate any individuals from a nature photo. My favorite photos to take are shots of locations with no one in my scene, or at least to give the viewer the illusion that no one is around for miles. We live in an overpopulated world and bombarded by so much noise everywhere that I tend thrive in moments of solitude. In those small moments of solitude I’m able to block out the noise of this world and just focus on what’s in front of me. Whether it is a scene in the middle of a city, or at the top of a mountain surrounded by a bunch of tourists, I always frame my photos to focus on the details that people may overlook, such as the photos in this post. Memories of the breathtaking views of nature, moments of quiet reflection and admiration, were the highlights of my Canadian trip and that is what I tried to capture in my photos.

When we finished our break at Mirror Lake, we knew the top of the trail was not very far up ahead. It was a strenuous uphill hike and extremely difficult with melting snow and mud everywhere but after much exhausted efforts I finally made it to the top. The view of Lake Agnes made all of the soreness in my body worth it. At 7005 feet in elevation, it was a sight I was not expecting to see. The mountains were still filled with snow, which trickled into a valley of knee-deep snow, and blended perfectly towards the half frozen lake. What surprised me the most was how calm the waters were yet right behind you is a raging waterfall pouring over the cliff. I took in the view with my friends in awe as we enjoyed hot tea, soup, and a chocolate brownie at the famous teahouse by Lake Agnes. The teahouse just opened for the season and it normally has no electricity or running water. Supplies are usually packed and brought up the mountain by the staff members on a weekly basis. And there are no trails that staff can just drive up the mountain to bring these supplies; they have to actually hike up and down this 4-mile trail on a regular basis.

While enjoying my chocolate brownie, I couldn’t help but admire how peaceful it was. Birds were chirping cheerfully (including the beautiful Steller’s Jay that kept following us on our hike), the soothing sound of the waterfall in the distance, the crisp breeze of cool air while the sun warmed us up, and the smell of fresh pine all around us. Lake Agnes’ water was so fresh and so pure, that the teahouse staff members walked down with jugs and filled it with water from the lake to be used for tea. We never wanted to leave.

It was incredible experience that everyone must do at some point in his/her life. As hard as I tried to capture every awe-inspiring sight with my camera, it will never match the emotions and memories that I will forever cherish of the adventure to the teahouse.