Introduction

Welcome to Central Florida Photo Ops – a great place to find out about photography in our area!

I’m a photographer living in Central Florida. My main photography interests are nature / wildlife. I enjoy writing about places around here that I’ve visited and photographed.

In addition to sharing my experiences, I try to make each blog entry helpful to visiting photo enthusiasts by including links to information about the place as well as some hints on what and how to photograph there. I also include some of the photos I’ve taken and links to more photos in galleries so that readers can get a better idea of what’s there and what the photo ops are like.

My hope is that both locals and visitors to the Orlando area find the information useful and can use these pages as their “photo scout” resource while they’re here.

In addition to the photographic opportunities in the Central Florida Area, I also write about my photo experiences in other areas. These too may be useful to photo enthusiasts.

To help you find what you’re looking for, you can search the blog from the search box on the upper right of every page.

You can also use “Categories” and “Tags” to find entires.  Categories are like the table of contents.  If you click on the “Places (Categories)” pull down on the right, you can see how I’ve categorized blog entries – most are place names, such as “Orlando Wetlands”.  This allows you to filter blog entries by place.  I use tags like an index.  You can click on each tag to see the associated blog entries – for instance ones that include the “flowers” tag.

This blog has been up and going since May of 2007. As of January 2018, there are over 521 published posts covering a broad variety of (mostly) photo related subjects.

With so many entries it’s become hard to find information even with categories and tags, so I decided to add this Table of Contents page to organize the photo-op information. I’ve divided it into the four tables below so you can more easily find what you’re looking for:

• Photo Ops in the Florida / Central Florida area
• Photo Ops outside of Florida
• Links to Florida Photo Op info on other Web sites
• To do

If you’re interested in this kind of info on Central Florida, you can also subscribe to the blog, either via your RSS reader or by email.  Email subscriptions are easy – just enter your email address and hit the subscribe button over on the right.  Your email will only be used to send you a copy of the blog each time there’s a new article.  Use your RSS reader to subscribe via RSS.

Although I can’t promise to keep blogging forever, I do very much enjoy it. Comments and constructive criticism on how to improve the blog, or suggestions for places to visit are welcome. And if you have questions on the area, please feel free to ask. I’ve lived here for many years, and just may have the answer you’re looking for. Leave a comment or email me via the contact form.

I’d love to hear from you!

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Photo Ops in the Central Florida area:

Place	What's there?	Travel from Winter Springs	Main Blog	Other Posts	Galleries	Sample photograph	Best time to visit
Airstream Ranch - Dover, Florida	A Stonehenge / Cadillac Ranch like arrangement of vintage travel trailers	90 minutes	Airstream Ranch, March 2013	Airstream Ranch Search	Airstream Ranch on Flickr		GONE - as of early 2017
Audubon Birds of Prey Center - Maitland, Florida	Captive Birds (eagles, owls, hawks, etc.), some flowers & plants	25 minutes	Audubon Birds of Prey, May 2009		Birds of Prey		All year
Barberville, Florida	Historical buildings and re-enactments	40 minutes	Barberville, Nov 2014	Barberville category	Barberville on Flickr		All year
Baseball Spring Training - Kissimmee, Florida	Sports stadium, major league baseball	45 minutes	Spring Training Baseball, March 2013		Baseball		Late February through March
Big Tree Park - Longwood, Florida	Lady Liberty - 2000 year old Cyprus tree.	10 minutes	Big Tree Park - Home of the Senator, September 2011	Big Tree Park Category	Big Tree Park		All year. Cypress trees may have some color in the fall.
Black Point Wildlife Drive - Titusville, Florida	Wildlife (birds, gators, wild pigs, Bobcats(?)), some wetlands landscape	1 hour	No main review / write up, please see the search results (next column)	Black Point Search (Also see Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge)	Blackpoint 1 Blackpoint 2 Blackpoint 3		Spring and winter for birds. Year round for landscapes.
Blue Cypress Lake - Vero Beach, Florida	Cypress trees, landscapes, ospreys, birds	2 hours	Blue Cypress Lake, June 2012	Blue Cypress Lake Category	Blue Cypress Lake on Flickr		All year for landscapes. Ospreys nest March and April.
Blue Spring State Park - Orange City, Florida	Manatees, Alligators, birds, Thursby House	45 minutes	Blue Spring State Park, January 2014		Blue Spring State Park on Flickr		Winter for Manatees
Bok Tower - , Florida	landscapes, birds, architecture, plants	90 minutes	Bok Tower, October 2012		Bok Tower on Flickr		All year, but spring is best for flowers
Brevard Zoo - Melbourne, Florida	Captive Animals	60 minutes	Brevard Zoo		Brevard Zoo on Flickr		All year
Bulow Creek Plantation - , Florida	landscapes, architecture,ruins	90 minutes	Bulow Creek Plantation	"Bulow" search	Bulow on Flickr		All year
Butterfly Rainforest - Gainesville, Florida	Butterflies, Flowers & Plants	2 hours	Butterfly Rainforest, June 2009		Butterfly gallery		All year
Canaveral National Seashore - New Smyrna Beach, Fl	Ocean, surf, few birds	1 hour	Canaveral National Seashore, August 2009		CNS on Flickr		Enjoy the beach All year
Casey Key - Nokomis, Fl	Gulf, snorkeling, shells, sunsets, fishing, birds	2 hours	Casey Key, September 2010	Casey Key Category	Casey Key on Flickr		Great summertime beach fun
Central Florida Zoo - Sanford, Fl	Captive animals,  displays and small rides, zip line	30 minutes	Central Florida Zoo (Sanford)		The Central Florida Zoo in this set on Flickr		Year round, although it's hot in the summer
Circle B Bar Reserve - Lakeland, Fl	Wildlife; many varieties of birds; woodland, marsh, swamp landscapes	1 hour	Circle B Bar, November 2010	Circle B search	Circle B Bar on Flickr		Spring and winter for birds. All year for landscapes. Burr Marigolds in mid to late November.
Cruise Ship Photo-Ops - Port Canaveral, Tampa, etc.	Wildlife Birds Landscapes People	varies	Cruise Ship Photo-Ops, April 2012	Cruise category	Port Canaveral - Bahamas Tampa - Grand Cayman - Cozumel Alaska 1 Alaska 2 Alaska 3		All year
Crystal River, Weeki Wachee, Micanopy, and Cross Creek	Kayaking, manatees, mermaids, old Florida, culture	varies	Crystal River, Weeki Wachee, Micanopy, and Cross Creek		Crystal River on Flickr		Winter is the best time to see manatees
Daytona International Speedway - Daytona, Florida	Race cars People	50 minutes	Main review, February 2013		Daytona International Speedway on Flickr		Whenever they're racing
Disney's Animal Kingdom - Orlando, Fl	Many captive animals, scenic displays and attractions, rides	1 hour	Animal Kingdom, May 2009	Animal Kingdom Tag	Animal Kingdom gallery Animal Kingdom on Flickr		All year
Disney's EPCOT - Orlando, Fl	Displays, attractions, rides, and occasional special events	1 hour	EPCOT, March 2010		EPCOT on Flickr		All year (avoid the crowds) Flower and Garden Festival March – May.
Downtown Orlando- Orlando, Fl	Architecture, street photography, trains, parks, concerts, wildlife, flowers	30 minutes	Downtown category	Downtown category	Orlando on Flickr		All year
Dry Tortugas National Park - Dry Tortugas, Fl	Birds, architecture, culture, sea scapes	7 hour drive to Key West, Then ~2 hours on ferry	Dry Tortugas National Park		Dry Tortugas set on Flickr		Spring migration (late April) is best for birds
Emeralda Marsh - Lake County, Fl	The crown jewel of bird watching in Lake County - at the right time of year	1 hour	Emeralda Marsh, June 2010		Some of the photos in this set on Flickr		Open to cars  mid-February to May on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m
Florida Aquarium - Tampa, Fl	Aquariums, exhibits, wild dolphin ride	75 minutes	Florida Aquarium, Sep 2014		Florida Aquarium on Flickr		All year
Florida Waterfalls - Rainbow River and Falling Waters, Fl	Waterfalls and sinkholes	varies	Florida Waterfalls		Falling Waters on Flickr Rainbow Springs on Flickr		Check with the Falling Waters ranger about water flow at this park
Fort Christmas - Christmas, Fl	Old Florida Settlement	30 minutes	Ft. Christmas, December 2009	Fort Christmas Tag	Ft. Christmas on Flickr		All year
Fort De Soto Pinellas county, Fl	Birds, landscapes, beach, pier,  kayaking, hiking, old fort, and more	2 hours, 20 minutes	Fort De Soto		Fort De Soto on Flickr		All year, birds especially during migrations
Gatorland - Orlando, Fl.	Gators, and other captive animals, many wild birds at the rookery, zip line	1 hour	Gatorland, January 2010	Gatorland Category	Gatorland on Flickr		See bird nesting guide. Check  Florida resident discounts in the summer. Early entry program @ 7:30am (Feb - mid June)
Gaylord Palms - Orlando, Fl.	Resort hotel, with scenic atrium, etc.	45 minutes	Gaylord Palms, July 2010		Gaylord Palms photo set on Flickr		All year
Greenwood Park and Greenwood Cemetery - Orlando, Fl.	Small park, cemetery next door with a surprising number of wild birds	25 minutes	Greenwood Park and Cemetery, April 2011		Greenwood set on Flickr		Eagle  nest: October - May
Haulover Canal - Titusville, Fl.	Dolphins, Manatees, birds	50 minutes	Kayaking at Haulover Canal, December 2013	"Haulover"search	Haulover on Flickr		All year
Hillsborough River State Park - Thonotosassa, Fl.	Award winning state park with Class II rapids	45 minutes	Hillsborough River State Park, September 2013		Hillsborough set on Flickr		All year for landscapes
Jetty Park - Cape Canaveral, Fl.	Jetty, pier, campground, and beach.  Many shorebirds and some pelagic species	1+ hours	Jetty Park, Cape Canaveral, January 2012	Jetty Park Category	Jetty Park  set on Flickr		All year
Kennedy Space Center - Titusville, Fl	Space memorabilia, attractions / rides	1 hour	KSC, October 2009	KSC Category	KSC on Flickr		All year
Lake Apopka - Apopka, Florida	Wildlife, some landscapes	1 hour	Lake Apopka Two-fer	Lake Apopka Category	LakeApopka on Flickr		Probably best during migration (spring and fall)
Lake Eola - Downtown Orlando, Florida	Cityscapes, sunsets, street scenes, some birds	20 minutes	Dusk at Lake Eola, April 2010	Lake Eola Category	Lake Eola set on Flickr		All year. Free parking on Sunday.
Lake Jesup Conservation Area - near Sanford, Florida	Flowers in late September / early October	20 minutes	Lake Jesup wildflowers	Lake Jesup Category	Lake Jesup on Flickr Lake Jesup gallery		Swamp Sunflowers bloom for ~2 weeks starting in late September
Lake Louisa - Clermont, Florida	Landscapes, wildlife, flowers, kayaking, hiking	45 minutes	Lake Louisa State Park, May 2014	Lake Louisa Category	Lake Louisa set on Flickr.		All year
Lake Toho - Kissimmee, Florida	Landscapes, wildlife, kayaking	1 hour	Lake Toho		LakeToho and Kissimmee on Flickr		All year
Leu Gardens - Downtown Orlando, Florida	Flowers, plants, landscapes	20 minutes	Orlando’s Leu Gardens, March 2012		Leu Gardens set on Flickr		Spring for the best flowers
Lion Country Safari - West Palm, Florida	Drive through safari park, Many captive animals, Interactive exhibits, scenic displays, smaller rides	3 hours & 45 min.	Lion Country Safary, May 2015		Lion Country Safari on Flickr		All year but winter is the best weather
Lowry Park Zoo - Tampa, Florida	Many captive animals, Interactive exhibits, scenic displays, smaller rides	1 hour & 45 min.	Lowry Park Zoo, March 2013		Lowry Park Zoo on Flickr		All year but winter is the best weather
Lukas Nursery Butterfly Encounter - Oviedo, Florida	Flowers, Butterflies, small birds	10 minutes	Butterfly Encounter, October 2010		Butterfly Encounter on Flickr		All year. Call ahead for an update.
Marineland Beach - south of St. Augustine, Florida	Landscapes, sunrise	100 minutes	Marineland Beach, January 2014	"Marineland Beach" search	Marineland Beach on Flickr		Sunrise is later in the winter High tide is best for water motion
Mead Gardens - downtown Orlando, Florida	Flowers and birds, some landscapes	20 minutes	Mead Gardens, November 2012		Mead Gardens on Flickr		Spring for bird migration and flowers
Melbourne Beach - Sea Turtle Preservation Society Turtle Walk	Nesting Loggerhead turtles, beach scapes, nearby bird sanctuaries	90 minutes	Melbourne Beach Turtle Walk		Melbourne Beach on Flickr		Nesting season peaks in June and July.  Go on a full moon for photography
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge- Titusville, Fl (Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Scrub Ridge Trail, Bio-Lab Road, Shiloh Marsh Road, Visitors Center, etc.)	Wildlife (birds, gators, deer, raccoons, otters, wild pigs, etc), some wetlands landscapes	50 minutes	MINWR - Fall is here!, October 2011	MINWR Category (Also see Black Point Wild Life Drive)	MINWR		Spring and winter for birds. Year round for landscapes. Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in late January
Orlando Wetlands Park - Orlando, Fl	Wildlife (many birds, gators, deer, raccoons, otters, etc), some wetlands landscapes	30 minutes	OWP, Jun 07	OWP Category	OWP on Flickr - 1 OWP on Flickr - 2 OWP gallery - 1 OWP gallery - 2 OWP gallery - 3		Closed  11/15 - 1/31. Spring and winter for birds. Alligators breed starting in April.  Young stay with mother for 6 months.
Paynes Prairie - Gainesville, Florida	Wildlife (Bison, wild horses, many gators, many birds including whooping cranes)	2 hours	Paynes Prarie, April 2008		Paynes Praries gallery		Alligators breed starting in April.  Young stay with mother for 6 months.
Ponce Inlet Beach and lighthouse - Ponce Inlet, Florida	Shore birds, surfers, sunsets, lighthouse	1 hour	Lighthouse and Night Photos, August 2010		Ponce Inlet Gallery on Flickr		All year
Ravine Gardens State Park - Palatka, Florida	Azaleas, Rose Garden, Ravine, Suspension Bridge	2 hours	Ravine Gardens, June 2010	Ravine Gardens Category	Ravine Gardens set on Flickr		All year Azaleas in February – March.
Seaworld - Orlando, Fl	Many aquatic captive animals, wild birds, rides	35 minutes	Seaworld, December, 2007	Seaworld Tag	Seaworld on Flickr Seaworld gallery 1 Seaworld gallery 2		All year
Sebastian Inlet - Fl	Birds, landscapes	1 hour, 50 minutes	Cocoa and Sebastian, January 2013		Sebastian on Flickr		All year
Shingle Creek - Fl	Landscapes, wildlife, kayaking, historical buildings		Reflecting on headwaters	Shingle CreekCategory	Shingle Creek on Flickr		All year
Silver Springs - Fl	Landscapes, wildlife, kayaking, historical buildings		Silver Springs, July 2014		Silver Springs on Flickr		All year
South Florida, The Everglades, and the Florida Keys	Birds, animals, landscapes	7 hours	South Florida, the Everglades and the Florida Keys		South Florida, Everglades, and Keys on Flickr		Go when it's cool
St. Augustine, Fl. & the Alligator Farm	Gators, and other captive animals, many wild birds at the rookery, old town, Ft. Matanzas, lighthouse, many other attractions, zip line	2 hours	Alligator Farm, May, 2007	St. Augustine Category	St. Augustine gallery 1 St. Augustine gallery 2 Spoonbills St. Augustine on Flickr		All year See bird nesting guide. Check  Florida resident discounts in the summer. Check on yearly Photo Pass (has early entry to the rookery March - mid July 15, 2012
St. Johns River - near Deland, Florida	Water landscapes and wildlife	40 minutes	St. Johns River, September, 2010		St. Johns on Flickr		All year
St. Joseph Peninsula State Park and the Panhandle - Florida	Landscapes, beaches, fishing, kayaking, birding, wildlife	6 + hours	A short trip to St. Joseph Peninsula State Park		Florida Panhandld on Flickr		All year, although it can be crowded in season
Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area - Christmas, Florida	Birds and other wildlife, variety of Florida landscapes	1 hour	Exploring Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Area, March 2014		Tosohatche on Flickr		Spring and winter for birds.All year for landscapes. Roads may close to vehicles after hard rain.
Viera Wetlands - Melbourne, Florida	Many birds, some gators	1 hour	Viera Wetlands, January,  2010	Viera Wetlands Category	Viera Wetlands on Flickr		Spring and winter for birds. Alligators breed starting in April.  Young stay with mother for 6 months. Road may close to vehicles after hard rain.
Wakula Springs State park -Wakula Springs, Florida	Landscapes, historic buildings, swimming, wildlife, birds	4+ hours	Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park		Florida Panhandld on Flickr		All year

Photo Ops in Central Florida was last modified on January 16, 2018

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Photo Ops outside of Florida:

Place	What's there?	Blog Entry	Galleries
Acadia National Park, Bar Harbour, Maine	Landscapes,lighthouses,wildlife,lobster	Maine category	Maine on Flickr
Alaska	Cruises, Glaciers, wildlife, mountains, landscapes, culture	Alaska Category	Alaska on Flickr
Chicago, Illinois	Scenic city, parks	Chicago category	Chicago on Flickr
Cincinnati, Ohio	Scenic city, parks	Ohio to Kentucky and back Cincinnati Christmas	Cincinnati galleryCincinnati photos on Flickr
Death Valley National Park, California	Landscapes, vistas, wildlife	Death Valley Category	Death Valley on Flickr
Evansville, Indiana	Casino, Ohio River, Not too far from St. Louis	Evansville, Indiana Photo Ops	Evansville Gallery
Garden of the Gods - Colorado Springs, Colorado	Landscapes, rock formations	Denver, Dec 06 Garden of the Gods	Denver on Flickr Denver, Mar 09
Georgia	Landscapes, waterfalls, hiking	Georgia category	Georgia on Flickr
Mount Evans, Colorado	Wildlife (Elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, marmots, pika, etc), flowers, landscapes	Mt. Evans Mt. Evans Redux	Mt. Evans gallery
San Francisco, California and Muir Woods	Very scenic city, major photo ops close by	San Franciso and Muir Woods	San Francisco gallery Muir Woods gallery
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia	Scenic vistas and landscapes, waterfalls, wildlife, hiking	Shenandoah search on the blog	Shenandoah on Flickr
Washington, DC	Landmarks, monuments, museums	Washington DC Category	Washington DC photos on FlickrAir and Space Museum photos
Wisconsin	Scenic countryside	Wisconsin Category	Port Washington galleryWisconsin photos on Flickr
Yosemite, California	Premier landscape photo ops, wildlife	Yosemite	Yosemite gallery

Photo Ops Outside Florida was last modified on January 16, 2018

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Links to Florida Photo Op info on other Web sites:

Here are some links to articles that I’ve found on other web sites describing Florida Photo Ops.

Place	Link to articles on another site
Bird watching / photography sites	http://www.spacecoastbirding.com/iras-sites/index.html
Everglades photography sites	http://digital-photography-school.com/where-to-photograph-in-the-everglades?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DigitalPhotographySchool+%28Digital+Photography+School%29
Florida Animal Attractions Guide	http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/orl-travel-animal-attraction-guide-mg,0,5300815.gallery
Florida Rambler	http://www.floridarambler.com
Free Time Florida	http://www.freetimeflorida.com/
Multiple destinations in Florida	http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/destinations/florida
Multiple destinations in Florida	http://www.placesaroundflorida.com/
Multiple destinations in Florida	http://www.sharingflorida.com/
Scott Simmons places visited	http://www.learnoutdoorphotography.com/p/locations.html

Links to Florida Photo Op info on other Web sites last updated January 16, 2018

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To do

A list of locations that I hope to report on in the future. I’ll add to this list as I hear about and visit more spots in the area.

Place	What's there?
Lake Woodruff	Birds, landscapes
Big Cypress National Preserve	Landscapes, wildlife
Highlands Hammock State Park	Old growth oak and cypress forest, swamp
Ralph Chisolm Park in Narcoossee
Little Big Econ State Forest	Hiking, kayaking, hunting, wildlife, birds, camping, ...
Shired Island, Florida	"Darkest site east of the Mississippi" - star photos
Fakahatchee strand
Lake Istokpoga

Locations that I hope to report on in the future last updated January 16, 2018

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The Central Florida Photo Ops Content Page was last updated in January, 2018.©2007 – 2018, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.