South Beach Miami Sunrise Time-Lapse

This was a windy January morning. I’ve always loved this part of South Beach. It feels very different from the restaurant and club area that is just a few blocks away.

Pulling up at 6am, you pass the last of the club goers from the night before on their way home. You walk out onto the jetty in the pitch black and the ocean seems to go on forever.

Aside from the birds which are ever present thorn in my side, the only thing I would have changed is the cloud line. The clouds at the horizon crushed the moment of sunrise. Other than that I enjoyed the people moving in and out of frame, the ship that came into port and the wind that continuously swept the clouds from right to left.

Dennis

Layers of clouds

I loved how the clouds were layered here. The clouds in front were dark and moved very quickly. The clouds higher up and farther behind were lit by the sun and moved much slower in the wind.

Dennis

First Light at South Beach

I was running a touch late after making the 45 minute drive down to South Beach so I didn’t get the very first light. Still, the orange blending to dark blue was incredibly beautiful on this early January morning.

Dennis

Lifeguard Sunrise

I'm not a big fan of the beach, but there is something about being there in the dark, and watching the sky and ocean come to life as the sun rises. It's magical. This particular morning was even more incredible because of how calm the ocean was. I've only ever seen it this calm a handful times in my entire life. The stillness of the water added an extra element of serenity to this picturesque scene. 

This spot is at the tip of Miami Beach. It's as south as you can get on South Beach, a place called South Pointe Park. I've always admired the lifeguard towers on Miami Beach. Most of them are very colorful and very "Miami". I like this one because it's painted as if it was a lighthouse, which is interesting because it's only a few yards away from the major entrance to the Port of Miami that ironically doesn't have a lighthouse. 

Tell me about your favorite time at the beach. Do you like to get up early for a beach sunrise?

- Dennis