Central Florida Portrait Photographer | Location Scouting Fun!
As a portrait photographer in Central Florida, one of my favorite things to do is to explore my area to find fresh, new locations to shoot. And boy, did we find a gem of a location recently! My better half is addicted to Google Earth, which is a great tool to scope out interesting new places to explore. Recently, he stumbled on Dunlawton Sugar Mill Gardens in Port Orange, Florida, which is a botanical garden surrounding the ruins of an old sugar mill plantation. It is about an hour away from us, so we hopped in the car and took a drive to check it out. Knowing my love of botanical gardens, I was pretty sure it would be well worth the drive, and I was not disappointed. Unfortunately, I only had my phone camera with me, but it was sufficient to scope out the gardens and get a sense of the possibilities it affords for beautiful portraiture.
My imagination was reeling with ideas for every picturesque spot I encountered in this beautiful place.
There are so many unique spots in this small, 10-acre park. Once upon a time it was going to be an amusement attraction called Bongoland (so named for a live baboon they had on display) with dinosaur sculptures, but it could not secure financing. The dinosaurs are still there, though! Such an amazing place, and it is free admission.
And of course, the sugar mill ruins, which have been lovingly preserved, are an interesting sight to see.
What a wonderful place! I cannot wait to visit again and create somebody's portraits here. If you are looking for a Central Florida portrait photographer, feel free to contact me here for more information. I would love to create your next unforgettable family portraits.
