[Leica] Florida information

["GBICKET" <GBICKET@email.msn.com>]

Enjoy your trip to Florida in August.  Be prepared for heat and humidity,
and if you plan serious outdoor photography, mosquitoes who look like
stealth bombers!  BTW, early morning is a little better regarding the bugs;
if you work for the post sunset colors, you will be greeted by the
bloodsuckers on their way to work.  We spend two weeks on Sanibel and
Captiva each January, primarily to avoid these airborne vampires.  There are
good websites to learn more about both islands and activities on each.

You didn't say whether you planned rangefinder or SLR photography, but
either way, Sanibel and Captiva Islands, just off Ft. Myers, are
photographic treats.  We especially enjoy the Ding Darling wildlife
sanctuary on the north side of Sanibel.  It's a wonderful place to take your
time, with your exposure settings as your only worry.  I set up for long
telephoto photography of the many species of wild birds which seem to work
their way through the sanctuary year 'round, whether headed north or south.
I like to be there at sunrise, and the hour before sunset until an hour
after sunset.  Once the sun gets higher in Florida, its light becomes quite
harsh and colorless, although I have been able to get some great alligator
shots once the sun is past its best for bird photography.

For M photography, the beaches at Sanibel offer some of Florida's most
spectacular sunsets, and that's saying a lot.  There is a cut, between
Sanibel and Captiva through which tremendous currents build as the tide
changes.  Near there, shellers can be found bent over throughout daylight,
searching for the exceptional seashells for which Sanibel and Captiva are
known.  After a day on Sanibel and Captiva, the Mad Hatter restaurant, just
south of the cut offers a very good meal and an impressive wine list--be
sure your photography is complete, as the sunsets just beyond the windows of
the Mad Hatter will have you jumping up from the table for your camera.

Enjoy the light

GB