Sunset on the Emerald Coast
A stunning sunset in Destin, FL
I'm not really a beach guy. I tend to prefer the cool air and stunning landscapes of the mountains. So maybe I'm a mountain man? Given the choice, I would head for the high ground every time - and bring my camera, of course.
But on our recent trip over to Florida (we were in Orlando to visit the Harry Potter theme park), we made a stop in Destin while making our way back home to Texas. Destin was chosen primarily out of convenience, but having heard so much about it over the years, we all wanted to check it out and really see if it was as beautiful as we had heard it was (we stopped there for a night on the way to Orlando too, but barely had the time to see it). We had heard about how the beaches there have such sugary, white sand and emerald green waters, so we had to inspect it for ourselves.
We're fan. Big fans. It's really gorgeous!
“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” ― Rabindranath Tagore
It really just took a short sunset walk along this gorgeous beach to get us all hooked (and what a sunset it turned out to be!). While we enjoy our trips down to the Texas coast, our beaches here are not the same. The beach in Destin is just absolutely gorgeous. The sand feels like sugar - and looks like it (though with these shots being taken at sunset, you can't tell - so just trust me). The water does look sort of aqua-green in color, which you can get a sense of in the photo above. I can see why they named it the Emerald Coast.
We have already talked about planning a return trip. It's about a 2 day drive from Austin, TX which is pretty doable. After our trip last summer, 2 days feels like it flies by. It really does. That hardly counts as a drive these days. :-)
While I don't want to lay around on a beach all day - it's just not my thing - I can certainly give it a try, especially if the day ends with a sunset like this one. Sign me up!
Also, I shot all of these photos handheld with my Sony 28mm f/2 prime lens, which is awesome. You can read about that here. It's a fabulously small yet capable lens and I just love walking around with it on my Sony A7II. They make a great pair! I've been using it a lot and if you are interested, check out my review. It includes sample photos (including a couple of these) as well as some thoughts on what I like about the lens.
