One of my favorite things to do is to act as tourist in my own town, day trips and weekend trips with camera and imagination in tow. The Florida Keys, the Redlands and the Everglades are some of my favorite areas for a day trip that feels distinctly "south Florida. For this post, however, I went into my own "backyard" and visited a local hotel grounds.
The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL is one of many historical and architectural gems that south Florida natives sometimes take for granted. Wandering the premises and stopping for a drink at the Celler Club is a lovely way to spend an evening, but more than that, it's one of those rare places in Miami with the potential to transport you to another time and place. It's both warm and cool, dark and bright, it greets you with the warm hug of live hotel bar music and the quiet cacophony of laughter and clinking glasses before you even turn the corner to enter. For me, the atmosphere is reminiscent of Arnaud's French 75 in New Orleans, with a distinct Florida feel. There is a romantic quality to some of the nooks and crannies you'll find strolling the hotel grounds. The lobby is beautiful and packed with detail. In short, it's the perfect place for a little photography or sketching field trip.
On a recent balmy Friday evening, armed with my new Fujifilm x100t, I took a trip to the beautiful Biltmore Hotel to practice composition and storytelling in a place that is both familiar and special. Here are some of my photographs from that evening:
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The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL is one of many historical and architectural gems that south Florida natives sometimes take for granted. Wandering the premises and stopping for a drink at the Celler Club is a lovely way to spend an evening, but more than that, it's one of those rare places in Miami with the potential to transport you to another time and place. It's both warm and cool, dark and bright, it greets you with the warm hug of live hotel bar music and the quiet cacophony of laughter and clinking glasses before you even turn the corner to enter. For me, the atmosphere is reminiscent of Arnaud's French 75 in New Orleans, with a distinct Florida feel. There is a romantic quality to some of the nooks and crannies you'll find strolling the hotel grounds. The lobby is beautiful and packed with detail. In short, it's the perfect place for a little photography or sketching field trip.
On a recent balmy Friday evening, armed with my new Fujifilm x100t, I took a trip to the beautiful Biltmore Hotel to practice composition and storytelling in a place that is both familiar and special. Here are some of my photographs from that evening:
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