Fotos by Carlos

Joel Sartore's Fundamentals of Photography series for The Great Courses has me trying to be more intentional about backgrounds in my fotos. One of the tricks I've been practicing for this is to use the sky as background. The beach was too crowded to get a clean background, so I pointed the camera up. This sign has loomed over a shopping center in Hialeah, FL (my favorite city!), since before I was born. It's pretty much instantly recognizable to anybody familiar with the area.

One of the great things about living in SoFla is that we're never very far from a beach. Miami Beach gets the attention, but I like Dania Beach, which is about an hour north and a lot less crowded. Below are some highlights. Not sure I want my camera around so much sand again, but at least there were some decent shots. Most of these were taken with a circular polarizing filter and all were taken with standard kit lens (I'm poor, guys). Dania Beach Pier Pelicans are some of my favorite birds. My girlfriend was very excited about the shells she found. I should take more vertical shots.

I've been to the Frost Museum twice now. That yearly membership has now paid for itself. Anyway, this time around, I got a few shots I was particularly pleased with. The more familiar I get with my D3400, the easier it becomes to get good shots. Find a camera with decent ergonomics and practice, practice, practice, people! I love candid shots. But asking for a smile is OK, too.  My sister liked whatever joke I was making. American Airlines Arena, Miami skyline, and Freedom Tower on the right. Threadfin Butterflyfish Sometimes you get lucky and a clownfish sits still for you.

Just a quick post to share some fotos from Independence Day with my girlfriend's family. Wish the background behind Manny's head was less busy, but I like action shots like this. Emilia is queen in her kitchen. Again, background is so-so. Really gotta work on this. Playing around with a tripod and an IR remote. Again with the remote. I'm between my sister and mother in this shot. My gorgeous girlfriend and her lovely mother. But really, she's a daddy's girl. Self portrait. #hammocklife The Portuguese know how to have fun. Caldo verde, a traditional Portuguese soup.