Jaycee Beach

Jaycee Beach is the city beach park at the north end of Ocean Drive in Vero Beach. The beach sits at the end of the Vero Beach Boardwalk that runs south down the oceanfront. Since the beach looks east over the Atlantic Ocean, sunrise is the perfect time to be here. The sun rises straight up out of the water and lights the whole beach in rich orange tones. The boardwalk sits along the edge of Jaycee Park and is a great spot to start your shooting adventure. The rails and posts run off into the distance and give you amazing leading lines to experiment with. Down on the sand, pelicans and shorebirds often dot the surf line through the early hours, and a long exposure smooths the wash out perfectly. A private pier stands just up the beach to the north. Walking out on it is not allowed, but shooting it from the sand is, and lining the sunrise up through the pilings is worth the short walk. Afternoons often build heavy cloud out over the water. Turtles nest here through the warm months, so keep clear of marked nests and there are rules about using lights/flashes after dark during the nesting season. (Vero Beach, Florida, USA)