Full-Day Miami Photo Shoot with Somar Photography

10 Hours In Front of the Camera

While in Miami, we spent most of our time visiting with the Ramos Family – part of our extended family on Kevin’s side. They were kind enough to take us to the farmer’s market, host us for dinner and treat us to a wonderful latino restaurant during our stay. We also had them over to our campsite at Larry and Penny Thompson Memorial State Park, making them our very first dinner guests in the RV. We served fish tacos with fresh homemade salsa. It was delicious!

Although a good portion of our visit did revolve around wonderful hispanic dishes, the other portion was spent on a 10-hour artistic photography session with Lynne Ramos. Lynne is a talented photographer who owns a company called Somar Photography. We’ve written about Somar once before regarding a shoot at an old abandoned train. During that shoot, however, we only had a few hours of day light, so we didn’t have enough time to really play around much. So, during this visit we took an entire day with Lynne to explore some hidden treasures in Miami. We had such an amazing day posing as models and spending quality time with our friend Lynne.

Sunrise Photo Shoot at Black Point

We started at 6 AM with a sunrise photo shoot at Black Point. It was dark, windy and a bit chilly, but completely worth the morning trek. We were literally the only people out there watching the sun rise above the water. Lynne directed us sitting near the waters edge, walking along the shoreline and jumping off of rocks. Below are just a few of the gorgeous photos she captured there:

Shanna Kurpe Jumping in front of the Sunrise at Black Point, Miami

Kevin and Shanna Kurpe enjoying the sunrise at Black Point, Miami.

Urban Photo Shoot in Downtown Miami

After the sunrise shoot we headed back to Lynne’s house to grab a quick breakfast. We then drove to downtown Miami Beach for some urban shots. We were a bit surprised by the locations that Lynne chose for us. Instead of taking us to the more popular streets with iconic art pieces and storefronts, she took us down back alley ways. As we walked down the somewhat dirty streets, she selected what appeared to be “ugly” as a backdrop for the photo. Lynne has an artistic eye and saw something beautiful in a rusty pipe, or chain link wall, and without her we would have otherwise walked by and never noticed.

During this particular session we learned a lot about light. Lynne taught us that there are three ways to get light into your shot: you can use the natural sunlight, you can redirect existing light, or you can create your own light. In the city we had to do all three. We used the sun, a reflection screen and a flash to capture these amazing images.

Shanna Kurpe and her reflection on a marble wall in downtown Miami.

Kevin Kurpe and his reflection on a marble wall in downtown Miami.

Kevin and Shanna Kurpe in front of a white wall in downtown Miami.

Funky Photo Shoot at Jimbo’s Place

After grabbing some lunch in downtown Miami Beach, we headed over to Jimbo’s Place located in the Historic Virginia Key Beach. Photographers like to keep Jimbo’s a secret. It’s a historic seafood restaurant and snack bar for the rich and famous, surrounded by abandoned buildings, cars and buses – most of them spray painted and rotting. It doesn’t sound like the type of exclusivity you would imagine for celebrities, but these items have served as a backdrop for movies and TV shows, like Ace Ventura, CSI Miami, Flipper and True Lies, and as hosted many photos shoot for stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey, Sugar Ray, Heidi Klum, Naomi Campbell and many others. While we there we saw two other photographers with the same idea we had.

Shanna and Kevin Kurpe leaning against the spray-painted bus at Jimbo’s Place in Miami.

Shanna and Kevin Kurpe walking on the dock at Jimbo’s Place in Miami.

Sexy Beach Photo Shoot at Historic Virginia Key

Our final session took place on the sandy shores of Historic Virginia Key. We found a lifeguard tower and took some fun shots with the crystal blue water and clear skies behind us. Then, we sat together on the shore soaking our clothes for some sexy shots in the water – like the ones you see in high-end swimsuit magazines. It was a refreshing shoot and a perfect end to a hot summer day.

Kevin and Shanna Kurpe Seated in a Life Guard Chair at the Historic Virginia Key Beach.

Shanna and Kevin Kurpe running down the shoreline at Historic Virginia Key Beach.

Kevin and Shanna Kurpe laying in the water at Historic Virginia Key Beach.

A Successful Photo Shoot

At the end of the day, we went back to Lynne’s house to review the pictures. We were exhausted, but so thrilled by all of the amazing shots we now have! Unfortunately, we cannot share the BEST pictures with you because Lynne has decided to submit several of them to competition! How exciting!

All photos are complements of Somar Photography. All Right Reserved.