A Key West photographer has captured the beauty of numerous Southwest Florida island communities in a new 128-page book of photography titled “Visions of Beauty.”
“There are several photos of Boca Grande in the book,” said publicist Katie Leigh.
Leigh said the highly anticipated fourth collection of photographs from Alan S. Maltz “takes readers on a magical journey through the natural beauty, wildlife and man-made marvels of Florida’s enchanting Southwest.”
At least five photos of Boca Grande made it into the book, which will be officially released in January. The titled Boca Grande photos are:
– “Edge of Paradise” showing a gorgeous shot of surf meeting sand on a Boca Grande beach.
– “Boca Grande” featuring the Lighthouse at sunrise with the beacon still lit.
– “In Search Of” at Church and Palms, again just after sunrise.
– “Illumination” featuring a open-flowered shaving bush near the church.
– “Remote Access” an aerial shot of a Boca Grande sunset.
The Boca Grande photo shoot was a few years ago, Maltz said, but it left quite an impression on the photographer.
“I still pretty much distinctly remember the beauty and mystique of Boca Grande,” he said. “I also captured some shots from a helicopter as well. I did a lot of iguana pictures but they did not make the book. I tried to capture things in their best light.”
His shot of the Lighthouse came from offshore and presented him with unique challenges, he said.
“That as a difficult shot,” Maltz said. “We chartered a boat and the water was pretty rough at sunrise. You may notice a beam of light coming out on top of the left part of Lighthouse. I wanted to simulate light from the Lighthouse so, when I was coming in, I saw the reflection happening although we lost it immediately and had to backtrack and position ourselves to capture that exact angle. I ‘m pretty happy with that shot.”
“Visions of Beauty — Fort Myers, Sanibel & Beyond” is an original book, Leigh said, that captures the seclusion and mystique of the outer islands as well as the history and charm of old Fort Myers and the hidden treasures of Gasparilla, Sanibel and Captiva islands, as well as destinations such as Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Boca Grande, Cayo Costa, Pine Island and Estero.
The fourth of Maltz’s large-format Florida coffee table books is the first time he’s focused his lens on Southwest Florida.
His first two acclaimed books, “Key West Color” in 1995 and “Miami City of Dreams” in 1997 became immediate best-sellers.
It took him nine years to assemble “Florida… Beyond the Blue Horizon,” published in 2006 and selected as the “Official Coffee Table Book of Super Bowl XLI.”
“Florida” won numerous awards, including “Best Florida Book for Adults” and “Best Interior Design” by the Florida Publishers Association. Sixty works from the book are on permanent display at the Midfield Terminal of Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers.
The project was commissioned by the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau in collaboration with the Lee County Port Authority to reflect the diversity and charm of Lee County.