Miami Beach at 6am belongs to no one — and everyone. The sand is cold and unmarked. The lifeguard towers cast long shadows toward the water. The sky shifts from deep violet through orange to the pale gold of a Florida winter morning. For about 20 minutes, before the joggers arrive and the beach chairs go out, this is the most beautiful place in Miami. These photographs were made in that window.
The iconic art deco lifeguard towers of South Beach are among America’s most photographed structures — but they are almost always photographed mid-day in harsh light, surrounded by tourists. Edin Chavez photographs them before anyone else arrives, in the extraordinary light that exists only at the first minutes of the Florida sunrise.
The Art Deco Towers — An American Icon
Miami Beach’s art deco lifeguard towers were designed and built in the 1930s and 1940s as part of the city’s commitment to the resort aesthetic. Each tower is individually designed — each one is different, each one is iconic. The combination of the pastel-painted geometric forms, the Florida light, and the empty beach at dawn creates a photographic subject that is simultaneously deeply American and uniquely Miami.
Why These Photographs Work as Large Format Art
The horizontal sweep of the beach, the geometric towers against the vast sky, the long shadows and the wet sand reflecting the sunrise color — these are compositions that reward large print sizes. A 24×36″ or 30×40″ print of the Miami Beach sunrise delivers an immersive quality that places the viewer on the sand at dawn. The color — the specific amber-gold of the Florida sunrise — reproduces with extraordinary accuracy on both archival giclée and metal.
The Miami Beach Sunrise Collection
- Browse all 38 Miami Beach Sunrise photographs →
- Available as fine art giclée and ChromaLuxe metal prints
- Sizes 8×10″ to 40×60″
- Certificate of Authenticity with every order
Companion Collections
- Miami Beach Lifeguard Towers — 15 images focusing specifically on the towers
- Miami Beach Huts — The colorful rental huts at golden hour
- Miami Favorites — The complete Miami fine art collection
Perfect For
- Miami Beach condos and residences — a photograph of the beach outside your door
- Hospitality properties on Miami Beach — connects guests to the destination
- Collectors of American art deco photography
- Anyone who loves Miami Beach and wants to own a piece of it permanently
Photographs by Edin Chavez — National Geographic photographer, Nikon professional, Masters of Photography. Based in Miami Beach, Florida. Fine art prints available at edinfineart.com.