Fort De Soto Park, Florida
Fort De Soto Photographer
"East Beach at sunrise, before the world wakes up - that's my kind of quiet."
Fort De Soto is one of my favorite places to bring a session near St. Pete. It's a huge county park at the south end of the Pinellas Bayway - about twenty minutes from downtown - and it gives us more than one kind of beach in a single spot. That's rare, and it's why I keep coming back.
North Beach faces the Gulf, so it's the sunset side. Wide white sand, a shallow lagoon, and that warm gold light that pours in low across the water in the last hour before the sun drops. It's the one everyone knows, and for good reason - families and couples both glow there.
East Beach is the other side of the park, facing Tampa Bay and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. It's a sunrise spot - softer, quieter, and usually almost empty. If you want something intimate, or you're not afraid of an early alarm, this is where the calm sessions happen. The Skyway sitting out on the horizon gives the photos a real sense of place.
And when you want more than beach, the park has it. The old fort itself - shell and concrete, over a hundred years old - gives us texture and shade. There are mangroves and palm hammocks for green, and two fishing piers reaching out over the water. We can move through several completely different backdrops without ever leaving the park.
A couple of practical notes: there's a $6-per-car fee to get into the park, and small tolls on the Bayway to reach it. For a normal portrait, family, or couples session, there's no photography permit needed - it's just the two of us and the light. If you're looking elsewhere, I also shoot in Treasure Island and St. Pete Beach and around downtown St. Pete.
Sessions at Fort De Soto
- Family sessions - North Beach at golden hour
- Couples & engagement - sunrise on East Beach
- Senior pictures - fort texture + open sand
- Weddings & elopements - beach ceremonies (park permit applies)
Questions
About shooting at Fort De Soto.
Do you photograph sessions at Fort De Soto Park?
Yes — Fort De Soto is one of my favorite spots near St. Pete. North Beach faces the Gulf for warm sunset light, and East Beach faces Tampa Bay and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge for quiet sunrise sessions. There's also the historic fort, the mangroves, and two fishing piers, so we get real variety in one park.
Is there a fee to get into Fort De Soto?
Yes, Fort De Soto charges $6 per vehicle at the park (cashless — app, text, or terminal), plus small tolls on the Pinellas Bayway to get there. The park is open 7 a.m. to sunset, seven days a week.
Do we need a permit for a portrait session at Fort De Soto?
For a standard natural-light portrait, family, couples, or senior session — handheld, no big lighting rigs — Pinellas County does not require a photography permit. Wedding ceremonies and staged events are different and need a county event permit; I'll walk you through it if that's your plan.
Is Fort De Soto better for sunrise or sunset?
Both, depending on the feel you want. North Beach faces west, so it's the sunset choice — warm, golden, glowing water. East Beach faces east toward the Skyway, so it's the sunrise choice — softer, quieter, far fewer people. I'll suggest one based on your session and how you want it to feel.
Let's shoot at Fort De Soto