An osprey Melbourne Beach Florida photograph of mine is one of three wildlife images published in The Guardian’s “Best Wildlife Images from Around the World” gallery. Out of 23 images selected from photographers across the globe, having three of mine included, with one chosen as the gallery’s lead image, is an honor I still find humbling.

Ospreys are common along Florida’s Space Coast, and Melbourne Beach sits within one of the state’s richest coastal habitats, where ospreys hunt for fish just offshore and along the Indian River Lagoon. The mix of beach, lagoon, and wetland habitat here is part of what makes Brevard County a rewarding stop on a broader [Best of Florida Wildlife Photo Tour](https://wildlifewithronen.com/best-florida-wildlife-photo-tour/), alongside destinations like the Everglades and Fort De Soto Park.

Photographing an osprey in flight or mid-dive takes timing as much as gear. I watched this bird circle over the shallows for several minutes before it committed to a dive, and I kept my shutter speed fast enough to freeze the wingbeat while it adjusted for the strike. Moments like that are why I keep coming back to Florida’s coastline year after year: the light, the birds, and the chance for a single frame that tells the whole story from start to finish.

I’m honored that The Guardian’s editors selected an osprey Melbourne Beach Florida image alongside two of my other photographs for this feature. It joins a growing list of published work that includes The New York Times, CNN, National Geographic, BBC, and TIME.

If you’d like to photograph ospreys, herons, and other coastal wildlife along Florida’s Space Coast and beyond, I lead small-group and private wildlife photography workshops at locations across the state throughout the year, from the beaches of Brevard County to the wetlands of the Everglades.