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Florida “expatriate” Danny Ghitis came back into view following an earlier link via Click. Having the pleasure of watching Danny grow as a photojournalist, his latest work from the beach in Ft. Lauderdale during spring break doesn’t disappoint. The collection is colorful, witty, and a little enigmatic.  The compositions range from disconnected to intimate, showing a sense of familiarity with an influence of exploration. It appears from a viewer’s perspective that Danny’s time away from home has influenced his photographic style and his perception of “the forbidden city.”  Take a look.

I hadn’t planned on shooting spring break when I visited home in the suburbs of Ft. Lauderdale. But after a long first winter in New York it seemed necessary to go to the beach.   The city I grew up in turns out to be pretty strange, with its amalgam of wealthy tourist zone and college party legend. Growing up I knew it was a weird place, but since I didn’t have a camera- I didn’t start shooting until late in college- or the ability to appreciate the wonders of the adult world, it was hard to express… Seeing it now as a sort of Florida expatriate makes the culture, and my past, jump out at me. So I suppose these pictures aren’t just about Ft. Lauderdale beach but also about my relationship to the forbidden city.

Fort Lauderdale during spring break, photography used by permission and copyright Danny Ghitis.