Pinecrest Gardens Photo Session

I met this incredible sweet and kind family for a Pinecrest Gardens photo session. Rebecca reached out to me and mentioned that Pinecrest Gardens (formerly Parrot Jungle) was a favorite spot of theirs. Funny enough, as kids we used to go there often as a family so I had vague memories of what it used to look like – narrow trails, parrot shows where they performed tricks such as a riding a miniature bike (this youtube video is exactly the way I remember it minus the music lol) and a large grassy area full of pink flamingos.

While I’ve been to the new Jungle Island on Miami Beach, I had not been back to the old Parrot Jungle, now called Pinecrest Gardens, in years. I took a trip down there to scout in advance and really loved the place. I would highly recommend it for a family photo shoot in the Pinecrest area. The layout, native plants, trees, and trails remain exactly the same, minus the parrots and animals. There are plenty of spots to take photos and better yet, it’s quite empty since it’s more of a park now than an attraction. If you’re interested in the history of the old Parrot Jungle, Wikipedia has a bit of history on it and this site as well.

I would recommend a Pinecrest Gardens Photo Session for families and couples who love outdoor spaces with lush greenery and native Miami plants. It’s a quiet space with beautiful light and offers quite a few different backgrounds for photography. There are large banyan trees and pink trumpet flowers; coral rock archways covered in pink buganvilla flowers. Plus, because a lot of the area is very shaded, photo sessions can be schedule mid-day (normally the sun is really harsh mid-day in open spaces) instead of early in the morning or later in the afternoon.

Pinecrest Gardens Photo Session © Tova Photography 2017