Monday, March 30, 2026 at 5:22 PM

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Articles

Mila Bridge

Polish-born Marco Island resident Mila Bridger has a body of work that includes fine art and fantastical portrait photography shot around the world as well commercial work for numerous magazines. When not on assignment closer to home, she takes her camera along wherever she goes, but especially enjoys photographing nature and wildlife in her own backyard (the burrowing owl) and while trail riding with her husband in the Fakahatchee Strand (top), Big Cypress National Preserve and other vast expanses in the Everglades. They often pass the Ochopee Post Office (above) on the way to a trail. “It’s amazing how much nature you can see that is raw and untouched,” she says, adding her adventures often require a permit and a vehicle inspection. 03/08/2023 01:00 AM

Reagan Rule

Lifelong Floridian Reagan Rule, a 2002 graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University, has studied broadcast journalism, advertising and public relations, all of which now influence her work in commercial and marketing photography. Her work has appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, the Wall Street Journal, Gulfshore Life, Gulfshore Business, Naples Illustrated, Florida Trend, Home and Design Magazine, Miami Living, Florida Home Builder and Noblehouse Magazine. Clockwise from above: Her favorite shot of the Naples Pier is from 2018, as is the shot of Archer the Dascshund — “He’s a lot more gray now,” she says — on the beach near Delnor Wiggins Pass; she captured the night-blooming San Pedro cactus in her Naples yard in July 2019; and sunset on a canal in Naples Park is from 2017. 03/08/2023 01:00 AM 1

Jerry Beard

Describing himself as a “freelance camera shutter opener/ closer,” Punta Gorda resident Jerry Beard shoots for the worldwide wire service Zuma Press and is a Shutterstock contributor. His work has appeared on ABC Network News and in the UK Sun, among other places. Locally, he shoots for Florida Weekly and the Babcock Ranch Telegraph. He is currently taking an advanced photojournalism class taught by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Greg Marinovich through the Harvard Extension School. “This is my most important thing,” he says about his three class projects that address issues of social importance in Southwest Florida. He captured the image of the poolside pelicans, top, at the Peace River Wildlife Center in Punta Gorda this past January. Below far left, a drone shot of Fishermen’s Village, also from January 2023. And below left, a performance of the Punta Gorda Symphony at the Center for Performing Arts in March 2020. 03/08/2023 01:00 AM

Vandy Major

Vandy Major has worked throughout Southwest Florida as a photojournalist, event photographer and portrait specialist since 2004. Her work has been published regularly in Florida Weekly since 2010. She has covered more than 3,000 community events, from red carpet galas to fund-raising fishing tournaments, and has received first-place awards from the Florida Press Association and national level recognition for her tourism magazine covers. Until Hurricane Ian destroyed her longtime home, she lived on Fort Myers Beach, which is where, pre-storm, she took these photos. 03/08/2023 01:00 AM

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PLAY BALL!

SPRINGTIME IS BASEBALL TIME IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA 03/08/2023 01:00 AM

Some of our favorite chefs share their favorite spots

Some of our favorite chefs share their favorite spots

They slave over flaming gas stoves and spend their spare time balancing budgets and dreaming about food. Our kitchen warriors: Where do they go when it’s time for someone else to do the cooking for them? We talked to seven Southwest Florida chefs to find out. 03/08/2023 01:00 AM

PLACES OFF THE BEATEN BEACH PATH SHOW OFF DIFFERENT SIDES OF SWFL

PLACES OFF THE BEATEN BEACH PATH SHOW OFF DIFFERENT SIDES OF SWFL

We have our share (and then some) of headlining attractions — from superlative beaches and golf courses to top-notch cultural attractions, shopping, restaurants and festivals. Instead, SWFL Insider takes you to our best local secrets, those hidden gems shy of the limelight. 03/08/2023 01:00 AM

SWFL COMMUNITIES

SWFL COMMUNITIES

SWFL COMMUNITIES

09/21/2022 11:55 AM

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PICK YOUR SPORT AND FIND YOUR COURT, COURSE, TRACK OR FIELD

PICK YOUR SPORT AND FIND YOUR COURT, COURSE, TRACK OR FIELD

Any sport that doesn’t require mountains or snow likely is played somewhere in Southwest Florida, a sun-splashed haven for nearly every sporting dream. Well, almost. We’ve got go-karts and disc golf, traditional golf, mountain biking, tennis and pickleball plus spectator sports such as professional baseball and Division 1 collegiate basketball. There’s also bocce ball and shuffleboard, swimming and tennis, softball and volleyball. 08/25/2022 10:15 AM

HOME, SWEET HOME CAN BE ON A BEACH OR ISLAND, AROUND FARMLAND AND EVEN IN A SOLAR-POWERED CITY

HOME, SWEET HOME CAN BE ON A BEACH OR ISLAND, AROUND FARMLAND AND EVEN IN A SOLAR-POWERED CITY

08/25/2022 10:09 AM

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF GREAT PLACES TO SEE AND MAKE GREAT ART

THE ARTFUL SDIE OF SWFL

THERE’S NO SHORTAGE OF GREAT PLACES TO SEE AND MAKE GREAT ART

Whether you’re interest in art is merely passive appreciation or you’re an active participant — you know: clay in the hair, paint on the dog — Southwest Florida offers oodles of adventures in art. Arts organizations throughout the region present homespun exhibitions featuring works by local artists as well as major international traveling shows. They also provide a plethora of single-night or multiweek classes to suit your schedule, skill level and location. 08/25/2022 09:20 AM

FROM KAYAKS AND SWAMP BUGGIES TO MUSEUMS AND FOOD TRUCKS, DO IT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA-STYLE

FROM KAYAKS AND SWAMP BUGGIES TO MUSEUMS AND FOOD TRUCKS, DO IT SOUTHWEST FLORIDA-STYLE

How do I love you, Southwest Florida? Let me count the ways. Truth is, there are way too many ways to count, so we’re starting for you. When your head goes dizzy with all the possibilities, take a breath and consider this handful of experiences to celebrate the day Southwest Florida-style. 08/25/2022 09:11 AM

THINK – AND SHOP – OUT OF THE BOX WHEN INTRIGUING FLAVORS ARE WHAT YOU CRAVE

THINK – AND SHOP – OUT OF THE BOX WHEN INTRIGUING FLAVORS ARE WHAT YOU CRAVE

If you’re in a rut when it’s time to cook dinner, the problem might be what you are bringing home. 08/24/2022 12:52 PM

10 THINGS TO DO AND SEE FOR FREE

10 THINGS TO DO AND SEE FOR FREE

Admission to a theme park can be expensive. So, too, are visits to many of Florida’s top attractions. The good news is that Southwest Florida offers plenty of activities and events that don’t cost a thing while immersing you in local color. 08/24/2022 12:41 PM

Aza Health opens satellite clinic at Wilkinson Junior High

Aza Health opens satellite clinic at Wilkinson Junior High

08/12/2022 06:42 PM

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