For this collaborative class project, I worked with faculty member Jordan Oram, and we chose to do outdoor photography, mainly focusing on beaches. We both have been traveling, except I have been traveling across the USA, and Jordan has been traveling across Canada. So our photos give a different perspective of the various kinds of beaches in North America. The beaches I went to are very tropical and very hot, while the beaches Jordan went to are of moderate temperature. Jordan’s photos are all taken in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. My pictures are taken in Key Colony, Florida, as well as Cape Cod. You'll get a chance to see how very different beaches are on the east coast of North America.

Jordan's photo taken along the side of the road in Nova Scotia

My photo taken in Cape Cod

Nova Scotia is located on the east coast of Canada. Jordan tells me he was in Nova Scotia this fall for the first two weeks of October. He described the beaches as lovely and desolate, which is just the way he likes them. The beaches are kilometres long and great to wander and discover. Jordan tells me the temperature was great for exploring, because it was not overly hot or cold, but temperately just right. That's another reason that spring and fall are Jordan`s favourite months. Jordan also loves the beach because he loves the ocean, the land, and the stories they tell him.

Jordan's photo taken at Lawrencetown Beach

Cape Cod (or to locals, `the Cape`) is located in the state of Massachusetts in the Northeastern United States. I went to Cape Cod in mid-September. The weather was perfect: not too hot, not too cold. The ocean water was a little too cold to swim in for my liking, but the beaches had the most beautiful sunsets I had ever seen in my life.

my photo of the ocean and sky at Key Colony

Jordan's photo taken at Lawrencetown Beach

my photo of the moon and sunset at Cape Cod

Jordan's photo of breakwater built at Fisherman's Reserve, Nova Scotia

Unlike Nova Scotia and Cape Cod, the Florida Keys are extremely hot. Locals call it `the American Caribbean.’ The nickname fits, considering that the Florida Keys are only 80 miles away from Cuba. I`m here in mid-October and the heat is almost unbearable, which is funny because autumn in the Florida Keys is supposed to be considered the rainy season. The temperature is hot and humid, but being in the ocean will help you to cool down. The beaches here are white, sandy, and glorious. If you like the heat, Key Colony is the right place to go.

my photo of Key Colony pier

Jordan's photo in Halifax Harbour as seen from Point Pleasant Park

my photo of fishing pier, Florida

Jordan's photo of Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park

All three beaches are very desirable places to travel. I think all are very different types of beaches and they all have their own special charm.

my photo of a shell, Florida

Jordan's photo of Crystal Crescent Beach Provincial Park. In the distance of this shot is the Sambro Island Lighthouse which is North America's oldest standing lighthouse

Becca Tran is a member of the Youth Travel Blogging Mentorship Program.

All photos courtesy and copyright Becca Tran and Jordan Oram