As a Florida local, I’m still amazed at all the hidden gems I find throughout this state. It’s a nature-lovers’ paradise! Birds galore, moody swamps, ancient trees adorned in Spanish moss, white-sand beaches, brilliant sunrises and sunsets, and weather that can change from sunny skies with a gentle breeze into a torrential lightning-filled downpour. It's not known as the lightning strike capital of the U.S. for nothing.  And on my escapades through the sunshine state, I became intimately familiar with this fact.

My camera and I were put to the test as I learned the hard way the best methods to waterproofing my gear.