Chasing Light in Puerto Morelos: Simple Photography Tips for Your Stay

Tips from professional photographer Michael A. Maurus (shared for our guests at Abbey del Sol)

When you stay with us at Abbey del Sol, you’re perfectly placed for one of Puerto Morelos’ simple daily gifts: the sky. We asked our good friend and professional photographer Michael A. Maurus if he’d share a few practical tips (and a couple of “photographer secrets”) so our guests can come home with sunrise and moonrise photos they’re genuinely proud of. He agreed immediately — because that’s Michael: generous with what he knows, and happiest when people slow down long enough to notice what’s happening right in front of them. 

Michael’s Top 3 general photo tips 

1) Don’t “take a photo.” Build a frame.
Before you even lift the camera, pick one strong foreground element: a palm frond, shoreline texture, a boat silhouette, the pier, or the lighthouse. The sky is the headline, but the foreground is what makes the image feel like Puerto Morelos. 

2) Clean lens. Always.
Salt air + fingerprints = haze, flare, and a weird “why is this soft?” look.

3) Turn on the grid and level the horizon.
This one thing makes photos look instantly more “pro.”

Sunrise in Puerto Morelos: How to get the shots people stop scrolling for

Use local icons, but don’t be obvious.

• In Puerto Morelos, the lighthouse and pier are instant “you’re here” markers, but the trick is to let them support the scene, not dominate it. In a frame like this, use the lighthouse as a strong side anchor and let the pier lead the eye out into the glow. Keep them slightly off-center, give the sky the most space, and wait for that moment when the colors light up and the boats turn into clean silhouettes. The icons quietly confirm the location while the light does the talking.

Look for reflections.

In a photograph like this, the reflection isn’t just “nice,” it’s the spine of the whole image. Michael’s tip: use that bright path on the water as your leading line. Place it slightly off-center, let it pull the eye from the rocks up to the sun, and don’t be afraid to darken the exposure a touch so the glow stays clean instead of turning into a blown-out white smear. The rocks work perfectly as a heavy foreground anchor; the reflection is what connects them to the sky and makes the scene feel deep, not flat.

Moonrise in Puerto Morelos: the “secret” is timing, not gear

• Be there before the moon shows Moonrise photos are won in the setup. Arrive early, choose your foreground, and be ready the moment the light line appears on the water.
• Expose for the moon, not the beach If you expose for the shoreline, the moon turns into a white blob. Tap the moon (or go manual) and pull exposure down until you see detail.

• Anchor the frame with silhouettes Dark shapes (like these posts) give scale and mood. Keep them simple, clean, and separated so they read instantly.
• Stabilize everything Moonlight is dim and shutter speeds drop fast. Use a tripod if you have one, or brace the camera on something solid to avoid mushy blur.

A few Puerto Morelos-specific pointers we love

• It’s an easy town to move around on foot, so you can scout a spot the day before without making it a mission. 
• If you’re staying in one of our Puerto Morelos vacation rentals, you can often do quick “practice runs” from the beach and still be back for coffee before the day really starts.
• The pier and lighthouse area can be lively — if you want a calmer frame, walk a bit and look for a quieter stretch of shoreline.

One last thing Michael insisted we include

Get the photo, yes — but also put the camera down for a minute. The best part of a sunrise or a moonrise isn’t proving you were there. It’s being there.

Michael A. Maurus is a professional photographer who has worked internationally for decades, with images published across magazines, books, and a wide range of editorial and commercial projects.