Month: January 2012

Z Tree Everglades National Park aka N Tree

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The iconic Z Tree of Everglades National Park, aka N Tree, has been photographed by many renown photographers and amateurs alike.  Almost anyone who spends a good amount of time in Everglades National Park will eventually spot or photography the Z Tree.  I too wanted my own photograph of the Z Tree but I wanted my shot to be different than those taken by my predecessors.  I decided to take a picture of the Z Tree at night in contrast to all of the day or morning shots I had seen to date.  Not only was I going to take a picture of the Z Tree at night but I was also going to capture the rising full moon as part of the shot.

After checking my handy moon calculator to obtain the right azimuth I planned my trip out to the park to capture the Z Tree.  After numerous shots and playing with the settings I finally got the shot I was looking for.  I processed one in color and one in Black and White.  My favorite is the Black and White shot.  The color shot reminds me of Halloween as the yellow and orange tints give the tree a scary feeling.  I like both but prefer the Black and White shot.

Everglades National Park Photography

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I finally got some free time to take a dedicated photography trip.  It has been almost four (4) months since my last photography trip.  I chose to run out to Everglades National Park to catch a sunrise and then see what other photo opportunities I could find.  I was hoping for some dense fog in the morning based on the weather forecast the night before, but alas no fog was present.  I did find a little layer of fog across a lake but not the dense fog I had hoped for.  Either way I was able to capture a few decent shots across a nearby lake.  I captured one before the sun came up and then a few sunbursts as it broke the horizon through the trees.  I would have preferred some more dramatic skies but it was still a productive shoot.

Once the sun had gotten to bright to shoot, I packed the truck and headed to the Anhinga Trail to check on the wildlife.  I have not been to the Anhinga Trail since last March and wanted see if I could find a few animal shots to add to my collection.  I succeeded in capturing a Great Blue Egret eating a catfish and an Anhinga in Mating colors drying his wings.  When I left I encountered about five (5) vultures eating various parts of my truck.  Luckily they did not cause any major damage.

From the Anhinga Trail I went exploring to find a place called Movie Dome.  It is a cypress dome in Everglades National Park within walking distance of the main road.  To get there you have to traverse the wet and muddy saw grass for about .25 mile or so.  Once there you are surrounded by cypress trees and shin to knee deep water.  The Cypress Trees are covered in Bromeliads and other air plants.  This time of year only a few were in bloom.  Later in the year it will be much better.  In the middle of the cypress dome is a deep gator hole a couple of feet deep in which no trees grow.  It looks like a lake in the middle of the trees.  I captured a few shots of some blooming bromeliads before heading back to the truck.

I left around noon to head home.  I plan on heading back to the cypress dome when the bromeliads are all in full bloom.

Art South Exhibit

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Art South of Homestead has invited me to display my photography in one of their galleries for the month of January 2012.  They will introduce me and my Exhibit on January 14, 2012 between 3-7 PM at Art South, 240 North Krome Avenue, Homestead, Florida 33030.  There will be snacks and drinks and admission is free.  I invite you to attend and/or stop by to see my Exhibit and Photography first hand.  The Exhibit will continue to be open and on display until the second week of February.  This will be my first public exhibition of my Photography.

My Exhibit will contain approximately 20 Photographs from my Everglades, Florida Keys and South Florida Gallery collections.  All photos displayed as part of the Exhibit are printed on Canvas and framed or gallery wrapped.  You can preview the photos I will be displaying as part of my Exhibit by following this link http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.357502797599173.105889.100000183684570&type=1&l=98a11d5544 .

You can view my full collection by visiting my website at www.stephenshelleyphotography.com.  For more information or for directions you can visit Art South’s website.    I look forward to seeing you there.

Crashed Blog

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My prior blog had some technical difficulties and crashed.  Therefore, all of my prior posts were lost.  I started this new blog and will be updating it with my new photography adventures and photos.  I may recreate some of the past blog entries, but they will not be the same or probably as informative as the original posts.