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.
