It has been almost three (3) months since my last photography trip. Over the last twelve (12) months I have been so busy it has kept me from finding time to go shooting as often as I would like. This past weekend I finally found some free time to grab my camera and head out into the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve and the Big Cypress National Preserve. My primary purpose for going was to check on the ghost orchids this year. The ghost orchids I know about were only in the early stages of blooming and still have a few more weeks before producing a flower.
One of the highlights of this trip was stumbling across a mama bear and her three (3) cubs in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve. They crossed Jane’s Scenic Drive about fifty (50) yards in front of the truck. I also saw the usual number of alligators, a few dear and a couple of water moccasins.
This trip I also had the opportunity to take a swamp buggy tour and airboat ride to get a different perspective than my normal hiking on foot would provide me. It was great to get back out into the Everglades for a few days and take a couple of pictures while I was out there.
The Air Boat Ride was through Airboat in Everglades. The guide was a friend of mine named Ozzie. I had a great time and he put me up close and personal to a few alligators and birds. He also taught me some things about the everglades I did not know. I highly recommend the company to anyone interested in seeing the Everglades by airboat. It was a unique experience and different than any other airboat tour I have ever been on.
The swamp buggy ride was through Wootens on Tamiami Trail. I had never been on a swamp buggy before but enjoyed the experience and the perspective one gets from sitting so high up. The guide’s name was Shelley and she was very informative. Her family has lived in the glades for generations and I enjoyed the history and stories she had to tell.
My favorite photo of the weekend was of a lone cypress tree with a building storm system behind it. The sun was behind me and low causing great light on the tree and surrounding foreground. I decided to use HDR to capture the full range of lighting conditions. Unfortunately, I did not have my tripod with me and had to take the shots handheld resulting in a little extra work to align all three shots together. I was happy with the final result and will be adding the image to my website.
