Silence sits on a lake as the sun makes way below the horizon. A barely perceptible breeze causes the mossy curtains to dance in the arms of the branches they cling to. A few frogs break the evening air in their song as a lone alligator glide through the water in search for dinner. The boardwalk we stand on lightly creaks in the rocking of the ripples of the lake. The forest in the water catching the last light of the day whispers its beckoning call to my attention and the quiet is sliced with the sound of a single shutter click.
To celebrate our ten year wedding anniversary my wife and I decided on a road trip down to the state we had our honeymoon in. Though this time around is wasn’t the lands of fantasy or the large eared talking mouse that we were interested in. Since taking up photography as a hobby we have grown out of most of the typical tourist attractions and have delved into the nature aspect of different places. After a day of driving and a visit to an aquarium and zoo we found ourselves at a lake in the middle of nowhere. Tall cypress trees covered in long hanging moss rise out of the water and create an ethereal beauty that is haunting in its own way. As if a ghost ridden mansion made of living flora rests in the middle of a moat filled with alligators. There are not many places where you can shoot these types of trees without getting in a kayak so I was excited to see them without the fear of a prehistoric reptile attacking. A small fishing boardwalk juts out from the shoreline offering a slightly closer look and my wife and I were joined by only a man and his mighty guard Chihuahua. Searching for a composition we heard his thick drawl call out “hey ya’ll are pointing in the wrong direction, you wanna see a gator?” We turn and see him pointing at a lone alligator swimming along close to the boardwalk and would have missed it if not for the kindness of the man. It swam silently along barely making any ripples and we watched it for a brief time while we waited for the sun to set a little more.
After shooting the scene at the top of this entry I noticed a smaller tree sitting alone that resembled a bonsai tree. The light was filtering through the moss and the trees almost appeared to glow. With this last shot and an 8 hour drive in the morning we packed up our gear and headed to our hotel for the night.
A natural bonsai tree rebels against the uniformity of those around it.
Not much photography was to be had in the following days as we made our way to the southern coast. A couple brief stops revealed a plethora of wildlife. A boardwalk surrounded by crystal clear water showed an ecosystem teaming with parrot fish, needle nosed fish, small jellyfish and a few orange headed lizards. Another spot a few hours away had us watching wild manatees cruising around a dock and making bubbles as they swam along. I found a spot before leaving home that sometimes had an elusive animal that’s uncommon for the United States. We scanned the banks across the river while standing on a cement slab 7 feet above the water and were met with only roots and dirt. Just before leaving I made a brief glance to my right and sleeping there in the ocean river was a massive crocodile. Far larger than any alligator I had seen in the wild and much closer than I liked. From there we drove north again to visit a theme park and do some shopping for some much needed food.
The next morning we left early to visit a state park known for its sapphire pools. Being an extremely early riser (to my wife’s dismay) we were the only ones in the park. A short walk brought us to the blue waters of this swimming hole frequented by those trying to escape the hot humid air and alligators who have no problem relaxing in the very same water. As we waited for the sun to rise a little more and create some soft light a few large turtle floated in the pool feeding on the large amount of algae and plant light beneath the surface. Once the light was just about to become too harsh I shot this scene below.
Blue pools reflecting the trees of the morning.
Deciding on a short walk through this jungle-esque park we spotted large alien looking insects that if the size of cats would be pure nightmares. Our walk lead us to a long rickety wooden boardwalk that sat elevated above the swampy forest floor. A few small alligators lay in wait on the banks of the water was large cranes and egrets fished in the morning sun. At the end of the boardwalk is a welcoming shaded overhang. A large splash caught my peripheral vision as something breached the river. We stood for a while hoping to see what it could have been and only saw it twice more out of the corner of our sight. Later we found out they were sturgeons around 4+ feet in length and weighing around 200 pounds. Just before leaving I managed to capture this image below of a specter like tree grimly lurking on the shoreline.
Ghostly moss hangs from the forest branches.
Another four hour drive later we found ourselves on a beach littered with the remains of trees. Their skeletal roots and trunks polished smooth from the salty air and warm ocean tides. Blue bird skies above in the mid day light offered no inspiration for both of us so we headed back to the parking lot as a never ending army of mosquitoes attempted to drain every last drop of blood from us and leave us like the trees back on the beach. Just before getting back to the safety of the car I spotted a twisted canopy of tree branches entangled among themselves across the street and shot this image before succumbing to the ravenous air demons.
A twisted cluster of branches shaped by years of ocean wind.
With our trip coming close to its end we made for one of our last hotels for some much needed air conditioning and refuge from the flying parasites. We left in the dark the next morning to search for a long dirt road I had found while endlessly searching for less popular places back home. A quiet road sits nestled among very old trees that create a perfect tree tunnel as their trunks and branches stretch over to the other side. The smell of humidity and petrichor filled the air after a short overnight rain storm. Black flies filled the morning air and bit my hands as I set up a composition. After finding something that worked I threw my hood on and shoved my hand in my pockets so cover as much skin as possible to protect against the flying beasts. As the sun crept through the nearly impenetrable canopy I dared to reach for the shutter and shot this last image of the trip before running back to the car.
Morning light seeps through the ivy and moss covered trees.
A brief drive later brought us to our last stop before heading back home. A lesser visited park was almost completely empty of visitors. We walked around the forest on yet another boardwalk taking in the quiet sounds. Reaching a river we saw a couple people looking at something in the water. Laying on the branches of a fallen tree sat the biggest alligator we saw on the trip. At least 8 feet in length and a head the size of my torso we were glad it was in the water and not on the pathway. As we made our way back to the car we passed more turtles and thousands of caterpillars clinging to the wooden railings. The peaceful sounds of nature would fall away as we made our way back to the highway and on to our journey home where the sounds of busy people and annoying neighbors await. A short escape from reality and some peaceful nights sleep behind us made the yearn for another adventure all the more wanted. Until next time, thanks for reading.