Nature
Early Blooms - Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Spring is in the air up here in Brooklyn where we are seeing some life in those dormant trees filling Prospect Park. I dodged the raindrops today and was thankful for some cloudy conditions. There was this cherry tree having an early explosion of blooms. Most of the other trees were just beginning to bud. I could feel the life ready to burst out of those lifeless branches.
Daffodils - Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Emerging Spring - Prospect Park, Brooklyn
Spring Forest - Tillie Fowler RP
This was my first visit to Tillie Fowler Regional Park to photograph the trees. I had been here before many years ago when we photographed a family for our Photographers For Freedom project. The park is located directly across from NAS Jacksonville off of Hiway 17. We had just experienced a heavy rain and the trails were very wet. There is a large network of nature trails through mixed hardwoods and pines. There are remnants of an old brick road system from a military facility that was originally here.
The park is very large and there is a nature center located at the north end. You could spend a whole day here, exploring and finding lots of interesting trails. It's nice to have this resource so close to the city.
Abandoned Brick Road
Oak Hammock - Ocala National Forest
I love visiting the Ocala National Forest in the spring. On first glance the "forest" dose not fit the typical expectation of a classical forest. Miles and miles of pines intersected by dirt roads does not make one think of the deep dark forest of ancient trees. No, Ocala is mostly managed timberland, with very little (if any) old growth trees. Mostly pines and a few oaks, wiregrass, and dirt roads. That's it. Finding points of interest is the fun part, as there are pockets of live oak and other flowering trees interspersed within the property. I found this particular oak hammock on my last visit and was a little unclear where it was located. I drove around retracing what I remembered as my old route and there it was. Going to a site multiple times is always good for me. I always have a new perspective and it allows you to try new things.
I am shooting stitched panoramas and this was a perfect scene for one. I'm also doing more shots looking straight up and again, the subject yielded a lot of interesting material. I'm sure i'll be back again for another visit and some new things to try.
Oak Canopy 148
Oak Canopy 157
Foggy Morning at The Bluffs
The Bluffs is the main parking area for Big Talbot Island State Park. My traditional first shoot of the year usually happens at Big Talbot. I've been coming here for years. Many new improvements such as the completion of the Buccaneer Multi-use Trail have opened up new areas to explore. Once again I had a great time and was not disappointed with the fog.
Electric Oak
I'm on the mailing list for the Ansel Adams Gallery who represents some very distinguished photographers, one of which is Jeff Conley. I started looking at Jeff's work and ended up on his site. He published a monograph called "Winter" and my copy arrived last week. It's a beautiful book published by Nazraeli Press, with 42 photographs, and introduction and an artist statement. I love when you receive a book (sight unseen) and it delights instead of disappoints. I can't tell you how many books I've ordered on Amazon with great descriptions and comments but end up unread on the shelf. If you love beautiful photography books, you may want to consider this one.
I was fortunate to have two pieces accepted into this prestigious exhibit at the Cummer Museum of Art. I struggled during the submission process to decide on which pieces to propose. I always find it difficult to sort through work. Do you propose what you think others would like, or work that you truly like? I find it best to enlist the help of others. I'm more apt to choose something that is new rather than something that is richer or more meaningful. I tire of looking at my older pieces so fresh always seems best, which doesn't always equate to a good selection. Earlier this year I ventured out to several local parks and forests. On one very fruitful trip at the Ocala National Forest I captured several images that ended up in my collection of keepers. Sometimes you are blessed with good days. One photograph accepted is titled Forest Renewal and is a panoramic of a pine forest that was just recently burned to clear the underbrush. Earlier in the day I passed some work crews setting small fires at the base of the trees to eliminate the underbrush. The resulting scene left an eerie veil of smoke above the gray ashes and green pine needles.
Forest Renewal
The second photograph is titled Dancing Oaks. The National Forest is essentially a managed forest with pines which stretch out forever. Dirt roads crisscross the area forming a recreational oasis for ATVs and dirt bikes. While driving the dirt roads there is always an occasional oak or other hardwood tree, perhaps left over from earlier times or somehow transplanted there. I saw a grove of oak trees from the road and followed a small path to the area. There were roughly 30 oak trees growing in close proximity in the middle of the pines.
Dancing Oaks
Opening night at the Cummer was exciting and the museum was packed. It was great to actually have a museum opening and to be in the company of many distinguished local artists.
Sea Ranch is one of those idyllic places that evoke calm, peace, and the California lifestyle. It is a developed community on the coast started in the 1960s whose purpose was to preserve the area's natural beauty. Some noted architects and landscape architects planned for the construction of about 2400 homes along 10 miles of the California coast. This caused quite a stir and became the impetus for the California Coastal Commission.
McClure's Beach, Point Reyes National Seashore
We were lucky enough to be invited to stay at a rental at Sea Ranch for a week. We flew to San Francisco and made our way up the coast, first stopping at Point Reyes National Seashore and Sam Taylor State Park, two of my favorite spots. There always seems to be something interesting in these areas, although I never can get the weather I want. Too much sun! We planned to shoot the sunset at McClures Beach on the northern tip. I had the beach all to myself.
Sam Taylor State Park, Devil's Gulch trail
We stayed at a small B&B called the Bear Valley Inn, which was very convenient to the park. The room was nice and it's always fun to deviate from the Best Western now and then. The next morning we woke up early and headed to Sam Taylor State Park. I was hoping for some fog but the sun came up strong so the shooting time was limited. Sam Taylor has many old growth redwoods and some other older hardwoods. You can always find something in there, but the traffic on Sir Francis Drake Blvd. gets busy.
Sea Ranch sunset
Our rental at Sea Ranch was an exquisite house called Breakers Point with this view from the deck. We couldn't ask for a lovelier place. While there we made a few side trips to Armstrong Woods State Park, Fort Ross, and Mendocino. We also had fun exploring some of the smaller roads and finding some great forests.
Armstrong Woods
Stewarts Pt Rd
Sonoma Fences at Ft Ross
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I introduced this new small body of work at the studio for June Art Walk. I produced 6 - 16x24 prints for exhibit and an exhibition poster. Here is the artist statement for the work:
Magnolias are ancient. Evolving before the appearance of bees, their flowers have a primitive beauty that is both delicate and structural. With a limited lifespan after cut from the tree, each flower has a small window of opportunity to be photographed before the pedals go limp and a brownness overtakes the pure white. My curiosity about these flowers peaked when Dorian showed me her snapshot of a beauty. It was the center green fruit covered with numerous stamens and surrounded by follicles…these structures of green, yellow, and brown were fascinating.
I posted a request for flowers on Facebook, as I felt too self-conscious to clip these from a public park. To deny anyone a view of these would be presumptuous. Dave Engdahl, a local sculptor and former architect, answered my post first, “come and get some from 3 large trees in my yard.” I was there by the afternoon. Dave grabbed his large loping shears and headed out to his backyard. The flowers grow throughout the canopy, and for large trees this can be rather high off the ground. We managed to find 4 large specimens. As Dave cut each one I carefully caught them as they fell to the ground, being careful not to damage the package. Four blooms went into a box lid and were off to my home studio, where I set up a large softbox and a desklamp.
Photographing flowers is not easy. I find it similar to doing portraits, although dealing with a flower is infinitely easier than an 18 month old. Each flower has its own personality and characteristic. Finding these innate qualities is the challenge. Usually I work with a single bloom, placing it in a receptacle (usually a small box or in this case a bowl with water) and placing it on top of another small box that can be easily rotated. I position the lights and camera and then rotate the subject. It takes a while and a few shots to get warmed up. Shooting straight on, then slightly above, then below all at various angles gives you plenty of options. For me it is all about the way the light finds its way around the folds and crevasses, creating gentle sweeping arcs and sharp angles, shadows of mystery, and highlights of subtle features. The contrast of the petals and leaves with their the similarities and differences, are explored. It is the abstract and not the literal that reveals the essence of the bloom. Anyone can take a picture, my mission is to create a photograph.
When all was said and done, 300 images yielded about 30 “keepers” and from these, 6 were chosen to be printed. Please enjoy the results.
An 18x24 poster is also available:
Alpine Groves - Spanish Moss
Continuing on my quest to visit local spots to capture the spring foliage, I stopped first at Alpine Groves Park located in Switzerland, FL. This was the site of an old citrus processing plant and the old barn and some equipment are still there. The park has a great dock overlooking the St. Johns and some wonderful moss-laden trees. This tree was on the river bank as seen from the dock.
From here I drove along Bishop Estates Rd. to the Flora Branch Creek bridge. This is a favorite road for cyclists and I've ridden through this area many times. More great leaf texture and color.
Flora Branch Creek
The final stop was the Bartram Canoe Trail trailhead off of Racetrack Road. It was quiet and peaceful with only the roar of the cars above. Had some lunch, took some pics, and then headed back to the studio. A great morning out.
Durbin Creek @ Racetrack Road
This winter/spring I've made a commitment to get out to some new areas. Although I should be working on my other projects, I always seem to have an excuse for not photographing what's in my backyard. This weekend I attended a walking tour of the Julington Durbin Preserve with artist Jim Draper and naturalist Bill Belleville. This was the first time to this park and I was surprised that something so nice was so close to home. The meetup was at noon, so as suspected, the sun was in full force with no clouds. I decided to just focus on some of the leafless trees against the blue sky. The best part of the outing was finding this location, as I know it will yield some great images in the future.
Julington-Durbin Preserve - Waiting for Spring
On February 3 I made a follow-up visit in the early morning. The light was much better. This is Durbin Creek with some bright green leaves just starting out. How I love the early spring in Florida!
Spring - Durbin Creek
White Oak Conservation Center, Yulee FL
White Oak, Annie Leibovitz
45 miles north of Jacksonville, on border of Florida and Georgia along the St. Mary's River, lay 7000 acres of pristine woodlands and fields. Housed on this compound is an amazing assortment of animals, studios, and a wildlife conservation center. This is White Oak, home to white rhinos, giraffes, okapis, cheetahs, and the Baryshnikov Dance Studio. I was asked by Cinda Sherman of Arbus Magazine to accompany her to view the Jacksonville University MFA dance troop completing a week long summer retreat. It was my first time to White Oak, although I've heard about the animals many times. I did not connect Annie Leibovitz's famous "White Oak Dance Project" with this location. Here she photographed Baryshnikov and other famous dancers back in the 90's. I was feeling the power of the place. I also met dance legend David Parsons. The facility is quite amazing but the combination of environmental and arts advocacy is what struck me as unique. And to know that this center is so close to Jacksonville! More on White Oak can be found here. I'm thankful that the Gilman family chose to invest in such a project.
The morning was spent photographing the dancers as they went through a warm-up and choreography exercise. The room was quite large and I brought 2 Speedlights. I really didn't know what to expect and needed to travel light. I set one up on opposites sides of the dance floor and just worked them from there. I wanted to be as unobtrusive as possible. I have gained quite an appreciation for dance and enjoy the energy and flowing controlled movement of the dancers. It is beautiful to watch. I find a great aesthetic to how the individual bodies and arms, torsos, and legs are moved into positions and then as each dancer makes contact and positions themselves in proximity to the other dancers, the composition becomes alive. This is fascinating.
After about an hour of photography we were given a tour of the okapi area, only one of several breeding centers for endangered and threatened animals. We got to be up close and personal with a group of okapis, gentle animals related to the giraffe but partially striped like a zebra.
I was exhausted after the day, but totally inspired not only by the dancers but by the history of the facility for dance, photography, and conservation. What a legacy. I also found and ordered Leibovitz's White Oak book on eBay. Can't wait to get it.
Tonight I spoke at our local Sierra Club about image design and the art of nature photography. It was great to meet some new friends and I always enjoy yakking about my work. I showed about 60 images from our national parks as examples to explaining image design principles taught to me by Freeman Patterson and Brenda Tharp. At some point in your development as an photographic artist you want to go beyond camera skills. Learning how to “see” is the basis for developing your own style of photography. I recommend highly the following 2 books if you are ready to progress: Creative Nature and Outdoor Photography by Brenda Tharp, Photography and the Art of Seeing by Freeman Paterson. Most nature photographers have some connection to the Sierra Club. It may be significant or indirect. All who enjoy our National Parks and the results of conservation movements can give thanks to organizations like the Sierra Club, who had the early foresight to raise the red flag to so many situations that had the potential to destroy our natural treasures in the name of progress and industry. My introduction came in high school, where I by chance picked up a 1972 Sierra Club Engagement Calendar. It was one of those spiral bound datebooks with a beautiful image for each week. I remember being fascinated with the photography, not only the technical quality but the beauty and interest in each image. Where were these places, what were these rocks, plants, and details, how could I create images like these? I wanted to know and do.
Back in those dark ages, photography could only be enjoyed by books and magazines. I never had access to viewing a fine art print until much later. Fortunately, the Sierra Club and Ballantine Books had a series of larger format paperback books with inspiring photography. Everytime I went out to photograph, I can remember trying to reproduce those classic images of trees, flowers, and landscapes in these beautiful publications. It’s interesting to view an old book that influenced you. Most of the time I’m so impressed at what was accomplished with film, and how the “style” of nature photography promoted by Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, David Meunch, and the likes continues to influence nature photography today. That’s why I love used book stores, because it’s fun to see where your photography came from. And I’m still looking for that engagement calendar.
It may be freezing elsewhere in the US but it's been spring time in Northeast Florida for a few weeks now. Since mid-February my allergies announced the annual arrival of pollen, and my yellow dusted car confirms it. We've had some very dry weather here and I've been waiting for some cloudy overcast days to get out and visit some of the parks to capture the new spring growth that is everywhere. With the arrival of the redbuds, azaleas, and dogwood blooms, I think Spring is almost over.
One of the most spectacular places to view azaleas is Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka. I make an annual trek out there but so far I've only hit the peak once, back in 2007. Today was overcast so my good sense told me to venture out to test my luck. Many of the azaleas have started to bloom in the neighborhood. When I arrived the person on duty told me the blooms are so-so. Looks like next week the majority of the blooms will pop. With the nice light I was able to have a good time anyway. Many of the red azaleas were blooming, but the classic magenta flowers were mostly in buds.
My new tradition is to do a photo shoot on New Year's Day. This year the Costco amaryllis decided to have a color explosion on New Years, so why not start the year with some flower photography? Finding some compelling views is a challenge. It is always tempting to just dive in with your macro lens where everything is amazing just because you've never seen your subject so big. I also enjoyputting an extension tube on my 70-200 and staying a bit further away from my subject. I set up my Wescott Spiderlites, a large softbox in the back for the white background and a smaller softbox at 45-90 degrees to the flowers. I ended up working with these for about 90 minutes, then I found myself taking the same shots. What a fun way to spend a few hours on New Years Day!
Approaching rain on the County Dock
The "County Dock" is right down the street and I try to make it out there when the weather is turning nasty. Usually there is a pretty good show of clouds. Today I was on the way home from the dentist and it just so happened I had my camera handy. The rain was over the city and I waited a while to see it I could catch some lightning. Not this time. One thing you've got to say about Florida, we have some pretty impressive clouds.
Here is my new body of work hanging at Southlight Gallery. This is just one group of images from our trip to Yellowstone in late May, (sorry, still working on the post). In going through all my Yellowstone pictures, I found several groups of images that were candidates for a submission. My past two exhibits have been on trees, and I had plenty of tree images to choose from, but I wanted to try something different. I enjoy showing images of things that are unique and thought provoking, so what could be more interesting that a look at details around a hot spring? (we don't have many of these here in FL).
After selecting the final images, I found that all of them came from two areas, Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin, and the Canary Spring/Minerva Terrace in Mammoth Hot Springs. Both areas were quite magical and extraordinary.
Here is my artist statement and images for the showing:
There is no place on earth like Yellowstone National park. And here you can find the largest number of geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud volcanoes anywhere. These openings in the ground create other-worldly landscapes and details from a mixture of water, steam, minerals, chemicals, and the attraction of a myriad assortment of bacteria and small organisms. The patterns and textures are living, dynamic structures, changing constantly over time.
For many the beauty of Yellowstone is usually found in its wildlife, flowers, lakes, and landscapes. For me there is greater interest in what is different and unique. My fascination with these thermal features draws me into a primitive world of ages ago, when the earth was cooling, and the basic elements of the earth began to support life. Isn’t it interesting that these areas support only primitive life forms (bacteria, algae, fungi) and are hostile to others? Portraying landscapes and details emphasizing the fundamental flow patterns reveal the beauty in the structure of natural things. We seek order in our observations…nature provides it if we know where to look.
You'll have to drop by the gallery to see the bigger versions. The best comment from the opening was someone who asked if I was in an airplane when I took these...love it! The work should be up for at least 2 months.
At he suggestion of Dolf James, I've just finished watching the movie "Rivers and Tides," a documentary on the work of Andy Goldsworthy (and here), artist, scuptor, photographer, and environmentalist. It is a fascinating view of a remarkable man. Goldsworthy was the A. D. White Professor at Large at Cornell University for eight years, which peaked my interest (my Alma mater). His large environmental sculptures are made of completely natural materials and are fashioned by found objects as tools. Photography is used to record the various states of a piece, as it adapts to its surroundings, often floating down a river, washing out to sea, or melting in the sun. The ephemeral quality of the film and Goldsworthy's narrative makes this an extremely effective presentation. I enjoy hearing artists talk about their work and why they are compelled to create, especially if I can understand them. It's hard to believe that there are people who can create at this level. The link is to the 1st of a series of 9 videos snatched from the DVD. A worthwhile 90 minutes if you are into this kind of stuff.
Another great video of Goldsworthy's last lecture at Cornell:
We just returned from a spring road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains NP, staying 3 nights in Cherokee and 3 in Gatlinburg (Best Western of course!). Traffic on I-95 and I-26 was surprisingly heavy, but Cherokee was still in pre-season mode. We planned to follow many of the hikes featured on the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage which is a 5 day educational program in its 60th year. Go to the site and download their program for some ideas of places to check out. We arrived one week before the program to beat the crowds, but it seems that Hiway 441 through the park is perpetually busy. There are also many road closings throughout the park including the Cades Cove Loop, Clingman's Dome, and the Roaring Fork loop. Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway were also closed between the park and Asheville.
We started out from Cherokee as home base. Day 1 included a morning sunrise at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. A good "warm up" shoot in that it is virtually 5 minutes from Cherokee. Don't you love it when you arrive at a site and there is no one in the parking lot? We had some fog in the field at the Mountain Farm Museum. There is also a 1.5 mile nature trail that runs along the Oconaluftee river. From here we returned to the hotel for breakfast, then a nap, then west to Bryson City to check out the Deep Creek area. There is a loop trail that takes you to 3 waterfalls. I was expecting the area to be empty but there were quite a few people there enjoying the sunny day. I was looking for clouds and overcast but bright sun and blue skies followed us for 3 days. We stopped in Bryson City for ice cream and visited with a gallery owner, Charles Heath. It's always nice to chat with the local artists. We ended the day at Mingo Falls, which is not in the park but easily accessible off of Big Cove Road near the park entrance. We saw one family there and that was it. This is probably the most impressive falls in the whole region.
Day 2 included our big adventure to Cataloochee, located on the east end of the park. We were up at 4:30 AM for the drive. The last 10 miles is on a one lane gravel road in the mountains. It was still pretty dark so we really didn't know what to expect. Dorian was nervous. But we made it and were greeted by a herd of elk on the main road, then a group of wild turkeys. There are several old buildings as this was a main settlement area similar to Cades Cove. We also hiked the first mile of the Caldwell Fork Trail, starting with a log bridge over the river. Now this "bridge" was literally a log, flattened on one side, spanning about 30 ft over a river. There was a rail on one side to hold onto (for your life!). With tripod and camera gear I didn't look down and just kept walking. As you reached the other side the log was getting narrower and bouncing! Ok, so I'm a wimp. We ended the day back in the park at the Mingus Mill and then to the visitor center parking lot for some shots of the redbuds and dogwood. It was dark when we finished.
Day 3 we packed up and headed to Gatlinburg. On the way we pulled off for a few shots of the Oconaluftee River from 441. The sun was still behind the mountains so the valley stays in shadow until about 9:00. We stopped at the Newfound Gap viewing area and hiked a bit on the Appalachian Trail. Only 1972 miles to Katahdin, Maine from here! The afternoon included another hike on the Chestnut Top Trail where 73 meets Little River Road to look for wildflowers. There were many people there and all very friendly, pointing out their finds. We then proceeded down to Cades Cove...and yes the loop was really closed for repaving. On the way back we stopped at another pullout to check out the river. There are numerous points to stop and we took advantage of them. I can't understand why some people need to tailgate you on a national park road, they must be in a hurry to go somewhere! Traffic is bad in the Smokys so you just have to get off the road and walk a bit. We rolled into Gatlinburg and headed towards Cherokee Orchard Road which is part of a loop that includes the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Roaring Fork was closed for repairs so we went as far as we could and rewarded with a bear sighting...wow! My camera was in the back of the car so I made a small movie with my G10 and here is my fuzzy snap. Onwards to the Best Western.
Day 4 started at the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail located at the Chimney Tops picnic area. We arrived at around 7:15 AM and there were a bunch of photographers there. Got some cold stares as we walked by them, guess they forgot how to say "good morning." I think some photographers are territorial and they feel like someone is infringing on their space. This compared to the wildflower hikers who were eager to share their discoveries. There was plenty of space so we just moved on. The flowers on this trail are great and the scenery and soft light very nice. It's a 1 mile loop through an old growth forest. The sun didn't poke through until around 9:00 and even then there were plenty of shady areas to keep working. This trail is highly recommended, in addition the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River also flows through the area. Lots of stuff to shoot. After our shoot we returned to Gatlinburg for a late breakfast and then a nap, then on to Laurel Falls. Some clouds began to roll in and I was happy. The trail to Laurel Falls is 1.3 miles on a paved road uphill. Definitely worth the hike. Getting to the base of the falls was a bit treacherous. The hike back was great downhill. On the drive back on Little River Road we stopped to photograph a field of blue phlox until dark.
Day 5 saw the results of my rain dance for the past week. The good thing about a rainy morning is that there is no sunrise, so we grabbed breakfast before we made our way to the Greenbrier entrance to the Porters Creek trailhead. From there we hiked in about a mile before it really started to rain hard. I love shooting in the drizzle but when the rain comes it gets tough. We saw a few other photographers on the trail looking for wildflowers. From here we went back into town and drove around the arts and crafts loop in Gatlinburg and it was back to the hotel for a nap. As the rain began to let up we headed back into the park on Newfound Gap Road and found that the mist and fog were settling in. The light quickly disappeared and we headed back for a nice Italian dinner.
We headed out the door on Day 6 and probably should have gotten an earlier start. There was nice morning light and some remnants of a nice sunrise. Back through the park one last time on Newfound Gap road, stopping at a few overlooks. By 9:00 what was left of the fog had burned off. At Newfound Gap it was quite chilly and very windy. I waited for a composition with the clouds but the light was harsh and the landscape burned out. It was on to Cherokee to fill the tank and grab some lunch for the road. From here we jumped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway south to 74, then to Waynesville where we took 276 through Pisgah National Forest then to 64 and eventually I-26 and I-95 to home. It's always a little sad to leave the mountains. The Interstate has a way of bringing you back to harsh reality.
Click here for my Smoky Mountains Spring gallery (everything!).
Today Harry Sandler twisted my arm (ouch!) to catch sunrise at Big Talbot. There was a chance of fog and my fingers were crossed. We were up at 4:45 and made it there for the pre-dawn light. No fog, no clouds, no wind, and plenty of no-see-ums. We hiked out on Blackrock Trail and didn't see a soul. There's something surreal about arriving at Big Talbot in the pre-dawn at low tide. The water is still and the fallen trees surround you. You can hear the birds and the water is almost silent. If it wasn't for the gnats buzzing at your eyes, ears, and every place you did not manage to spray, it would be most pleasant. One day I will experience the fog at this location, today was not the day. After our shoot we drove onto Amelia Island and had breakfast at the Parkway Grill in Fernandina (right on AIA past Harris Teeter). Great food and good coffee. Harry and I said our goodbyes and he was off on his drive back to NY.
I made it out to the East entrance of the Okefenokee soon after my exploration of the West (see my previous post on March 12). A much shorter drive from Jacksonville, from I-295 and off the New Kings Road Exit (US-1). This takes you through some depressed areas in Georgia, lots of abandoned gas stations and hotels from the pre-interstate days when US-1 was the main corridor from the north. One day I will dedicate some time to just these abandoned structures. When I arrived the park was virtually empty. Early spring is great for the weather, lack of people, and lack of mosquitoes. I was told that the gators were beginning to come out of hibernation and beginning to look for mates, hence a lot of grunting noises in the swamps.
The East side of the park contains a nature drive and concessions area with lots of opportunities to pull off the road for photography. The main road leads you past pine forests and several burn areas. From the Visitor's Center, Swamp Island Drive takes you to some boardwalks where you can get deeper into the swamp. It started to drizzle and rain, so I was the only crazy person out walking around. At the end of the main boardwalk there is an observation tower that gives a great view of the area. I did not opt for the boat tour this time, as the sun decided to come out. I did hike the short Canal Diggers trail.
I love overcast, windless days for tree photography. Look for the special light that illuminates the branches and new spring growth. It's soft and allows the details to really show. Getting out to the wilderness by yourself is great therapy. Even if the images are not there, you can recharge and renew yourself in nature.
For my Okefenokee gallery click here.
