How would I photograph a tropical landscape unlike any other place I had visited? How do I capture the mystery, the color, the exotic otherness of bald cypress, Spanish moss, swamps and wildlife in this wilderness?

Of course, there is a contrast to the pine and hardwood forests of Maine. In the Everglades, forests roost instead on cypress mounds, in mahogany hammocks and within pine barrens. Maine may have its long, rocky coast, central highlands and Western mountains. Instead, south Florida is widely known as being a somewhat flat and swampy landscape.

But I discovered a different place not without its own satisfaction. Flat prairie grasslands spread out during the winter drought give accent to a minimalist aesthetic. Swamps withdraw only to later  swell again in the summer rainy season  reflecting its glistening life within. The brightest tropical sun bleaches every color at midday down to its monochromatic essence, while the rich, vibrant oranges, yellows, pinks and reds arise out of sunrise and sunset. Water everywhere reflects the color, mood and abundance of its life.

I jumped into this place eyes wide open as excited to be here as anywhere I’ve visited. I hope you find the photos as exhilarating and surprising as I have experienced in my time here. I return as often as I can to visit family and friends, grateful to have warm conversation, filling meals and a place to ponder and wonder amidst this upheaval and commotion.