Pitch Black

While we were looking for Green Treefrogs in the swamp, we also came across a few other cool creatures that caught our attention. One of the more interesting was the Dragonflies and Damselflies that we found scattered across the swamp and they was sitting on the water plants, motionless, as if they were sleeping for the night.

We also found a few Leopard Frogs and their very unusual bellowing calls, and the highlight was a Florida Water Snake. These usually small non-venonous snakes live all throughout Florida, and are commonly found areas of water, such as lakes, rivers and swamps.

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Click Here To Watch A Video Of A Florida Swamp
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We also found a three foot alligator, however I didn't photograph it, for sometimes safety is a priority, and I wasn't about to take any chances with him since we were in his territory and the last thing I needed was an upset gator!

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Back To The Swamp

With the afternoon rains over the past couple of days, it made for a great opportunity to return to the swamp to get some more photos of the little Green Treefrogs. I'm not sure how much longer they will be mating (and calling so loud it can be defining) so I headed back to see if I could find them. This time I made sure to cover up every square inch of skin, which was a little uncomfortable, but the mosquitoes are nasty around this swamp.

I was hoping to actually find some that were mating, and as luck would have it, I found a few subjects. They just sat there, motionless, as they provided a rare look into their cycle of life. We also spotted numerous other creatures, such as dragonflies, damselflies, a water snake, geckos. salamanders, lots of fish, and even came upon a three foot alligator that watched us from a distance, and sunk into the murky waters below.

It was another interesting session of playing with light and exposure, not too mention finding some cute subjects to photograph who didn't seem to mind one bit.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Call Of The Frogs

I have always wondered how photographers get pictures of animals that only come out at night, for I have a hard enough time to find them during the day much less in the pitch black. With that curiosity, I decided to try my luck at night photography and I made my way to the swamps of Brooker Creek to see if I could find some frogs.

With the recent rains and high humidity, the season is now prime to locate them as they call deep into the night, for it is mating season. It's not hard to find them, for when you get around the water, the noise can be overwhelming. However, the challenge is actually seeing them, for they are small, green, hide and we are completely void of any light to see them.

I found a pond that was loaded with huge water plants, and they were teeming with little Green Treefrogs. Getting almost waist deep in the swamp at three in the morning is not my idea of fun, for working the camera, tripod, flashlights, strobe light and constantly wiping the lens of the constant fogging from the humidity is hard enough, we also had to keep our eyes peeled for alligators that could be lurking nearby.

All in all I got some really great shots of the ones we could actually find, and the fun part was not only finding them, but playing with the light and it's direction to get really different results. I think I may go back in the dead of the night again and give this fun another try!

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Flight School

The sun was out in full force today, and the adult Red-shouldered Hawks decided today was the day to teach their babies how to fly. To me, when they communicate (or yell as it sounds to us), it all sounds the same. To them however, the calls from the parents have specific meaning, and what an experience to witness this first-hand.

We watched as the one of the parents would fly off, snag a meal, and come back to where the babies were. However, they didn't fly to the nest or even where they were waiting. Instead, they pulled up short and called for the babies to come to them. It was a sight to watch these two youngsters take their first flight.

At first they were very unsure and unstable, but hunger takes over and it is a strong motivational tool for the parent to use to teach them the lessons they will rely on for the rest of their life. We sat there and watched this repeat over and over, and soon the next step will be hunting. That should be interesting to say the least!

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Crazy Hawks

Over the past few days, the pair of Red-shouldered Hawks in our backyard have been increasingly noisy. We have been noticing that for a few weeks now, the pair of adults have been hunting like crazy, back and forth as they hunt for lizards, frogs and worms. We figured they must have babies, but we haven't seen them.

On Sunday when the rains finally let up, they really got loud. I went outside to see what they were up to, and found that they did have two babies. They were sitting in the pines along the edge of the woods, yelling for their parents. They were a little unstable, as they jumped around from branch to branch, occasionally taking a short flight to another branch.

Seems like I have a new set of subjects, for they haven't started taking flight practice, and that should be good for some amazing shots as they learn their new found skill hopefully in the coming days.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Wet Season

It must of rained a foot the past two days, and without a doubt we are now in the wet season. Florida really doesn't have the four seasons like most of the country experiences. It is either dry or wet, and we are definitely in the wet now. It rained the most I have seen in a long time, and we now have ponds in our backyard where grass once stood.

With these rains however, we have seen an explosion of baby frogs, most notably the Green Treefrog. These little frogs time their mating around the seasons, and they are everywhere now. Last night, we were awoken when they were squeaking so loud by the hundreds outside, they were even sticking on the front door just humming away.

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Click Here To Watch A Video Of Frogs Of Florida
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I found some newborns later in the evening as I took a look around our front walkway in the ferns, just sitting there enjoying the rain and humidity. They are so small, they are about the size of my thumb, as while photographing one, he jumped up and landed on my thumb, so I snapped a photo to show it's relative size. What a bunch of cuties that live in the world around us!

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Meet Miranda

While we were waiting for the sunset yesterday at the beach, one of the girls, Miranda, graciously volunteered to pose for some portraits for the group. This young model is a natural in front of the camera, and needed very little to no direction, which is amazing for her age.

She knew right were to look, how to change up her facial expressions and position of her upper body to give each photographer a slightly different look. Miranda has a very bright future ahead of her if she ever decides to pursue a modeling career, for she has that look and personality that was refreshing to see in such a young girl.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Catch The Light

It was a great evening, and I met up with my old friend John and his wife from St. Petersburg, along with some of his friends Ron, Miranda, Loyce and Kathy at Fred Howard Beach to photograph the sunset as it set over Anclote Island.

The group had three young girls to model for the big finale, and we did the old classic that everyone loves called "Catch The Light". The girls were naturals, and they did really well posing for everyone. It was a great group, and we were all treated to another fantastic Florida sunset.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Pelican Cove

It was back to the beach on Honeymoon Island for us on Saturday, and as luck would have it, low tide rolled in just as we got there. The water level was real low in Pelican Cove, which meant a great opportunity to photograph some of the animals and birds that can be found during this time of bounty.

The highlight of the afternoon was the discovery of several Horseshoe Crabs we found cruising around the exposed flats. These little crabs were about the size of a quarter, which means they were only a month or so old. They are hard to find, especially at this size, so the find was really exciting.

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View A Panorama Of Pelican Cove At Low Tide   (JPG - 600KB)
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Lots of birds again came into the area while we were there, including Cormorants, Roseate Spoonbills, White Ibis', Willets, Ruddy Turnstones, White Egrets, Tri-colred Egrets, Blue Herons, Black Skimmers, Oystercatchers and lots of Terns and Pelicans. It was a great day at the beach all the way around.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Blowout

So I'm driving back from Orlando after spending the day at the Orange County Convention Center (which by the way, is massive) from a trade show. I'm humming along down I-4, when all of a sudden I see a "Low Tire Pressure" light come on my dashboard. I think, OK, I might be low on air, so I'll pull off the highway and check the tires and fill them up.

Just so happens I was coming up on an exit near Auburndale, which is literally out in the middle of nowhere. I started to exit off onto the off ramp, and BOOM. The front driver tire completely exploded. The car swerved off the road, and I landed into a cow field. I was a little shaken, but at least no one was hurt or possibly worse.

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View A Close-up Of The Blowout   (JPG - 204KB)
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Now, after changing to the spare, and having to drive home on the spare at a top speed of 50 mph, a typical 1 1/2 hour drive turned into a 4 1/2 hour drive. Needless to say Ford has some explaining to do in the morning.

Worldwide Exposure

A while back, I got several copies of the 2008 Tampa Bay Travel Planner brochures that are produced by the Tampa tourism bureau, Tampa Bay & Company. They also just released the 2008 Tampa Bay Meeting Planner, and it is loaded with numerous of my photographs taken around Tampa Bay.

These brochures are some of the best looking and well designed tourism brochures I have ever seen, and they are mailed all over the world. They contain detailed information about the bay area, and the photographs illustrate the beauty that Tampa Bay has to offer.

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View The 2008 Tampa Bay Meeting Planner

View The 2008 Tampa Bay Travel Planner
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All in all, it is great to see your work in publications that will be seen not only locally, but also by thousands all over the world!

Field Notes: Florida Mangroves

One of Florida's most treasured natural resource is our mangroves. They play an important role in our ecosystem and provide a wealth of protection and life that is often overlooked, which has been devastating to its survival.

When early settlers came to Florida, mangroves were considered a wasteland, for they provided little to no resources as opposed to farmland and other landscapes. Today, they are now recognized as a vital component to our environment, and provide a wealth of natural resources that we depend on. Mangroves provide two of the most basic items for survival for animals: food and shelter.

Mangroves are the foundation of life for many animals as they begin their life, as they provide shelter and protection from predators as they develop from juveniles to adults. Many of the commercially important fish begin their lives in the mangroves, such as snapper, snook, mullet, seatrout, redfish as well as other animals such as shrimp, oysters, and blue crabs. Even predators use the mangroves to bear their young such as hammerheads, snakes, and the American crocodile.

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View A Photo Of A Mangrove Along The Gulf Coast
View A Strand Of Red Mangrove Trees
View A Close-up Of A Red Mangrove Tree
View A Close-up Of A Red Mangrove Tree Prop Roots
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Since the mangroves are so dense and virtually impossible to penetrate, they are the perfect nurseries for many of these animals, since they also provide shelter from the hot Florida sun, and also providing a bounty of food for them during their early development of life.

A rich compost of nutrients called "marine compost" from insect and bird droppings, leaf litter and twigs that fall into the water around the mangroves are broken down by microorganisms which then fuel the growth of algae, fungi and bacteria that provide the foundation for larger life that inhibit the mangroves.

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View A Close-up Of A Periwinkle Snail
View A Photo Of A Periwinkle Snail On A Mangrove Tree
View A Photo Of A Crown Conch Egg Casing At Low Tide
View A Photo Of A Red Mangrove Tree At Low Tide
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Many of our resident birds use the mangroves for nesting and raising their young in the canopies, such as brown pelicans, as well as many herons and egrets such as the little blue heron, great white heron, tri-colored heron and snowy and cattle egrets. Oystercatchers are commonly found around the mangroves, for it is not uncommon for large oyster bars to form along the mangroves, providing them with their specialized diet.

Also migratory birds such as warblers depend on the mangroves for food and shelter during their migration, and without them, many would perish from the world around us. Many of these birds feed solely on the insects, such as mosquitoes, dragonflies, noseeums, water bugs and many others that also inhabit the mangroves, and the rich and vast amounts of these insects are vital to their survival. Some of these insects are so dependant on the mangroves themselves, many species are only found in mangroves, and many have evolved to look the twigs and leaves they live in.

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View A Photo Of A Oyster Bar Exposed At Low Tide
View A Photo Of Scallop At Low Tide
View A Photo Of A Lightning Whelk Along The Exposed Mangroves
View A Photo Of A Crown Conch Along The Exposed Mangroves
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Some species of animals also depend mangroves, and these special species can only be found in mangroves in Florida. Such species such as the mangrove crab, mangrove snake, stone crab, fiddler crab and periwinkle snail thrive in this environment, and without them, will perish.

Humans also benefit from mangroves, for they provide the "first line of defense" from hurricanes and rising waters. Mangroves stabilize the soil along the coastline, capturing pollution and waste from entering the waters. They also serve as windscreens and act as a buffer that could damage or destroy our coastline.

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View A Close-up Of A Dragonfly On A Prop Root
View A Close-up Of A Dragonfly On A Mangrove Branch
View A Close-up Of A Mangrove Crab
View A Close-up Of A Mangrove Crab Trying To Hide
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In Florida, there are four species of mangroves that can be found along our coastline. Because of our latitude, mangroves thrive from central to south Florida. Very few however if any can be found north of Tampa Bay on the gulf coast and Brevard County on the east coast. Because of that range, it is estimated that there are between 400,000 - 600,000 acres currently in this range, however this number was much greater before the coastal development for they were destroyed or severely altered.

Of the four species, the most common that many will recognize is the Red Mangrove. These trees are always found along the water, and are easily recognized by their prop roots that shoot out of the water. These mangroves are often called "walking trees", since they can and will "move" laterally towards the deeper waters. The other types of mangrove trees that can be found are the Black Mangrove, White Mangrove and Buttonwood Mangrove tree.

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View A Photo Of Male Fiddler Crab
View A Photo Of Female Fiddler Crab
View A Photo Of Florida Stone Crab
View A Photo Of A Florida Mangrove Snake
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The most amazing feat of the mangrove tree is in it's ability to tolerate saltwater. This is crucial for its survival, since it allows them to flourish in an environment that few others can, so it dominates the coastline landscape. They perform this amazing feat by blocking the absorption of salt at their roots and will expel it through its leaves. Because of this salt on those leaves, it also serves as a natural repellent against disease and plant eaters.

Mangroves propagate through fruit-like seedlings that develop while still on the tree, and then will drop into the waters below. These seedlings will hitchhike on the waters currents until they find a new shore or open area along the coast. Because of their shape, they are perfect to float on the waters, some up to a year, and are also resistant to salt. When they hit a soft mud, they will stand upright and begin to sprout roots and a new tree has begun.

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View A Photo Of A Tri-colored Heron Nesting In A Mangrove Tree
View A Photo Of Great White Egret Showing Mating Display
View A Photo Of A Roseate Spoonbill In A Mangrove Canopy
View A Photo Of A Cattle Egret In A Mangrove Tree
View A Photo Of A Roseate Spoonbill Flying Over The Mangroves
View A Photo Of A White Ibis Along The Mangroves At Low Tide
View A Photo Of A Pair Of Spoonbills Feeding In The Mangroves
View A Photo Of A Immature White Ibis At Low Tide
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The biggest threat facing the survival to mangroves today is from development. It is estimated that humans worldwide have destroyed more acres of mangroves then any other coastal ecosystem. Some of these threats are trimming, as well as oil spills, waste and complete removal of these delicate ecosystems.

Today in Florida, mangroves are now protected and regulated by the state to stop the destruction and loss of this precious resource. This in part has brought back the mangroves to a remarkable recovery, and making Florida a natural resource as it once was. So the next time you are along our coastline and see these trees, take a moment to explore them, for they offer a wealth of interesting and amazing feats that only Florida mangroves can.

Crazy Weekend

It's been a jam-packed weekend, and what a great time it has been. After going canoeing on Friday, I wrapped up the day on Honeymoon Island to relax on the beach and hopefully to watch a sunset. After finding a few subjects to photograph while waiting for the sunset, I also came face to face out in the water with a couple of wild Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins as they were playing in the surf.

For Saturday, I had a personal workshop with Barry who came up for the Caymans to spend the afternoon with me at Clearwater Beach as we strolled around. We coved a vast array of subjects, including composition, rule of thirds, backgrounds, elements of design, and we even got into panoramas and high dynamic range photography.

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View A Panorama Of Clearwater Beach   (JPG - 120KB)

View A HDR Panorama Of Pier 60   (JPG - 100KB)
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All in all it was a busy, crazy and very productive weekend, but it's now time to take a break to catch up!

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Gator Bob

I was invited on Friday by the bay area's tourism bureau, Tampa Bay & Company, to meet at Wilderness Park up in the Hillsborough River State Park region. The agenda was for research into a new and explosive area of tourism to the Tampa Bay area, eco-tourism. For our research, we were introduced to "Gator Bob" who leads visitors on these eco-tours on the Hillsborough River.

I was totally excited in this project, for not only to learn more about the program, but we were also going to canoe down the river to experience first hand just what these tours are all about. After lunch and some interesting discussions about the area, we all loaded up into the canoes to begin our journey.

Now, the deal is is that I have never been in a canoe before, much less swim, but I thought hey, you only live once! So we headed out, slowly at first, for I wasn't the only one that was a newbie, and had a blast. It was a lot easier then I had thought, and I'm hooked! Gator Bob had an extensive knowledge of the area, and it was very educational and he was awesome.

We saw all kinds of wildlife, from Alligators, Limpkins, Spoonbills, Woodstorks, Herons, Wild Turkeys, Osprey, Orchids, Apple Snails, Catfish and some of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen, and one that only can be had via on the river in the canoe. Without a doubt this is an exciting and educational new form of tourism, and I can't wait to go back and give it another go!

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Staff Picks

I received a notice today that two of my self-published books was selected as "Staff Picks" at Blurb. Not too shabby I might say, for they are great books that I created to showcase the vast wildlife here in Florida in "Birds of Florida II", and the second book, "Road Trip" is a collection of photographs taken in several photography workshops around the U.S. and Canada.

I was also invited to submit these two books into a competition called Photography.Book.Now which is an international juried book competition, salon and symposium, created to celebrate photography books and the people behind them. There is a photography book competition with a grand prize of $25,000, as well as several meet-ups that will take place this fall.

To see the books that were selected, check out:

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Road Trip   (Selected)
Birds of Florida II   (Selected)
Birds of Florida
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If I win anything in this contest, I'll post it up here, but that grand prize sure would be awesome!

Nature Photography Workshop

Mark your calendar for July 22, 2008 at 7 pm for a "Nature Photography Workshop" that I will be conducting at the Nature Center on Honeymoon Island. I will be the guest speaker for a new and fantastic program where I will cover bird and nature photography with the Friends Of The Island Parks.

This program will be about 45 minutes in length, and covers a wealth of information on how to get started in bird photography, and how to get award-winning compositions for those already in the hobby and wanting to take their photos to the next level.

We will be covering such topics as equipment, clothing, subjects, perspectives, composition, backgrounds, action, environment and much, much more. This workshop is for bird and nature photographers of all skill levels and best of all, is free!

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Learn More About The Friends Of The Island Parks
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I will also be signing copies of my new book, "Tampa Bay: A Photographic Portrait" and will be available for Q&A's and for anyone interested in a personal photography workshop. If you would like to learn more, contact me at robert@robertlafollette.com. Hope to see you at Honeymoon Island!

Muckity Muck

Low tide is awesome. Funny thing is, that when we first came to Florida, we hated it, for we wanted to see the water, and the smell can be a little overwhelming sometimes. However, we soon realized that that during low tide, you can find an amazing amount of wildlife of all shapes and sizes, as it becomes a bounty for predators and for many animals, it is the only time you can find them.

Over the course of two days, we spent a huge amount of time really exploring the mangroves at Honeymoon Island. We didn't know what to expect, but what we saw, learned about and photographed was amazing. For the first time we got down into the mud and muck to search out the animals, from the big to the very small, and we found no shortage of amazing things.

First thing I did was photograph the entire area that shows the water and the Red Mangrove trees that thrive in this environment. Mangrove trees are an amazing species of trees, as they support a huge array of wildlife, as well as provide food and shelter for all kinds of species on many different levels.

While we made our way around the salt marsh and mangrove trees, we came across Periwinkle Snails, Mangrove Crabs, Dragonflies, Damselflies, Mangrove Snakes, Scallops, Lightning Whelks, Whelk Casings, Crown Conchs, Oysters, Bubble Snails, Fiddler Crabs, Soft Shelled Crabs, Hermit Crabs and Sponges.

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Watch A Short Video Of When A Scallop Attacks (:12 - MOV - 1MB)

Click Here To Watch A Video Of Life In The Mangroves
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The highlight of our adventure was while we were deep into the mud at low tide, a family of Roseate Spoonbills came in to take advantage of the bounty of food, and was soon joined by a family of White Ibis' and they came together to find their dinner. They worked the mud flats, poking into the mud looking for tiny morsels to eat.

All in all, it was an amazing experience to get so close to nature, although you get really dirty doing it. Then again, I never really noticed that by the end of the day, I was the same color as my surroundings!

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

Chasing Crabs

After spending two days in the muck and water on Honeymoon Island, we decided to go in a different direction Sunday. With the gulf waters now well above 80 degrees, we made plans to go snorkeling at Fred Howard Beach to relax and swim in the Turtle and Sea Grass beds.

This beach is our favorite to snorkel in, for the grass beds are like swimming in a huge fish bowl, for there are so many fish, crustaceans, coral, sponges and interesting things all around as we swim slowly through it all. With low tide also in the evening, it gave us an opportunity to go out even further to see some never before seen areas.

We certainly weren't disappointed, as we saw all kinds of fish, from Blue Grunts, Snook, Sheepshead, Red Drums, Blemies, and a new one for us, a Puffer. We also saw Stingrays, Scallops, Sea Stars, Tube Worms, Sponges, Urchins, and some things we haven't yet identified. We even came upon cool Spider Crab as he was making his way across the grasses, feeding on the algae and goodies he found.

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Click Here To Watch A Spider Crab Underwater
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With the waters now in the range we like, we plan on spending lots more time here over the summer snorkeling and having fun with all the sea life that can be found there.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)

In The First Seventy-Two

It's up to you. That is the new campaign this year in Florida as June 1st marks the start of another hurricane season. For the past two years we have been pretty lucky, as we saw nothing come even close like we did back in 2004 and 2005.

The local news and media outlets are bombarding the locals with all kinds of doomsday reports, but that is what they do best. Here's hoping we have another calm summer, but only mother nature knows what to expect.