Last week, I took a road trip where the ultimate destination was my buddy Andy Crawford's place in south central Louisiana. Andy's work had shown me just how beautiful the swamps down there can be, so when he invited me down and sent me his availability, I jumped on some dates that matched up for me, which also resulted in a nearly three week long odyssey due to my trip to Cape Cod which had been previously planned. I simply left Cape Cod and continued heading south.
Working in the Swamp
May 31, 2021 | Louisiana
Cypress Symmetry
Limited Edition
Five cypress trees are standing tall along the shore of Lake Maurepas in Louisiana, their reflection gently rippling in the still waters as the sky is filled with soft pastel colors of pink, orange, and purple just before sunrise. The lake is illuminated in the peach light of the early morning, seemingly frozen in time while the cypress trees stand tall, silhouetted against the pastel sky. It's a peaceful yet powerful moment of serenity, one that refreshes and restores the viewer's spirit. I count myself lucky to have witnessed this scene, as I waded waist-deep in the waters with my camera and tripod to catch the first light on these cypresses in the swamp.
Offered as a limited edition of 100 prints. All Fine Art Limited Edition Prints will receive a signed certificate of authenticity with serial number, mailed separately.
One of the great things about working with other photographers is that you sometimes learn a new way to capture a subject . When Andy took me into the swamp, I assumed we'd be working from his boat. And we did, but the morning we headed out to Lake Maurepas for sunrise, leaving his house at 4am, Andy told me we'd be getting out of the boat. So we arrived at the spot he called his favorite for sunrises, and the next thing I knew, he was over the side, waist-deep in Lake Maurepas, and explaining to me how to get out. I was a little nervous about alligators, and even more nervous I'd drop my camera, but over the side I went into the cool waters of Lake Maurepas.
"Cypress Symmetry", above was one of my first images made while standing in the swamp, up to my waist in water. One of the things I found so captivating about Lake Maurepas was how calm it was. The water, both at sunrise and sunset, was almost perfectly still, providing glassy reflections that can really add to an image and make it something unique. In all of the images in this blog, you can see how the reflections contributed to the composition. As a landscape photographer, I'm often checking puddles to see if I can get a fun reflection in them. In this case, Lake Maurepas practically slammed me over the head with the reflections. They were impossible to resist! All told, we spent three hours photographing the morning light on Lake Maurepas. The haze in the air filtered the light, keeping it soft and warm for so long, it would have been a shame had we cut our time short.
Dawn in the Swamp
Cypress trees glow with the early morning light on a spring morning on Lake Maurepas in Louisiana. I captured this while wading waist-deep in the swampy waters of Lake Maurepas. It was an incredible experience to witness the sunrise through these incredible cypress trees while surrounded by the calm waters of the lake.
To move around in the water, Andy had advised me to shuffle slowly, rather than take big, quick steps. The root systems of the cypresses can extend for quite a distance from the trunks, and cypress knees can extend up, making them easy to trip on. So I shuffled my feet, and if I hit something, I took some time to feel around with my foot and figure out how high it was and how far it went so I could get around it. Thankfully, I managed to stay upright during my time in the water.
It was a bit slower working from the water, as the rest of my gear, such as my Lee Filter Kit, stayed in the boat. I had an idea what I needed on the camera but there were several times I'd decided I needed a different lens, or a different filter on my camera. At those times, I had to make my way back to the boat, and carefully switch out what I needed, working over the boat so if I dropped anything, it landed in the boat and not in the swamp, where I'd likely never find it in the murky waters!
Sunset on Lake Martin
The sun sets behind a cloud on Lake Martin on a spring evening in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. This was an incredible end to my first day photographing in the swamps. The day had started catching sunrise from a boat on Lake Martin, but this shot taken at day's end was taken from the shore. It was the perfect end to the day.
Pink Twilight on Lake Maurepas
Cypress trees are reflected in the waters of Lake Maurepas at dusk on a spring evening in Southern Louisiana.
Andy and I returned to Lake Maurepas for sunset that same day. We looked around for a different spot, one that would provide an angle to include the sun if we desired. In the end, my favorite shot didn't include the sun, but was the last image I took as the light faded. "Pink Twilight" captured a stand of cypresses against a pink sky, with the still waters of the lake reflecting them. It was the perfect way to end a day that had started with a similar image. It was a long day- we got in the boat at about 4:30am, and photographed in the morning until 8:30am. We returned in the afternoon at 3pm, and didn't get back to the dock until 9:30pm. I love those days filled with photographing a new place, but man, they can wear you down if you do it too often.
Bayou Twilight
Limited Edition
A lone cypress stands in the Atchafalaya Basin on a spring evening in Louisiana as the sun lights up the sky. The largest swamp in the United States, this area of the basin is only accessible by boat. Floating camps dot the swamp, but there is very little sign of civilization when out on the water among the cypresses. Alligators, bullfrogs, osprey, and more are all plentiful here. It was simply incredible to experience it all and to capture it with my camera.
Limited Edition of 100 prints. All limited editions will receive a signed Certificate of Authenticity and serial number.
On one of my last days in Louisiana, Andy and I headed to Grand Lake in Atchafalaya Basin. We spent a good part of the afternoon exploring the lake and scouting for locations to capture the sunset. We settled on this spot, which had several cypresses to choose from. This tree stood out to me - I just loved its character. It proved to be the perfect finish for my visit to the swamps!
I'm so grateful to Andy for showing me this corner of the country. The swamps were like nothing else I'd ever photographed, and so beautiful, that I can't wait to go back.