Five-Years Ago (10-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America 2014 Road Trip. Day 10: Clyde Butcher’s Swamp Cottage.

Baby Alligator with five mosquitoes, next to the back pond at Clyde Butcher’s Swamp Cottage, Big Cypress Swamp in Florida. I didn’t realize that the baby alligators were this colorful. Momma gator was nearby keeping an eye on how close I got.

Baby Alligator with (5) Mosquitoes. Next to the Back Pond at Clyde Butchers Swamp Cottage -- Big Cypress Swamp in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Baby Alligator. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 1600, 400 mm, f/4, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)

Five-Years Ago (09-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America 2014 Road Trip. Day 9: Clyde Butcher’s Swamp Cottage.

Welcome sign at Clyde Butcher’s Swamp Cottage. I then went for a walk and found a small alligator next to the back pond. If you look close there is an out of focus mosquito on the other side of the alligators head. It has to be pretty tough to get through the alligators skin. I was wary because I knew that momma alligator was probably nearby.

"Attack Mosquito on Duty" sign at Clyde Butchers Swamp Cottage. Big Cypress Swamp in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 800, 200 mm, f/4, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
“Attack Mosquito on Duty” sign at Clyde Butchers Swamp Cottage. Big Cypress Swamp in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 800, 200 mm, f/4, 1/200 sec). (David J Mathre)
Small Alligator Next to the Back Pond at Clyde Butchers Swamp Cottage. Big Cypress Swamp in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 800, 190 mm, f/4, 1/50 sec). Image converted to B&W using Capture One Pro 7. (David J Mathre)
Small Alligator Next to the Back Pond at Clyde Butchers Swamp Cottage. Big Cypress Swamp in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 70-200 mm f/4 VR lens (ISO 800, 190 mm, f/4, 1/50 sec). Image converted to B&W using Capture One Pro 7. (David J Mathre)

Five-Years Ago (06-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 6 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Short time-lapse video of an Alligator crossing Biolab road in Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Images taken with a Nikon Df camera and 400 mm f/2.8 lens. Images processed with Capture One Pro, Photoshop CC, Premiere Pro CC, and After Effects CC. I chose to stay in the car while photographing this sequence.


Individual images in the slide show can be viewed here.

Five-Years Ago (04-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 4: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Sunrise at Playalinda Beach, then spent the day roaming Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Early morning spider web, lots of birds, and an alligator sunning. Many of the birds had captured a fish.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Surf Fishing at Dawn. Playalinda Beach, Canaveral National Seashore in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D700 camera and 28-3 00 mm VRlens (ISO 500, 85 mm, f/5.6, 1/320 sec). (David J Mathre)
alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Spider Web Coated with Early Morning Dew. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 80-400 mm VRII lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/40 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)


Individual images from the slide show can be viewed here.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Alligator Sunning Along a Canal at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D3x camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 250, 300 mm, f/4, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Five-Years Ago (10-January-2013) — Florida

Gone to See America. January 2013 Florida Road Trip. Day 7: Merritt Island and Ponce de Leone Inlet Lighthouse.

Before starting my drive back to New Jersey, I spent the morning on Merritt Island. First for sunrise at Playalinda Beach at Canaveral National Seashore, then for a drive through Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge — both along Biolab Road and Black Point Wildlife Drive. The previous day there was heavy fog in the morning so I didn’t go to Playalinda beach. This beach is favored by surf fishermen. While driving north I also stopped at the Ponce de Leone Inlet Lighthouse near Daytona, Florida.

Rather that using the big telephoto lenses, all of the images on this day were taken with a Nikon D700 with a 28-300 mm VR lens, a Leica X2, or a Nikon 1 V2 and 18.5 mm f/1.8 lens. All hand-held, no tripod.


Ponce de Leone Inlet Lighthouse near Daytona, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 40 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Ponce de Leone Inlet Lighthouse near Daytona, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 40 mm, f/11, 1/500 sec). (David J Mathre)
Lighthouse Replica at the Hidden Treasure Rum Bar and Grill. It is right across the street from the real Ponce de Leone Inlet Lighthouse near Daytona, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/13, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)
Lighthouse Replica at the Hidden Treasure Rum Bar and Grill. It is right across the street from the real Ponce de Leone Inlet Lighthouse near Daytona, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon D700 and 28-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/13, 1/400 sec). (David J Mathre)