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 (07-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 7: St. Petersburg.

I went out on a photowalk with my brothers and sister while visiting St. Petersburg. Hawk Guarding the Handicapped Parking Space and then a wet Anhinga. Both at Brooker Creek Preserve.

Hawk Guarding the Handicapped Parking Space. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 2200, 300 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec) (David J Mathre)
Hawk Guarding the Handicapped Parking Space. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 2200, 300 mm, f/4, 1/1250 sec) (David J Mathre)
Anhinga in the Rain. Brooker Creek Preserve in St. Petersburg, Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 6400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (David J Mathre)
Anhinga in the Rain. Brooker Creek Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 6400, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec) (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 (05-February-2014) — Florida

Gone to See America. February 2014 Florida Road Trip. Day 5: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

I love visiting Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Lots and lots of birds as well as an alligator hiding in the swamp to view and photograph.

alt_title. (David J Mathre)
Alligator Taking a Mud Bath Along Biolab Road. Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. Image taken with a Nikon Df camera and 300 mm f/4 lens (ISO 100, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1250 sec). (David J Mathre)


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)