Lake Okeechobee, FL, USA

Aperture

Shutter

ISO

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This tree had to be photographed from a creek with alligators and water moccasins. It was my first time in a situation like this. I was alone at the time, wondering what lay in wait beneath me.

The day before, I had met a woman coming out of the creek and asking whether there were gators there. She said yes; she had seen one that morning.

I moved around a bit, praying that I could get a good shot and that any precarious interference would wait until I left because it was such an exquisite morning.

As the sun began to rise, the crickets and the birds began their morning rituals. Other than that, the quietude was magnificent. I held my tripod steady so that if I moved even a bit, the motion in the water would not disturb my image.

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Debbie

I think of my camera as a tool for seeing the extraordinary in everyday things, and for evoking nature’s inner essence. It has taught me to make the most of each moment and to experience the world with a sense of honor and patience. Often, this happens before dawn, here where I live in south Florida. When I venture out in the early morning, it is not unusual for me to see alligator’s eyes twinkling in the darkness, or to encounter a snake slithering across my path. I can hear the frogs croaking, the dragonflies skimming across the swamp, and the birds waking one another with their tentative chirps. This is the chorus that prepares me for the moment the light announces the sun’s arrival. Once I study the movement of light and shadow, I look for symbols in nearby objects. To me, the gift of an artist’s life is the mission to live in search of that fundamental essence present in even the most familiar places.

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