Published by Naturescapes.net, February 2007

I built websites for years before nature photography ensnared me, so when it came time to build a site to show my photos I thought it would be a breeze. I applied every skill I had used building corporate intranet sites, and produced a site that was, well, blah. It had no life; it was sterile and it did not compliment my work.

A few designs and many clients later, I have found that to build an attractive, functional, and successful website to showcase your photography requires more than just technical knowledge of how to code a website. It requires planning, foresight, and a thorough understanding of the elements of design. As with photography, learning just the technical side of the craft and ignoring the art does not produce the best results.

Looking to build a site for the first time, or thinking of redesigning your site? These steps will help you plan and build a site that truly compliments your work. [Read More!]

Published in "New Floridian" Magazine - October 2006 Issue

The name “Green Swamp” seems to conjure up images of dark gator infested swamp land, hostile to all that enter. While parts of the region are certainly deep, dark swamp, the greater Green Swamp Basin is a vast region boosting an amazing array of habitats. Miles of trails provide visitors with the opportunity to explore one of the largest untamed areas in central Florida.
Covering over a half million acres, the Green Swamp Basin sits on a slight plateau straddling the four corners of Pasco, Polk, Sumter, and Lake counties, and is the state’s largest wetlands system after the Everglades. A vital source of water for much of Florida, it supplies the Florida Aquifer, the primary source of drinking water for many Floridians, and is the origin of the Peace, Ocklawaha, Kissimmee, Withlacoochee, and Hillsborough Rivers. Designated an “Area of Critical State Concern”, several portions of the region have been placed under protection by the State, including three tracts managed by the Southwestern Florida Water Management District (SWFMD). These lands are open to the public to enjoy hiking, biking, horseback riding, canoeing, and more in a diverse landscape rich with wild animals and lush plant life.
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Published in "New Floridian" Magazine - September 2006 Issue

Following the rainforest trail through a lush maze of tropical plants, we cross a bridge over a small stream and step into an explosion of color. A swirling cloud of butterflies surrounds us, dozens of shapes in a rainbow of hues. My 4 year old son is delighted when some of the butterflies gently land on him, the flowered Hawaiian shirt that he picked for this expedition seeming to work just as he planned. Here on this bridge, with the bubbling sounds of the water below, the sprays of orchids and other tropical flowers growing along the path, and the countless butterflies floating around us, it is easy to forget that we are not in a tropical rainforest. Instead we are in Gainesville at the University of Florida Natural History Museum’s “Butterfly Rainforest” exhibit.
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1. Know your equipment. When it comes time to take a picture the settings and operation should be instinctual. If you are fumbling with buttons and settings, you will miss the shot. Read your manual, twice, and practice, practice, practice!

2. Take Control. Especially with the newest generation of digital cameras coming out, the cameras try to do all the thinking for you. While they have become “smarter”, the best images are made when you take control of the settings. Know how to properly expose a shot, and when to override what your camera is telling you to do.

3. Know your subject. When working with wildlife there are certain behaviors that indicate what the animal is about to do. The better you know your subject, the more of these behavior cues you will pick up on. When you know what an animal is about to do, you can be prepared for the decisive moment to capture that behavior on film. Whether it is a person, place or animal, knowing your subject will help you make more natural and dynamic photos, capturing the true personality and life of your subject.

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Published in "New Floridian" Magazine - July - August 2006 Issue

Myakka River State Park is one of the oldest and largest of Florida’s parks. Covering over 37,000 acres, it is a vast expanse of land encompassing a wide variety of uniquely Floridian habitats. As its namesake and centerpiece, the twelve miles of the Myakka River that run through the park are a focal point for exploration and recreation. Designated the first Florida “Wild and Scenic River” this ribbon of water is the lifeblood of the region’s ecosystems. Fed only by rainwater, it is meandering and ever changing, its course altered frequently by storms and drought. Slow and shallow for most of the year, the river is no deeper than a few feet along much of its span, disappearing at points into sawgrass plains reminiscent of the Everglades “River of Grass”. Vastly different from the rivers of the north, it is complex, diverse and beautiful, and exactly what a Florida river should be.
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Published in "New Floridian" Magazine - June - July 2006 Issue

Tucked away along a stretch of the northern Hillsborough River in eastern Pasco County is a place dedicated to environmental education and protecting the last of the wild places in Florida, Crystal Springs Preserve. The namesake of the 525 acres forming the preserve is Crystal Springs, a magnitude 2 natural spring shed, and the largest of its kind this far south in the state. The clear, cool, turquoise waters of the springs flow into the Hillsborough River, and are an integral component of the watershed and ecosystems of the river. These springs have attracted people for generations; evidence indicates humans were active in this area as much as 10,000 years ago. Formerly a public swimming hole, the springs were closed to the public in the mid 1990’s, and today are part of a “living laboratory” which provides the opportunity for students of all ages to learn about the environment through “hands-on” learning experiences.
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Published in "New Floridian" Magazine - April-May 2006 Issue

Big Cat Rescue is a place you have to see to really believe. It seems quite improbable that there could be a 45 acre sanctuary full of exotic cats tucked away directly across the street from Citrus Park Mall in one of the fastest growing suburbs in Tampa. But it is there, and it is just one of the many contradictions that make Big Cat such an interesting place.

Big Cat Rescue is home to over 140 exotic cats that have been saved from private owners, road side zoos, and fur farms. From well known lions and tigers to seldom seen snow leopards, caracles, and servals, it is one of the largest private collections of exotic cats in the United States. The cats each have their own story, and have been given a chance to live their lives here in a natural setting with others of their kind.
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The Hillsborough River, as it winds its way through Tampa, has been tamed, hemmed in, even politicized. But when you head upstream, away from the concrete and retaining walls, you start to see its true character; a beautiful, lush, even primal river that is the lifeblood of a vast ecosystem. A chain of parks along this stretch of river east of I-75 give visitors a view of the river as nature intended it. And none more than Hillsborough River State Park capture all that is wild and beautiful about this river.
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Published on Photomigrations, September 2005.

As I was walking down a trail at one of our local state parks last year, I came across a gentleman lying on the ground. Worried that he was injured I ran over to him, noticing also the tripod and camera set up a few feet away. My initial concern was quickly replaced as I saw he was not hurt, but rather had his arm shoved down a gopher tortoise burrow, all the way up to his shoulder. I cleared my throat to get his attention, and asked if everything was okay. He replied, ”Yeah, this turtle just went down this hole, I want to see if I can pull him out to get a picture of him”. He figured he would just pull it out and set up in a good spot to get a few shots. Shocked into silence I did not know how to respond to him, this was someone who had a much different set of ethics than I did for dealing with wildlife, and also did not know a whole lot about gopher tortoises and their “roommates”. Taking a deep breath, I then asked him how much he knew about gopher tortoises. He gave me a funny look, arm still in hole, and said “Not much.” So I told him that the gopher tortoise burrow is shared by many other animals (one study found 360 different species used gopher tortoise burrows as shelter). Still getting the funny look, I then said one such animal that particularly favors it is the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and I saw a 6 foot one not 20 yards from this burrow two days ago”. I have rarely seen a human move this fast, but he was able to go from prone to standing 10 feet away from the hole in the blink of an eye. Then I had the dilemma of whether to tell him about the poison ivy patch he had landed in or not…

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Part 1: Sun, Sand, and Storms

Published on Photomigrations, June 2005.

At least once per week I hear someone comment about those “tame” Florida birds and how easy it is to shoot in Florida. Each year droves of photographers come to Florida, many unprepared for the conditions they will encounter here.

For all of the beauty and abundant wildlife, Florida can be a difficult, and at times dangerous, place to be a photographer. There are certainly many places where you never have to leave a boardwalk or the comfort of your car to take a picture. However, for those willing to venture into the real Florida, there are some precautions that should be taken. The climate and critters of the “Sunshine State” can imperil both the photographer and his or her equipment if they are not properly prepared

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Fred Howard is a 155 acre county park directly west of Tarpon Springs, FL, lying on the Gulf of Mexico. It is a popular spot, attractive to sunbathers, fisherman, or anyone who loves nature.

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Published on Photomigrations, December 2004.



For an avian photographer, Ft. De Soto is one of those places that borders on the magical. It is one of the top birding spots in Florida, possibly the East Coast. Tourists flock here for the beaches, rated #2 in the nation, but photographers and birders flock here for the population of birds. De Soto is a photographer's playground, with an ever changing selection of subjects including birds, reptiles, small mammals, butterflies and other insects. It is also probably one of the best places on Florida's west coast for beach landscape photography and there are numerous areas where wildflowers can be found. You will often find professional photographers here, many conducting workshops on the weekends, herding their wide eyed students through the dunes and mudflats of North Beach. There have been many articles written on De Soto, so it is hard to add anything to the amount of information already out there. That is, until the series of hurricanes that pummeled Florida this year. Ft. De Soto is now a different place than it was. The birds are still there, but the storms have reworked the topography of Ft. De Soto, changing the "when" and "where" of shooting this gem. For someone who shoots there often, stepping out on to the beach for the first time after Hurricane Frances, and then again after Hurricane Jeanne, was simply shocking. It felt like a different park, and required relearning the rhythm of De Soto.

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