Cypress swamps and Miami

[Marko Vrabec]

After receiving excellent advice (and perhaps a gentle push :-) from the forum's members I decided to give LF a try. I will stay in Miami from mid-January to mid-February and would like to photograph swamp cypresses. Cliché or not, what I have in mind are basically those tree trunks standing in water. The reason: at home I do research for a coal mine which formed 5 million years ago from such a swamp and would like to do pictures on a "what it was like" theme. I have purchased the "Exploring wild South Florida" guidebook so I basically know where to go for cypresses, but would much appreciate any tips on special locations which would allow for comfortable day-long access and work, possibly also in the "sweet" early and late hours. I presume one of the tourist boardwalks could be the best option to get close? I was otherwise promised canoe trips into the Everglades, but I expect LF won't be so practical for that (will take 35mm gear as well).

I'd also be grateful for any tips on where a budding LF photographer of landscape/nature persuasion could go in Miami for practice and not be harassed by the "commercial photography not allowed" crowd. I'll probably stay in Coral Gables and work in the Geodesy lab of the University, which is on Virginia Key. And is there a reputable lab in the area which would process 4x5 chromes?

[james mickelson]

Marko, when there try and make a trip to Clyde Butcher's gallery on the tamiami trail. Go to clydebutcher.com or do a search for it on the net. You will want to do much more with your LF gear once you've seen what he's done in Florida. He's very good at making swamps look fantastic in black and white.

[QT Luong]

I found interesting
cypress domes in Everglades National Park
near Pa-hay-okee. I made a few LF exposures, but many of these were
from 35mm, mostly because I just couldn't get the depth of field I needed
on my 5x7. Remember that in Everglades, to shoot cypress swamps, you are wading in knee-deep water, so at
the minimum you need to be able to work from a shoulder bag. The best
would have to drag a small inflatable boat to have a place to put your gear.
Same can be said of the neighboring Big Cypress National Preserve (where,
as implied by the name, there are larger trees).
At the Corkscrew swamp there is a long
boardwalk which gives you access to a stand of cypress that is
older than those in the Everglades.

[Brian Ellis]

This may be farther than you want to drive but just in case you get bored everywhere else you might check out Highland Hammock State Park near Sebring in the south central part of Florida. It has some very nice swamp cypress stands that can be photographed from boardwalks and others that you can wade into (bring knee or hip boots), plus other interesting Florida-type growth. I live in Florida and Highland Hammock is the best of the state parks that I've seen. Clyde Butcher used to, and maybe still does, hold a two day workshop there. Unfortunately you're coming to Florida during the driest part of the year so before you make a lengthy drive there it would be a good idea to call ahead and ask whether the "swamps" are swamps or mud pits. You can get park phone numbers, hours of operation, and find out a lot of other information about this and all other Florida state parks by going to www.FloridaStateParks.org. Good luck, I hope you enjoy your stay.

[Bill_1856]

I was over to Highlands Hammock State Park yesterday, and it was neigh perfect -- not too much water, nor too little. Also, virtually empty of people!