LOXAHATCHEE RIVER 1 © 1991

Jonathan Dickinson State Park

The Loxahatchee River is one of only two of Florida’s designated wild and scenic rivers. When the Water Management District of Florida asked me to photograph it for the 10th Anniversary of the Save Our Rivers Program, I was excited for the opportunity. It took me three years of photographing the river before I felt like I had captured the essence of the Loxahatchee. A turning point happened when, one day, I made the decision to step out of my canoe and walk down the river instead of paddling. In harmonious connection with the river, photographic opportunities revealed themselves everywhere I looked. It was a wonderful and exhilarating day. Among the images I captured, The Water Management District selected Loxahatchee River 1 for their poster celebrating the Save Our Rivers program. I took this photograph while my tripod and I were stuck deep in the mud. Because it was a six-minute exposure, I had to stand very still; any movement, no matter how slight, would cause the tripod to shift, and the image would have blurred. This photograph is hand-printed in Clyde’s darkroom on fiber-based paper, selenium toned, then mounted and matted to current archival standards. The photograph is a limited edition and signed by Clyde. Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click here.