BIG CYPRESS GALLERY 14 © 2000

Big Cypress Gallery

I am often asked, while in my gallery, where is a good place in Big Cypress to photograph? When I reply, “My parking lot”, some folks are insulted, but then I just figure they don’t have their eyes open. This image is taken from the parking lot in front of our gallery. Beauty is everywhere, you just have to open your eyes. Bald Cypress The bald cypress of these endangered wetlands stands as a monument to endurance and fortitude. This lumber, prized in the mid-twentieth century for rot-resistant wood, was harvested by loggers who removed almost all of the old-growth bald cypress trees. With a loss of its protective canopy, swamp regions struggled to support the once-abundant variety of tropical ferns, orchids, and bromeliads. Under today’s protections of state and national preserves, the cypress giants are making a comeback. Their positive effect on the Everglades’ environment is evident by the returning wildlife and plants drawn to the refuge the trees offer. Big Cypress Gallery 14 was taken with a Deardorff 8×10 on T-Max 100 film. 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. Camera settings f/45 | 120mm Nikkor SW lens | orange filter | 1 second Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click here.