LOXAHATCHEE WILDLIFE REFUGE 1 © 1999

Boynton Beach, FL

The fight to save the Everglades began at the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge. And because of this, the wildlife rangers offered to take me out into the refuge to photograph. The airboat took us across a beautiful, wide-open area of shallow, clean water to an area I wanted to photograph. I knew the highest elevation would be the best vantage point, so I climbed to the airboat’s platform. The park rangers jumped into the water and held the boat steady as I tried to keep the camera still during the one-second exposure. Growth of Tree Hammocks An image iconic of the Everglades system, the grassy marsh filled with water lilies and slow-flowing water embodies the moniker “River of Grass.” In the distance, a small tree island takes hold as a combination of animal behaviors contribute to the landscape. The buildup of soil from nesting alligators and denning muskrats allow woody species to gain a foothold, and as birds roost or rest in these trees, the enrichment from their droppings perpetuate the growth of these tree hammocks. Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge was taken with a Deardorff 8×10 camera 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 | 90mm Schneider Super-Angulon XL lens | orange filter | 1 second. Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click here.