In 1994, The Wilderness Society and the Forestry Department invited me to photograph the seven wilderness areas of Florida. I was given seven days in which to achieve the project! I took it on as a challenge to see if I could do it. I had two pieces of film each day that I could shoot. This photograph is one of the locations I came upon in the Ocala National Forest.
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.
This foggy photograph of Big Talbot Island was taken in the summer. The temperature was in the 90s and the humidity was unbearable. I had a very difficult time focusing the camera because my glasses would fog up, then my lens would fog, then my ground focusing glass would fog and by the time I finished wiping one clear, another would fog up! I finally had to guess at the focus and just take the picture and hope it would work.
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.
Big Talbot Island, a state park located in the northeast corner of Florida near the Georgia border, reminds me of the California coast near Carmel — both rugged and windswept. The area provides an exciting subject for photography, thanks to the presence of barren trees and scattered driftwood. This foggy photograph of Big Talbot Island was taken on a steamy 90-degree day in summer. The humidity was unbearable. I had a tough time focusing the lens because my glasses would fog up, then my camera lens would fog, and then my ground focusing glass would fog, and by the time I finished wiping one clear, another would fog up! I finally had to guess at the focus and just take the picture and hope it would work.
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.
I was working with Elam Stoltzfus to create a film on the Apalachicola River to highlight the environment and the people of the Apalachicola River. I spent a year traveling back and forth exploring the river and its tributaries. It was a great adventure and the film was a wonderful success. During one of my trips to the river Elam, Niki, and I came across this small sweet little inlet to the river. There weren’t many photographs in the area, but this formation of lily pads floating in the water was graceful and inviting. I couldn’t resist taking a photograph.
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.
Big Cypress National Preserve was our home, so we are naturally very partial to its beauty. It seemed that no matter where I went in Big Cypress, photographic opportunities presented themselves. On this summer day, Niki and I were hiking out in the grassy plains. The beauty of the water, grass, and cypress trees all seemed to express the wonder of the ecosystem of South Florida. I couldn’t resist taking a photograph!
The Western Everglades
Here, in the Big Cypress National Preserve, the Western Everglades’ open waters are the lowest aspects of the topography. The cypress strand and domes lay six to twenty-four inches below the prairie. Tall emergent marsh plants like cattails, alligator flag, arrowhead leaf, and a variety of floating water lilies favor elevations between the prairie and the cypress strands that usually retain water for six months or better.
Big Cypress National Preserve 1 was taken with a Deardorff 8×10 camera on Tri-X 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/32 | 150mm Schneider Super-Symmar XL lens | 1/4 second | Orange filter
Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click
here.
I always enjoyed driving along Tamiami Trail (Highway 41) through Big Cypress National Preserve. One spot that caught my interest was a pond near the parking lot of Orchid Isles, an old orchid nursery along the side of the road. Despite passing by the pond on several occasions, I refrained from stopping due to the numerous “No Parking” signs scattered throughout the lot. However, the pull of that pond was too strong, and I eventually decided to stop and try to capture the picture. Upon pulling over at “Orchid Isles” to photograph the pond, a wild man emerged from the house, fired his gun into the air, and shouted at me to leave his property! Needless to say, I abandoned the idea of taking the photograph at that moment. Only many years later, after purchasing “Orchid Isles,” did I finally have the opportunity to capture this image. The pond I had longed to photograph all those years ago now sits in front of my gallery, and you all are welcome to stop by and photograph it!
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 2 was taken with a Deardorff 8×10 camera on Tri-X 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/32 | 150mm Schneider Super-Symmar XL lens | 1/4 second.
Disclaimer – Cropping, contrast, and image density may vary. To learn more about the darkroom printing process, click
here.
I was the Artist in Residence at Rocky Mountain National Park for two weeks. Despite the rangers’ apologies for the less-than-perfect weather, I felt truly fortunate. Each day, I was treated to the spectacle of rolling thunderheads passing over the mountains, providing me with dramatic skies and refreshing, pure mountain air. Out west, they have their mountains. We, in Florida, have our clouds. But here, I had the privilege of experiencing both. What more could I have wished for?
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.
While Artist in Residence at the Rocky Mountain National Park, I photographed many areas of the Park. The nature walk around Bear Lake is an easy beautiful walk with many photographic opportunities.
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.
Driving up Highway One along the coast of Oregon is very dramatic. It seems that at every turn in the road there is another wonderful photographic opportunity. Bandon Beach is one of my favorite stops along the coast. The beach is littered with monuments of rock that have been whittled away by the force of the ocean. It’s a joy to experience and fun to photograph.
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.
We were driving through the countryside when Niki suddenly yelled, “Stop!” Our driver pulled over while she explained to me that she had seen a really neat graveyard to photograph. I don’t do graveyards, but she insisted this one was unique because the wilderness and mountains surround it. We turned around and drove back to the graveyard. Frankly, I felt uncomfortable taking a photograph in this location, but she was correct in that it was a beautiful place to spend eternity!
This photograph is printed on a large format Epson printer using genuine Epson ink and archival Harman Hahnemuhle paper. Each photograph is digitally signed, then mounted and matted to current archival standards. This is a limited edition series and each photograph is numbered.
