Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Essence Gator

I probably oversold this gator photo yesterday with my "favorite gator shot" tease.

I have posted more dramatic gator shots, closer gator shots, and more gatorattitude shots in the past, but this one just speaks to me.

Maybe it's the fact that it was a gift ... I was driving out of the swamp at a fair clip, with a few hours of photography behind me ... my brain was already going over a grocery list ... I was done.

And then, there he was perched like a parrot.

I slid to a stop and backed up, knowing he would slip into the water just as I got opposite of him, but he didn't!

I shot from the JEEP window as clouds blew by changing the light conditions about every 8 seconds ... sunny, shady, sunny, shady, ad infinitum.


I think it's my favorite for it's essence, not it's technical quality.
In fact, it's just a little soft when enlarged.

I don't care... much.



The reflective dark water, the cypress knees, the buttressed cypress trunk ... and of course the perching gator combine in a way that is just right ... to me.



Florida has too many diverse habitats for any one picture to accurately capture her essence, but for me, this gator on his logfty (heehee) perch does a sweet job of representing the freshwater side of Pure Florida.


I know, I know ... it would have been more representative if he was munching a roseatte spoonbill as a 5 foot long sturgeon jumped next to a surfacing manatee ... I know ... but we take what we can get.




And here is what happens when you push your luck and try for some video, but forget that you left the keys in the JEEP ignition as you try to quietly slip out for a close up ...

12 comments:

cinbad122 said...

Well...at least you got some action! Oh, and are you sure you weren't just bleaping out your cuss words??? LOL

Dani said...

WOW! Such peaceful beauty. Great pics FC!!

Sayre said...

Love the pictures - and that little video at the end serves as a good lesson to the uninitiated as to just how fast these big guys can move!

Anonymous said...

You're right! This is just about perfect. I'm appreciating it also from a tonal standpoint, and for the thought that this is precisely how a museum of natural history would display this creature.

robin andrea said...

I am so surprised by how much that gator's coloring blends perfectly with the tree he's lounging on. It's a great shot, fc, definitely worth waiting for.

Cool video too, and like Sayre said, shows just how fast that guy can move. Wow!

Sandcastle Momma said...

He looks as ancient as the tree he's resting on. Beautiful!

SophieMae said...

I don't think you oversold it one bit. It's AbFab!

Anonymous said...

Looking at his smile in the last photo, I have a feeling he's thinking you'd look good between two slices of bread.

Ericka said...

very cool! and i agree with wren - he definitely looks like he's contemplating a cracker snack.

Bill said...

FC,
You are the man!

Go Gators!

Billy

PS, my brother Steve should be trying to order some datil seeds from you. Hope you have some to spare.

Dani said...

My little datils have just come up. Woohoo! Thank you again for making these available to us all.

Have a great weekend.

R.Powers said...

Cindy,
I have my own theme music and bleeper.

Dani,
Thanks! And great news about your datils!!!

Sayre,
They are quick and sharp!


Gville365,
It DOES look like a display!


Robin,
This 6-7 foot size is the quickest!

Sand,
I think he's beautiful too.


Sophie,
Thanks! I was afraid I had exagerrated in a hyperboleaic way!

Wren,
If it moves it's food ... the gator motto.


Ericka,
I'm sure he was.

Billy,
Thanks!
Yes, I still have datil seeds!