Walking Through Brooker Creek Preserve Wetlands

The experience of an early morning walk along the boardwalk through the Brooker Creek Preserve wetland varies by the season. In late November, the pond cypress needles thin out, leaving the forested canopy open to the sky and natural light. A very wet summer, followed by a wet autumn kept the water levels higher, though they recede a bit each day now.

Photographing the landscape scene along the boardwalk always proves a challenge. Unlike the soaring mountains of the western states, or the rounding hills of the eastern states, Florida stretches out flat with numerous shades and intensities of green. After a recent course in art history, I find myself looking for the natural lines in each subject, where they originate and lead, and if they work for the image I want to make. I shot several scenes with that in mind, and the light worked with me. Reviewing my work later, I found several shots that worked, and one that captured the image exactly.

The slightly clearer line of water starts directly in front, and weaves back and out of the photograph guiding the eye along the banks. The trees along the edge are just barely reflected in the green covered water.

This scene makes the viewer wonder what remote part of the world is pictured here. That this beauty exists in the most densely populated county in Florida is amazing.