Mystic Morning in Myakka, Florida, BW
by Liesl Walsh
Title
Mystic Morning in Myakka, Florida, BW
Artist
Liesl Walsh
Medium
Photograph - Digital Photograph
Description
I just love live oak trees! I have been trying to capture the perfect photo of a live oak tree reflecting over a pond, and after coming to this area of Florida many times for years I finally captured it! Everything has to come together for this type of photo: the soft morning light, the fog, the time of year later in the summer rainy season, the ferns being green after a fresh rain, and enough flooding of the nearby river to create a pond around the trees. Too many times I had been here in the dry season when everything was brown and no water, or the light was too harsh later in the morning.
My husband and I got up really early that morning and drove out into the foggy Florida countryside when it was still dark. As the sun rose above the horizon the mist hung over open fields and sparkled on the cobwebs along tree branches and fence posts. We had a huge storm the night before, and we were curious how much the Myakka River flooded. Usually this time of year it overflows into huge fields and into the road. Would the road be closed? Our favorite area to drive was on the other side near Myakka River State Park. As we got closer we saw the river level had grown quite high, covering branches that stretched over the river, but not high enough to cover the road. It flowed very fast, and very close to the top of the bridge. So we pressed on!
On our way we saw thousands of water birds, mostly ibis, wading in flooded fields. We saw a deer jumping through a citrus grove, and cattle grazing. We smelled the damp swampy air.
That morning was my very first time seeing these trees in dense fog. The light and mood was amazing!! And it was right after a huge storm, so the Myakka River flooded the area surrounding the trees creating beautiful reflections in the calm water! I got the best photos of live oak trees that morning!
This is Myakka City, a rural area east of Bradenton, Florida that has some of the most beautiful countryside I have seen in Florida. It is one of the most scenic areas of Manatee County. Thousands of acres of open space are filled with cattle ranches and farms. Many areas of have live oak trees with Spanish moss hanging down creating that Old Florida look that people love so much.
The ferns growing on the large live oak branches are resurrection ferns. During the dry season they are brown, but after a big rain they "resurrect" quickly overnight to a beautiful green.
This image is available in both color and black and white.
Featured in the following FAA Groups:
A Tree or Trees in Black and White 9-23-2022
Your Story of Art 9-23-2022
Black and White Photography 10-23-2022
Showcasing the South 10-23-2022
Uploaded
September 23rd, 2022
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Comments (8)
Judy Vincent 6 Days Ago
Gorgeous capture! Congratulations! This will be the “Nature and Landscapes in Black and White” photo of the day on the USA Photographers group home page for 4/21/24!
Nikolyn McDonald
Beautiful black and white. And I absolutely love the way the curving branches frame the scene and then are repeated again and again as we go farther in.
Kathi Isserman
It is my pleasure to inform you that your AWESOME photo is FEATURED on the HOMEPAGE OF "SHOWCASING THE SOUTH GROUP"! L Please add the photo to the 2022 “FEATURED IMAGE ARCHIVE THREAD.” Thank you for participating in the group.
Calvin Boyer
In addition to the banner, I am adding this more permanent recognition of its FEATURE on the homepage of A TREE OR TREES IN BLACK AND WHITE. I try mightily to feature only images that would be at home in a juried competition. No doubt that this image fits that bill. CONGRATULATIONS! And consider adding your image to DISCUSSIONS "Please post your featured photograph here" for greater, long-lasting visibility.
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