The Bald Cypress trees found in the Southern United States are some of the most ancient trees still alive, and that makes them pretty cool on their own. But what I love the most about these Cypress trees is the way that the Spanish Moss hangs down from their branches, creating a mystical and eery scene. Alright, if I'm honest, it's also the fact that these trees grow in the middle of a lake or along a bayou. Willie, David, Carolyn and I photographed these trees for several days, exploring several different lakes and bayous. Some of the trees were younger (and smaller) than others and each place gave these trees a different look. We came to this particular spot because it had some of the oldest and largest trees in the area. We spent a few hours during sunrise exploring these trees. While the trunks were bigger, they also had larger patches of Spanish moss hanging down. They also had a wider variety of colors: some of the green leaves were still visible, while other patches of leaves were starting to change colors. What caught my attention the most here, though, was the way that the Spanish moss hung down, almost touching the water! Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8: 100mm, f/8, 1/80 sec, ISO 800
The Bald Cypress trees of the southern United States attracted me because of their beautiful Spanish Moss hanging down from their branches ... and because they live in water. The additional piece that convinced us to go photograph them was that they exhibit autumn colors. We visited this particular lake because it was a little slower in its fall transition. There were still some green leaves, mixed in with the red and orange. This trichotomy of colors made for great photos! One of the things we hoped for during the trip was a misty bayou. The weather didn't cooperate until our last morning in the kayaks when we were treated to a bit of the mist we had hoped for! It certainly created a mystical mood. The thing that caught my eye here was the way that the Spanish Moss hung down here, as if it was creating a beard for the giant Cypress tree in front. Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8: 185mm, f/8, 1/200 sec, ISO 800
One of the coolest parts about visiting the swamps of the Southern US is that there can be a mist on the water. I've seen a number of photographs of the Bayou with misty scenes -- which certainly add to the mysterious mood of the Bald Cypress groves. David, Willie, Carolyn and I pranced around the swamps for several days, rented kayaks from different vendors and ate lots of fried food, but it wasn't until the last morning of photographing that we finally got the misty morning we were hoping for. The trees in this particular lake were bigger than the other trees we had spent the previous days photographing. These trees were much older. They were also a little more spread out, which both made it more difficult because we had to fight the "right" arrangement, and easier due to increased separation. When I came to this particular set of trees I couldn't help feel like they had been bridged together, with a fun creating swinging through the branches. Nikon D800 w/Nikkor 80-200mm f/2.8: 125mm, f/8, 1/160 sec, ISO 800
