August 25th 2009
I doubt there is ever a time I am disappointed when visiting Carillon Parkway. The mile around boardwalk wraps the outer edge of Carillon Lake and is highly inhabited with some awesome shots for any kind of photographer. If you visit here and come away with nothing to photograph then something is really wrong. It is an awesome place to capture wildlife images and enjoy the Florida outdoors even if surrounded by a couple of tall buildings. The park is wonderful for a stroll at any time of day and is beautifully landscaped. PLEASE remember to NOT feed the wildlife. Especially the gators. They will become aggressive and are then captured and disposed off. If people would just obey the signs.
I love shooting in the early morning light, and it happens to be when wildlife is most active. You know the old saying, "The Early Bird gets the Worm." And most of my best shots are done early in the waking hours. Its a delight to witness nature as she wakes and begins working in the world.
The light is just right for the perfect shots and the feeling of being surrounded by tall blades of grass on one side and a small lake full of life on the other is an incredible way to begin the morning.
I usually take the D40 attached to the 55-200 with me as I have found anything bigger to be cumbersome. This setup works just fine.
This morning I think one of my favorite shots was the one taken below as I watched this little Tricolored Heron dive continuously off the platform into the water trying to get enough for breakfast. If you look behind his feet you can see the tracks he made across the water as he skims out a couple of feet and then he returns. I caught this one just at the right time with both feet and head submerged in the water.
Not a photo good enough for a one time image, simply because of the background but one certainly good enough to share.
Below the image you will also find a map to the park, look for me there and say hello!
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