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Cypress Photography

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A kayak or canoe is an essential tool for doing photography of Louisiana’s beautiful moss-covered cypress trees. That’s because getting to many of these magnificent trees and getting the best angle usually involves crossing a bayou, lake or swamp.

moss covered cypress trees backlit by golden sun in lake photography
Early morning sun lights up the moss-covered cypress trees in Lake Fausse Pointe, LA.

sunrises and sunsets at lake fausse pointe

An autumn cold front had just swept through south Louisiana when I arrived at Lake Fausse Pointe State Park near the Cajun town of St. Martinville in late November. I planned three days of paddling, heading out onto the lake at daybreak and then returning in late afternoon for sunset, to do some photography. These six excursions would take me into an expansive stand of old-growth cypress trees, some of which have been around for at least one-thousand years. It is rare to find such a large stand of trees that survived the widespread timber operations of the late 18th and early 19th centuries.

pre dawn photo of thick moss hanging above trunks of cypress trees
A light fog surrounds the heavy moss on giant cypress trees.

doing cypres tree photography in a kayak

The kayak was a 12-foot-long hybrid that was similar in design to a canoe. It had an adjustable chair with footrests and plenty of storage for my camera bag and a few supplies for spending several hours on the lake. I drove ten miles south of the state park along a smooth gravel road to reach an area with wide open access to Lake Fausse Pointe. It was easy to park on the side of the road and slide the kayak into the water. After I launched, it was a quick five-minute paddle to reach the large cypress trees near the northern shoreline of the lake. The big trees stand in the water. They extend out a hundred yards or more from land and follow the shoreline for a few miles. My thoughts turn to photography as I quietly drift between trees and large cypress knees.

a light fog above the water and backlit moss covered cypress trees
The morning sun lights up a light fog on a chilly morning at Lake Fausse Pointe

a perfect morning for cypress tree photography

The temperature had dropped into the upper thirties at daybreak, and that created a light fog that drifted above the water and swirled around the large tree trunks. The scene was magical as the early morning sun backlit the fog and huge clumps of Spanish moss.

my photography journey through the cypress

Watch this Heart of Louisiana TV story about my photographic journey through the cypress.

close encounter with a great blue heron

The great blue heron, one of the common large, beautiful wading birds of the swamp, is usually very skittish around humans. They typically fly away when a person gets near them, squawking their displeasure as they find a new place to rest and look for small fish to eat. I was surprised when I noticed one of the herons a short distance away, standing on a branch in the lake. A gentle breeze slowly pushed my kayak and me toward the bird. Moving slowly, I picked up my camera and began snapping pictures. I was within eight feet of the heron before it got uncomfortable with me and flew away.

great blue heron stands on branch in water under moss covered trees
A great blue heron before dawn in Lake Fausse Pointe

enjoy this peaceful nature minute

Watch this 60 second trip through the cypress trees of Lake Fausse Pointe

photography among cypress giants at lake fausse pointe

see more louisiana images

More of my favorite Louisiana images can be found here. You can view more swamp landscapes, cypress trees, a Louisiana supermoon and the milky way. Click here.

sunset over Lake Martin, Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
One of my favorite Louisiana photographs from Lake Martin.

Finding the cypress giants of Lake Fausse pointe

The post Cypress Photography appeared first on The Heart of Louisiana.


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