Louisiana Photographer’s Journal

One of my favorite Louisiana nature photography moments happened by accident. After an evening kayak trip on Lake Martin, I was picking up my camera gear when I noticed the orange glow peaking through the trees. I knew I didn’t have a second to spare as I quickly unpacked, grabbed my tripod and hurried to a clearing near the shoreline. It was magical!

These moments of natural beauty are a gift. You never know if a sunset will explode with brilliant colors across the sky. Or will you be lucky enough to spot a bald eagle, a great blue heron or an alligator? And will I have a clear view of a dark, cloudless sky to see the stars and milky way? I’ve been fortunate to have experienced many such gifts and I keep looking for more.

MAGIC HAPPENS AT LAKE MARTIN

Lake Pontchartrain sunsets, Great Conjunction & fountainbleau Oaks

Fountainbleau State Park is one of the most visited parks in Louisiana. It’s only a 40 minute drive from New Orleans across Lake Pontchartrain. And you will find wildlife throughout the park, along an elevated boardwalk through the marsh and hiking trails through the woods. And Fountainbleau has a perfect place to watch and photograph a beautiful sunset on the edge of the lake.

nature photography of louisiana Bald eagles to hummingbirds

Visit any Louisiana swamp or bayou and you are likely to see a variety of birds. During the winter months, hundreds of bald eagles are on their nests and hatching their young in Terrebonne and St. Mary Parishes. I have taken several photography tours through the swamps with Captain Billy Gaston of Cajun Man Swamp Tours in Gibson, Louisiana. We saw a lot more than just eagles. And during the summer, a hummingbird made it’s very hard-to-see nest near the Elevated Wetlands Boardwalk in Lockport, Louisiana.

Louisiana wildflowers in bloom

Louisiana’s forests, swamps and waterways are loaded with wildflowers, many of them blooming in the spring. I’ve enjoyed my springtime visits to the Louisiana State Arboretum at Chicot State Park near Ville Platte. Another favorite is a nature trail and boardwalk near Lacombe, Louisiana, in the Big Branch Wildlife Refuge. And don’t pass up any opportunity to get out on the water of Lake Martin near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana.

Louisiana State Park Sunsets

Whenever I visit one of our Louisiana State Parks, and I have been to all of them, I do a quick scouting trip to find a good spot to watch, photograph and enjoy the sunset. The state has some beautiful parks with great vantage points for the setting sun.