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.
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.
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 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
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.
enjoy this peaceful nature minute
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.
Finding the cypress giants of Lake Fausse pointe
Lake Fausse Pointe, Louisiana
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