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Home/Dave's Favorites/Louisiana Photographer’s Journal
setting sun cypress trees over Louisiana lake

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.

bUY Dave’s landscape pRINTS

MAGIC HAPPENS AT LAKE MARTIN

sunset over Lake Martin, Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
orange sky and still lake water and view of cypress trees after sunset featured in Louisiana nature photography
sunset over Lake Martin, Louisiana
Lake Martin, Louisiana, at sunset
sun sets behind cypress trees at Lake Martin Louisiana nature photography
early morning fog with cypress trees and lily pads flowers at Lake Martin Nature photographer
blue and orange afterglow after sunset at Lake Verret nature photographer
sunset through cypress trees on Lake Verret Louisiana nature photographer
sunset over Lake Martin, Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
orange sky and still lake water and view of cypress trees after sunset featured in Louisiana nature photography
sunset over Lake Martin, Louisiana
Lake Martin, Louisiana, at sunset
sun sets behind cypress trees at Lake Martin Louisiana nature photography
early morning fog with cypress trees and lily pads flowers at Lake Martin Nature photographer
blue and orange afterglow after sunset at Lake Verret nature photographer
sunset through cypress trees on Lake Verret Louisiana nature photographer

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.

sunset in orange sky above lake with moss on cypress trees with exposed roots on shoreline
orange sky above lake as sunsets behind Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge with moss in foreground
sunset in orange sky above lake with moss on cypress trees with exposed roots on shoreline
distant sailboat and deep orange sky above Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge
sunset afterglow above Lake Pontchartrain with great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn high in dark sky
Great conjunction of December 2020 as seen from pier at Fountainbleau state park
closeup of half moon in black sky on night of 2020 Great Conjunction
large moss covered live oak tree backlit by morning sun starburst
large live oak tree and moss backlit by morning sun
large live oak tree and moss backlit by morning sun at Fountainbleau State Park Louisiana
sunset in orange sky above lake with moss on cypress trees with exposed roots on shoreline
orange sky above lake as sunsets behind Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge with moss in foreground
sunset in orange sky above lake with moss on cypress trees with exposed roots on shoreline
distant sailboat and deep orange sky above Lake Pontchartrain Causeway bridge
sunset afterglow above Lake Pontchartrain with great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn high in dark sky
Great conjunction of December 2020 as seen from pier at Fountainbleau state park
closeup of half moon in black sky on night of 2020 Great Conjunction
large moss covered live oak tree backlit by morning sun starburst
large live oak tree and moss backlit by morning sun
large live oak tree and moss backlit by morning sun at Fountainbleau State Park Louisiana

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.

bald eagle soaring over trees in a south Louisiana swamp featured in Louisiana nature photography
closeup of bald eagle on nest in moss draped tree in a south Louisiana swamp
lone eagle sits on highest branch of bare tree at sunset in a south Louisiana swamp
great blue heron stands near cypress tree trunk surrounded by water in a south Louisiana swamp featured in Louisiana nature photography
snowy egret stepping on tree trunk at edge of water in a south Louisiana swamp
great egret wading in shallow water with moss hanging from tree in a south Louisiana swamp
anhinga spreads its wings in treetop in a south Louisiana swamp featured in Louisiana nature photography
limpkin bird surrounded by apple snails near water in a south Louisiana swamp
Anhinga and Ibis share a treetop perch in a south Louisiana swamp featured in Louisiana nature photography
red tailed hawk sits on tree branch in a south Louisiana swamp
red bellied woodpecker on tree branch in Mandalay Wildlife Refuge in Houma Louisiana birds
eastern phoebe on twig in marsh full of louisiana birds Mandalay Wildlife Refuge in Houma Louisiana birds
Rosate Spoonbill and a White Ibis in Jefferson Island, Louisiana
a White Ibis feeds its young on a nest in the Jefferson Island Rookery
egret flying over swamp in Louisiana
hummingbird sits on nest in red maple tree in swamp
bald eagle soaring over trees in a south Louisiana swamp featured in Louisiana nature photography
closeup of bald eagle on nest in moss draped tree in a south Louisiana swamp
lone eagle sits on highest branch of bare tree at sunset in a south Louisiana swamp
great blue heron stands near cypress tree trunk surrounded by water in a south Louisiana swamp featured in Louisiana nature photography
snowy egret stepping on tree trunk at edge of water in a south Louisiana swamp
great egret wading in shallow water with moss hanging from tree in a south Louisiana swamp
anhinga spreads its wings in treetop in a south Louisiana swamp featured in Louisiana nature photography
limpkin bird surrounded by apple snails near water in a south Louisiana swamp
Anhinga and Ibis share a treetop perch in a south Louisiana swamp featured in Louisiana nature photography
red tailed hawk sits on tree branch in a south Louisiana swamp
red bellied woodpecker on tree branch in Mandalay Wildlife Refuge in Houma Louisiana birds
eastern phoebe on twig in marsh full of louisiana birds Mandalay Wildlife Refuge in Houma Louisiana birds
Rosate Spoonbill and a White Ibis in Jefferson Island, Louisiana
a White Ibis feeds its young on a nest in the Jefferson Island Rookery
egret flying over swamp in Louisiana
hummingbird sits on nest in red maple tree in swamp

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.

white water lily along nature trail in Big Branch Marsh featured in Louisiana nature photography
water lilies with reflection of blue sky Big Branch Marsh nature trail Louisiana
white water lily flower in along boardwalk nature trail Big Branch Marsh Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
Purple lily in morning light with tiny but under petal Big Branch Marsh Louisiana
purple iris in bloom in Big Branch Marsh Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
monarch buttery on thistle flower in Big Branch Marsh Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
large bee on flowering thistle on nature trail in Big Branch Marsh Louisiana
ant crawls up stem of small wildflowers at Big Branch Marsh Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
white flower on water lily along boardwalk in big branch marsh Louisiana
Monarch Butterfly on plant on nature walk in Big Branch Wildlife Refuge
shite wildflowers blooming along nature trail on Louisiana State Arboretum
whilte and yellow wildflowers blooming at Louisiana state Arboretum
wild pink azaleas blooming at Louisiana state Arboretum
orange and yellow flower on ground leaves at Louisiana state Arboretum
red blooms on green leaves at Louisiana state Arboretum
yellow flowers surround cypress tree trunks along nature trail at Louisiana state arboretum at Chicot State Park
close up of red wild iris in arboretum at Chicot State Park in Louisiana
cypress trunks in Louisiana
butterfly on flower in forest along Louisiana's wild Azalea trail
blooming pink wild azaleas along the trail in Louisiana's Kisatchie National Forest
two colorful butterflies cling to wild azalea flowers along the trail
white water lily along nature trail in Big Branch Marsh featured in Louisiana nature photography
water lilies with reflection of blue sky Big Branch Marsh nature trail Louisiana
white water lily flower in along boardwalk nature trail Big Branch Marsh Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
Purple lily in morning light with tiny but under petal Big Branch Marsh Louisiana
purple iris in bloom in Big Branch Marsh Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
monarch buttery on thistle flower in Big Branch Marsh Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
large bee on flowering thistle on nature trail in Big Branch Marsh Louisiana
ant crawls up stem of small wildflowers at Big Branch Marsh Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
white flower on water lily along boardwalk in big branch marsh Louisiana
Monarch Butterfly on plant on nature walk in Big Branch Wildlife Refuge
shite wildflowers blooming along nature trail on Louisiana State Arboretum
whilte and yellow wildflowers blooming at Louisiana state Arboretum
wild pink azaleas blooming at Louisiana state Arboretum
orange and yellow flower on ground leaves at Louisiana state Arboretum
red blooms on green leaves at Louisiana state Arboretum
yellow flowers surround cypress tree trunks along nature trail at Louisiana state arboretum at Chicot State Park
close up of red wild iris in arboretum at Chicot State Park in Louisiana
cypress trunks in Louisiana
butterfly on flower in forest along Louisiana's wild Azalea trail
blooming pink wild azaleas along the trail in Louisiana's Kisatchie National Forest
two colorful butterflies cling to wild azalea flowers along the trail

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.

Sunset over lake at Poverty Point Reservoir State Park featured in Louisiana nature photography
orange sky and still lake water and view of cypress trees after sunset featured in Louisiana nature photography
sunset at Louisiana State Park with calm lake orange sky and silhouette of man setting on bench
Sunset over Caney Lake with trees in the background in Jimmie Davis State Park featured in Louisiana nature photography
setting sun through cypress trees in Lake Bruin State Park Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
sunset afterglow through cypress trees at Lake D'Arbonne featured in Louisiana nature photography
sunset over still water of Lake Bruin State Park with cypress tree silhouette and reflection
sunset over Lake Pontchartrain with moss covered cypress trees on shoreline
Sunset over lake at Poverty Point Reservoir State Park featured in Louisiana nature photography
orange sky and still lake water and view of cypress trees after sunset featured in Louisiana nature photography
sunset at Louisiana State Park with calm lake orange sky and silhouette of man setting on bench
Sunset over Caney Lake with trees in the background in Jimmie Davis State Park featured in Louisiana nature photography
setting sun through cypress trees in Lake Bruin State Park Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography
sunset afterglow through cypress trees at Lake D'Arbonne featured in Louisiana nature photography
sunset over still water of Lake Bruin State Park with cypress tree silhouette and reflection
sunset over Lake Pontchartrain with moss covered cypress trees on shoreline

bUY Dave’s landscape pRINTS

Landscape Prints Available

sunset over Lake Martin, Louisiana featured in Louisiana nature photography

Louisiana Landscape Photography

    silhouette of pelican flying at sunset over water

    Gulf Coast Photography

      dawn colors of blue and orange reflection limestone formations at Mono Lake

      Western Sky Photography

        Written by:
        Dave McNamara
        Published on:
        July 30, 2021
        Thoughts:
        1 Comment

        Categories: Dave's Favorites, Landscape Photographs

        Reader Interactions

        Comments

        1. LiSa Ferguson

          August 6, 2021 at 7:20 am

          Stunning photos of beautiful Louisiana ❤️

          Reply

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