​Roan was picked up stray by an animal control officer in Georgia on March 12, 2019. But this was no typical stray dog call. She and her sister's sad story became a bit of a social stir that lead to a happy ending.

It started when a 911 caller reported that their neighbors had moved out and left two dogs behind. Being a weekend, a police officer responded, secured the house, and another neighbor said he would take care of the dogs. By Monday morning, a sad photo of Roan and her sister laying abandoned on discarded couch cushions in the driveway circulated social media and re-opened the investigation. Unfortunately, there were no witnesses willing to testify against the dog owners and criminal charges weren’t filed.

The person who took Roan from the scene eventually surrendered her to the shelter. Then the second chapter started. It is always difficult to get pitbulls rehomed. But the social media stir brought forth community support and several sponsors pledging donations for Roan’s rescue. It took nearly two weeks, but she was rescued by Valdosta Humane Society on March 26, 2019! She was sponsored by pledged donations to the rescue from Rebecca, Becky, Anne and Dana. ​

​Daisy  was surrendered to animal control on March 20, 2019 when her owner passed away. She was rescued by Atlanta Lab Rescue on March 26, 2019!

Mister was surrendered to the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Georgia on March 18, 2019. He was a bit of a timid and submissive soul, not too fond of the camera. However, a squeaky toy encouraged him to perk up those beautiful ears for a few photos. He was rescued by Safe Haven Furever on March 22, 2019. Becky, Jason and Anne sponsored donations to the rescue that saved him. 

"Fawn" was impounded by an animal control officer on March 12, 2019. She was rescued by the Valdosta Humane Society on March 26, 2019!

​Sassy was surrendered to the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Georgia on March 18, 2019. She was rescued by Pup & Cat Co. Rescue on March 22, 2019! She was sponsored by pledged donations to the rescue from Andrea, Cindy and Anne.

A few years back, I answered a request from a creation ministry for a photograph of a clover. You would have thought they wanted a photo of a four-leaf clover, the symbol of good luck often seen around Saint Patrick’s Day. But thankfully they wanted a plain, three-leaf clover, or I would have been down on hands and knees searching all over the lawn! I didn’t have a clover shot in my portfolio, but grabbed my macro lens, headed out the back door of my office and fired off a few!

It was only after the publication of the final article that I learned more about Saint Patrick and about the significance of the three-leaf clover in Irish Christian history. I previously didn’t realize that Patrick wasn’t an Irishman, but a British evangelist to the nation of Ireland.

As a young man, Patrick was taken to Ireland as a slave around 400 AD. After escaping slavery and leaving the country, he later had a dream of the people of Ireland calling him back to preach the Gospel to them. He used the three-leaf clover to teach the Irish the truth about the Holy Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The people of Ireland turned from their pagan ways and Patrick later became the patron saint and national apostle of Ireland. 

My photo looked great in their article. Glad I could help another ministry serve God through my talent! See the article here: https://creationtoday.org/ireland-isle-of-my-birth 

​“Bella” was an Olde English Bulldog mix that was surrendered to the animal shelter by her owner on March 18, 2019. She was very popular very quickly and was rescued by FurKids Rescue on March 20, 2019. She was sponsored by pledged donations to the rescue from Jason and Anne. 

“Hendrix” was a cute kitty that came into the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Georgia on March 18, 2019. His first photos were pitiful. He was huddled in the corner of his stainless steel cage and a shivering, nervous wreck. That just would not do!

As I was passing by on my way to photograph dogs, one of the animal caretakers was cleaning the cat cages and Hendrix had climbed up on a tall “cat tree” in the kitten room. He was much happier and more secure feeling up there on his high perch. This kitty condo made a great spot to photograph this handsome kitten.
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Just one day after posting his new photos, Hendrix was rescued from the shelter by Altered Feral State Rescue on March 20, 2019! 

​Bruno was turned in as a stray to the Walton County Animal Control shelter in Georgia on March 9, 2019. He was rescued by Second Chance Habitat Rescue on March 20, 2019!  His rescue was sponsored by pledged donations to the rescue from Becky, Valerie, Anne and Jason. 

Guinness was picked up stray by an animal control officer in Georgia on March 11, 2019. He was photographed on March 12 and finally adopted into new home on March 20, 2019!

Adventurers to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in the southeastern United States can apply for permits to overnight at several locations such as Mixon's Hammock, Floyd's Island, and Canal Run. But even if opting to return to a base camp at the Stephen C Foster State Park campground each evening, there are still plenty of canoe trails to fill each day with adventure. There are several options once you hit the water: 

Billy’s Lake
If you are just looking for a morning or afternoon of cruising the open waters for birding and spotting gators, you can spend several hours and never need get more than 4 miles from “home”. As soon as you paddle up the channel from Stephen C Foster State Park’s boat launch you come upon Billy’s Lake. This is one of the largest lakes in the Okefenokee and is about 3.5 miles long.

The lake is lined with lily pads, floating beds of peat and hummocks, and burned or fallen logs often topped with basking alligators of all ages and lengths. The shores of Billy’s Lake are also lined with the towering and grand Bald Cypress tree (Taxodium distichum) decorated with Spanish Moss swaying in the breeze. As comorants and herons perch overhead or dive below, there is no end to the photographic opportunities.

If you go out in the morning, turn right out of the Stephen C Foster channel and paddle hard and fast to the east. After a few miles, turn your canoe around and slowly cruise westward along the lake’s shore with the sun over your shoulder. If going out in the evening, do the exact opposite. Facing the wrong direction produces a blinding glare; facing the correct direction with the sun over your shoulder is golden photography!
Explore Billy’s Lake at sunrise and sunset, but when the harsh mid-day light is overhead, head up the shadowed narrow trails of the Okefenokee…

The Red Trail
Getting off Billy’s Lake and up the middle fork of the Suwannee River (the red trail) gives you a real taste of “swamp”. Here the canoe trail narrows, the Spanish Moss laden Cypress Trees block the sky overhead and the brush closes in on the sides. Your trek twists and turns about the textured cypress knees and other organic debris along the path. Red-shouldered Hawks scream unseen overhead and Wood Ducks squeal as they take off at your approach. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot a pod of baby alligators in one of these more secluded spots!

Even with a trolling motor going most of the day, we never reached the northern end of the day-use trail! There is plenty of waterway to fill the day without applying for an overnight permit. As you travel northward, the trail opens up to other lakes and prairies. Minnie’s Lake always hosts a large gathering of gargantuan gators.
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We paddle the first several hours of the day northward to Big Water lake. There we each lunch, photograph the gators and Little Blue Herons, and then head back south for “home” at Stephen C Foster State Park. ​

​Eastward to Billy’s Island
Typically on our first or last day, when we only have a few hours, we travel east on Billy’s Lake to Billy’s Island. There is a boat dock there and you can get out and explore. We haven’t ventured far on the island, but friends have found Easton Diamondbacks, baby gators and other things. It is a good place to get out of the canoe, stretch your legs and do a little birding. 

Westward toward “The Sill”
On one of our trips we paddled west from Billy’s Lake and into the River Narrows. As the name implies, this was some tricky canoe navigation! But passing through the narrows, we came out onto a beautiful prairie. You can see evidences of the old logging days, including burned out stumps and the posts of an abandoned railroad track.

Paddling “The Sill” wasn’t as attractive as other areas of the swamp. Being a man-made canal, it is wide, flat and straight without much scenery surrounding it. However, further up the canal we did find some of the biggest alligators we have seen on our trips. Unless we have several days to explore, I don’t plan another trip up The Sill. If your time is limited, paddling up the red trail to Minnie’s Lake and Big Water are the way to go!

Again, I’m no Okefenokee expert, so I’d love to hear what others have to say; especially those of you who have overnighted in the swamp! 

The Okefenokee Swamp is a gorgeous National Wildlife Refuge in the southeastern United States. The majority of its 438,000 acres lies within the state of Georgia. This refuge is a nature photographer’s delight. I'm not an Okefenokee expert, but I have visited the swamp four times and have developed a good system that worked for me. I want to share these experiences to help others maximize a delightful photo adventure. ​

I suppose you can do the Okefenokee anytime of the year, but our trips have always been in March during my daughter’s spring break. I haven’t been there at other times (other than one day trip in January), but I know about South Georgia summers and think spring might offer a more comfortable atmosphere. The cooler late winter/early spring temperatures mean several things.

One of the best things about a March visit is fewer insects! There is nothing that can put a damper on things like flies that can bite through clothes, seemingly repellent-resistant mosquitoes, and relentless gnats that always congregate near your nostrils and eyes. On our last visit in March, I only had to put on repellent in the evenings at the campground. There was little need during the day while out on the swamp.

Late winter/early spring also means cool water and cool nights. Why is that good for photography? Well, as the sun climbs, the daytime temperatures begin to hit the 80’s. Those cold-blooded alligators are more than anxious to climb out of the cool water and bask in the golden rays. If you hit the lighting right, there are ample opportunities to shoot all sizes of gators laying about on the peat mats, lily pads and fallen Cypress stumps. And spring temperatures are much nicer that baking in an open canoe in August in Georgia!
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I don’t know when Stephen C Foster State Park’s peak season may be, but we’ve always enjoyed fewer folks and plenty of open campground spots during our March visits; especially if your stay is mid-week. Again, I haven’t stayed at Stephen C Foster in any other month, but March really has worked well for us. Perhaps others can chime in about their favorite times to Okefenokee by leaving a comment below. ​

The Okefenokee Swamp is a gigantic and gorgeous National Wildlife Refuge in the southeastern United States. The majority of its 438,000 acres lies within the state of Georgia, but a portion stretches southward into Florida. This refuge is a nature and wildlife photographer’s delight, being full of the natural beauties of fauna and flora. I have visited the swamp four times and have developed a good system to maximize a delightful photo adventure. 

​There are a few entrances and boat launches within the Okefenokee, but I have always used the Stephen C Foster State Park as my base of operations while paddling the swamp. Normally I prefer backcountry and wilderness treks, but if photography is your main goal, there is an advantage to “taking it easy” and staying in a campground.

One of the main advantages is electricity! Camera batteries die. And it seems that the newer the camera, the more quickly they die. Why? Bluetooth connections, brighter LED screens, better metering and autofocus systems… all these place a drain on the batteries. On an extended trip, your canoe might sink due to all the extra batteries you’d have to bring along! But each of the Stephen C Foster State Park’s 66 campsites have an electrical outlet. There is no need to drag along a generator or tax your vehicle’s battery when power is needed.
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Returning to camp each evening, those tired cells of lithium life can be refueled! I always bring a fifty-foot extension cord and a multi-outlet surge protector. We run that cord from the RV electrical hookup right into our tent. Not only are the camera batteries recharged, but so is the cell phone. I also bring along my laptop so I can stay ahead of the workflow game and begin downloading and culling each day’s photos before even getting home. 

​I fully understand that the entire point of camping is to “rough it”. And while I still love the primitive, wilderness camping adventures, I must admit that not only does staying in the Stephen C Foster campground help recharge my camera batteries each night, but sleeping on a cot in my comfortable tent also helps revive my aging body with a better night’s sleep!
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The Stephen C Foster campground also has several “comfort stations” with clean showers, restrooms and washer/dryer within each campground loop. You’ll be ready and fresh each morning for a full day’s photography of the gorgeous Okefenokee Swamp! And if you really want comfort, there are nice cabins at the park as well.

While staying at Stephen C Foster State Park, I’ve never had an issue with my campground being plundered while gone all day paddling the swamp. Yes, there is an unwritten code of ethics and a sense of community amongst like-minded campers, but having a campground host ever present and regular patrols from certified law enforcement park rangers helps too!
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The sole entrance to the park is also gated and closed each evening. While I don’t want to temp anyone by leaving expensive camping or camera gear lying around, I have never returned to camp at night to find my propane stove or folding chairs missing. 

Come back for more Okefenokee Swamp How-To  Photographer's Guides! 

Excerpt from E.A. McIlhenny's 1935 book, The Alligator's Life History:

​Excerpt from Francis Harper's Mammals of the Okefinokee Swamp, published March 1927: