Shots like this remind me just how much these old platforms are used. I’ve seen a few new ones around, but most are getting a little old and worn.
The reflection here is going to be harder to shot soon as all the brown and green water plants are going into the final bloom of the year.
This one was surprisingly clean of ‘stuff’.
This one swam from behind a Cypree Tree and I thought it made for a good foreground item. This was actually the first shot. My plan was to get a better angle with the tree trunk.
Didn’t work out that way. He slipped underwater as only an Alligator can. Vanished straight down, no ripple. And of course no new angle shot.
This was all I managed.
I had set this aside for a different article but totally forgot it.
The reflection, and color of the water, was strange that afternoon. So of course I took the shot.
This is a great example of how even a good sized Alligator is hard to see. He was probably 5 feet (1.5 m) in length, an educated guess since was under water. Also he was almost on the bank, you can see the leaves that fell off the trees.
I like this shot because his eye is crisp and clear. They have incredible, almost evil, eyes.
I just a few minutes some people walked down this trail talking and he silently slipped under water. Not a ripple as only an Alligator can do.
This was shot at a pretty close range but he was busy with what looked like a school of small fish.
I don’t push the boundaries with these big guys, it’s not prudent or fair to them. They are wild animals.
Experience and being smart around them does make for some fascinating photographs and I probably photo them as much as anything out there.
They have perfect camouflage at this age. Young Alligators hide along the banks under the small bushes and duck weed. Their coloring is still soft and mottled when this size.
He was no more than 3 feet (.91m) in length. Maybe 3 years old.
I need to keep in mind the local reptiles. I have not photographed too many recently, both of us are keeping out of the sun. It’s August.
A style of black and white not usually associated with wildlife. Street photography is a better fit. That said, this Alligator image is all about how they hide in plain sight.
I moved it from color to B&W, pushed contrast, and decided I liked it.
