Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • The Apalachicola River photographed from atop the bluffs in rural Liberty County, Florida.
    Apalachicola River
  • Apalachicola River on the Florida Panhandle photographed from Torreya State Park.
    Apalachicola River
  • A panoramic view of the Apalachicola photographed near Bristol, Florida.
    Apalachicola Bluffs Panorama
  • A true infrared photograph of this majestic river on the Florida Panhandle.
    Apalachicola River
  • Pale grass-pink orchid growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. We found this particularly beautiful and very delicate orchid among several other types of terrestrial orchids.
    Pale Grass-Pink (Calopogon pallidus)
  • Yellow pitcher plants found growing in a dried bog in the Apalachicola National Forest. At times, whole prairies can be loaded with these large trumpet-shaped plants!
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • White form of the pale grass-pink orchid growing in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    White Pale Grass-Pink (Calopogon pal..rus)
  • Chapman's milkwort found growing in a dried-out bog in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Chapman's Milkwort
  • Common grass-pink orchid growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. This delicate beauty can be seen nearly all over the state where there are seepage swamps or bogs near pinelands.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • Pale grass-pink orchid growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. A good identification tool (not 100% accurate) is that the sepals are curved upward in what I call an "I surrender" pose. Not very scientific, but I think everyone gets the idea!
    Pale Grass-Pink (Calopogon pallidus)
  • A beautiful specimen of the common grass pink orchid in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • A snowy orchid growing in the acidic soil of a seepage bog in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Snowy Orchid (Gymnadeniopsis nivea)
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • This incredibly ornate wildflower grows in standing water in the wetlands of the Apalachicola National Forest in winter. Not the most comfortable subject to photograph , I must say!
    Grass-of-Parnassus
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • A nameless creek meanders through the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Tranquility
  • The beautiful flower of the gulf purple pitcher plant, growing in the Apalachicola National Forest - world renowned for it's carnivorous plant biodiversity.
    Gulf Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarraceni..sea)
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • This endemic subspecies of the eastern box turtle is found only in Florida except for a few small pockets in the extreme southern part of Georgia. I found this female in the oak scrub in the bluffs above the Apalachicola River in an extremely rural part of northern Florida.
    Florida Box Turtle
  • Huge Schnell's pitcher plants growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. These carnivorous plants grow in poor soil, and get what they can't get from the soil by trapping and digesting insects inside these long trumpet-like leaves, which are lured by a sweet-smelling nectar. They are absolutely incredible to see in the wild!
    Schnell's Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia ..lii)
  • This endemic subspecies of the eastern box turtle is found only in Florida except for a few small pockets in the extreme southern part of Georgia. I found this female in the oak scrub in the bluffs above the Apalachicola River in an extremely rural part of northern Florida.
    Florida Box Turtle
  • The yellow butterwort - the only one with a pure yellow flower, blooming on a cool spring morning in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Yellow Butterwort (Pinguicula lutea)
  • These three orchids were part of a much larger colony of about 100 plants found in the Apalachicola National Forest. Incredible yellow color!
    Yellow Fringeless Orchid (Gymnadenio..gra)
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • This big spider was actually seen from the car while driving through the Apalachicola National Forest. I just had to pull over!
    Silver Argiope
  • The "umbrella-less" short and stumpy gulf pitcher plant in flower growing in a roadside ditch in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Gulf Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarraceni..sea)
  • A very common find in some of the seepage bogs of the Apalachicola National Forest, the leaves of these beautifully colored butterworts are covered in tiny sticky hairs that trap and digest unsuspecting insects.
    Chapman's Butterwort (Pinguicula pla..lia)
  • The world's most famous carnivorous plant - the venus flytrap, growing wild in a bog in North Florida. These natives to the American Southeast - primarily North and South Carolina, have been spreading and thriving in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
  • The beautiful and unusual purple bladderwort grows among the flooded swamps in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Purple Bladderwort (Utricularia purp..rea)
  • This endemic subspecies of the eastern box turtle is found only in Florida except for a few small pockets in the extreme southern part of Georgia. I found this female in the oak scrub in the bluffs above the Apalachicola River in an extremely rural part of northern Florida.
    Florida Box Turtle
  • This extremely rare wildflower, known only in and around the Apalachicola National Forest on the Florida Panhandle was photographed among the pine trees in Liberty County. Why does it have such a strange name? Have a look at the next photo....
    White Birds-in-the-Nest
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • Close-up of yellow pitcher plants in the Apalachicola National Forest, Fl. Insects are lured with with a sweet secretion, trapped, and digested by this carnivorous plant.
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • A striped lynx spider waits patiently for something to be drawn to these false asphodel flowers in the Apalachicola National Forest in North Florida.
    Striped Lynx Spider
  • When traveling through the Apalachicola National Forest in Liberty County, Florida, yellow pitcher plants stand in groves in the seepage bogs along several of the roads.
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • A field of Schnell's pitcher plants with some yellow pitcher plants in the foreground in the Apalachicola National Forest. Among these were numerous other types of carnivorous plants, as well as a couple types of terrestrial orchids. This is a regular stop for us when we are in the area, and something that really must be experienced. No photograph can do it justice!
    Schnell's Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia ..lii)
  • A grey hairstreak feeding on wildflowers in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Gray Hairstreak
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • This endemic subspecies of the eastern box turtle is found only in Florida except for a few small pockets in the extreme southern part of Georgia. I found this female in the oak scrub in the bluffs above the Apalachicola River in an extremely rural part of northern Florida.
    Florida Box Turtle
  • A cluster of parrot pitcher plants growing in the Apalachicola National Forest. This is the smallest and most common pitcher plant to be found in Florida.
    Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psi..ina)
  • A massive specimen of the Chapman's fringed orchid in the Apalachicola National Forest growing next to a small water pool in the edge of a pine stand. These are quite difficult to find, and I've only found them in two locations so far. Luckily you can see the bright orange from a long distance!
    Chapman's Fringed Orchid (Plantanthe..nii)
  • A perfect specimen of the bearded grass-pink orchid in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Bearded Grass-Pink (Calopogon barbatus)
  • The cardinal flower is an extremely beautiful member of the lobelia family native to most of the United States (excluding the Pacific Northwest, the northern Rockies states, and the Dakotas) and Eastern Canada. It is primarily found in somewhat wet soils, near marshes, streams, rivers, floodplains etc. and is such a vibrant red that it is easily spotted from a distance. This particularly large plant stood about five foot tall, and even though I found it growing in a depression of a dried-up creek, it still stood tall in the forest near the Apalachicola River in the Florida Panhandle on a very hot and sweltering summer day.
    Cardinal Flower
  • Springtime helenium growing on the side of a highway in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Springtime Helenium
  • Close-up with details of the common grass-pink orchid.
    Common Grass-Pink Orchid (Calopogon ..sus)
  • Sometimes if there are two similar orchids growing in the same region and habitat, hybrids can be found. In this case, a cross between the common and pale grass-pink.
    Grass-Pink Orchid Hybrid (Calopogon ..dus)
  • Very large yellow pitcher plants growing on the edge of Tate's Hell State Forest in Gulf County on the Florida Panhandle coast. Many of these had spiders' traps inside - robbing the plants of their ability to catch insects.
    Yellow Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia flava)
  • Close-up of a single pitcher - which is a actually modified leaf. Chemical attractants lure unsuspecting insects, and the downward pointing hairs  on the "ramp" lead them into the trap. Here enzymes within the collected rainwater will digest its prey and provide the necessary nutrients needed for growth and propagation.
    Gulf Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarraceni..sea)
  • The beautiful green and white flowers of the venus flytrap, in full bloom in summer in a North Florida seepage bog.
    Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
  • While not an orchid, mushroom, fungus, or anything related, the delicately beautiful Indian Pipes  - also known as the ghost plant - is actually a parasitic plant called a saprophyte. This unusual plant feeds on decaying tree roots and is found in very rich and old forests, but I have found them growing in Central Florida in an oak/palmetto scrub. Since they do not require sunlight to grow, they are most often found in the darkest parts of the forests where there is also a lot of moisture present. Therefore they do not need to be green (contain chlorophyll) to convert sunlight into energy.
    Indian Pipes (Monotropa uniflora)
  • Close-up view of the hundreds of shiny, sticky hairs that attract and entrap insects. Doomed insects will then be digested with powerful enzymes and absorbed by the plant. This enables the Tracy's sundew to thrive in areas where the soil is very poor in nutrients and highly acidic.
    Threadleaf Sundew (Drosera tracyi)
  • These modified leaves emit a sweet attractant complete with red color that insects cannot resist. Once the sensitive hairs within the "trap" sense an insect (or photographer's finger) the trap will slam shut.
    Venus Flytrap (Dionaea muscipula)
  • A chapman's butterwort growing in Liberty County, Florida alongside another unidentified butterwort - perhaps the green form of the same species. In this photo, you can see the fine short hairs on the greasy leaves that attract and trap flying insects.
    Chapman's Butterwort (Pinguicula pla..lia)
  • A stunning example of a spreading upland pogonia in Gadsden County, Florida.
    Upland Spreading Pogonia (Cleistes b..ria)
  • A purple pitcher plant in flower in a bog in Liberty County, Florida. This petite carnivorous plant tends to be a bright red color when growing in the open where it is exposed to more sunlight, as compared to those that grow in the shade.
    Parrot Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia psi..ina)
  • The elegant and beautiful white-topped pitcher plant growing in a Liberty County seepage bog. This location is possibly the easternmost population in Florida.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • The tiny and beautiful pink sundew has many leaves with sticky pads arranged in a rosette. These sticky sweet drops of muscilage attract flying insects that become trapped and then are slowly digested by the plant.
    Pink Sundew (Drosera capillaris)
  • Detail in the flowers of the orange crested orchid. The flowers that I've found tend to be smaller than those of similar species. The short spur is a key to identification.
    Orange Crested Orchid (Platanthera c..ata)
  • Close-up of the hairs underneath the "umbrella" part of the pitcher plant that guide the unsuspecting insects into the trap, or pitcher. Look closely and you can see the 13-14 gnats tangled among these hairs.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • White-topped pitcher plants growing in a North Florida bog among a healthy population of threadleaf sundews - another carnivorous plant.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • What is a European bird doing in Florida? In 1890, someone decided to release a hundred of these beautiful and highly adaptive birds in New York City, from where they have spread across the whole continent - and are now increasingly more common in Florida.
    European Starling
  • Several silvery green threadleaf sundews growing on the edge of this pond  in North Florida.
    Threadleaf Sundew (Drosera tracyi)
  • The submerged leaves of the purple bladderwort have small, basket-like bladders with sensitive hairs around a closed trap door. When small swimming animals make contact with one of these hairs, the bladder sharply expands, sucking the prey inside where it will be digested slowly.
    Purple Bladderwort (Utricularia purp..rea)
  • This unusual member of the milkweed family was photographed on a very hot summer evening in the Aplachicola National Forest. These are most commonly found where pinelands become bogs.
    Largeflower Milkweed
  • The brightly yellow fringeless orchid growing in a seepage swamp in Liberty County. This is one of the more rare orchids of North Florida.
    Yellow Fringeless Orchid (Gymnadenio..gra)
  • One of Florida's most exotic-looking orchids - the upland spreading pogonia is found in the Florida Panhandle in a  variety of locations.
    Upland Spreading Pogonia (Cleistes b..ria)
  • The Chapman's fringed orchid found growing in a quiet untouched area in North Florida while searching for pitcher plants. This unexpected find was a pleasant surprise and also one of the biggest of this kind I've ever seen.
    Chapman's Fringed Orchid (Plantanthe..nii)
  • The beautiful and intricate design of red veins in the white-topped pitcher plant.
    White-topped Pitcher Plant (Sarracen..lla)
  • This medium sized skipper was found flying around in the Talquin State Forest near Quincy, Fl.
    Silver-Spotted Skipper (Epargyreus c..rus)
  • A tight cluster of panhandle butterworts growing among some small pond cypress trees in Liberty County, Florida.
    Panhandle Butterwort (Pinguicula ion..tha)
  • I hit the jackpot in the bog where I photographed this beautiful snowy orchid.... there were upwards of 3000 or more in bloom within an area the size of a football field! A week later I only found three of them that still had flowers. Timing is everything!
    Snowy Orchid (Gymnadeniopsis nivea)
  • The gulf purple pitcher plant is the only Florida pitcher plant that collects rainwater - possibly as part of its insect-catching strategy.
    Gulf Purple Pitcher Plant (Sarraceni..sea)
  • This nice looking little crested orchid was in perfect shape for a photo. Most of the time, the flowers are shriveled at the bottom, open in the middle, and still unopened at the top. The short spur behind the flower is the best identification tool for this late summer bloomer.
    Orange Crested Orchid (Platanthera c..ata)
  • White birds-in-the-nest flowers viewed from above look exactly like what they are called. This is a very rare summer wildflower endemic to North Florida.
    White Birds-in-the-Nest
  • One of the two small grass-pink species, the bearded grass-pink is among the first to appear in the springtime in Florida wetlands.
    Bearded Grass-Pink (Calopogon barbatus)
  • Close-up of the flower of Schnell's pitcher plant (Sarracenia flava var. rugelii) found growing in the Apalachicola National Forest in Northern Florida. This stunning carnivorous insect-eating plant is found in seepage bogs across  the East gulf coastal plain from Alabama to Virginia, and is a subspecies of the more common yellow pitcher plant.
    Flower of Schnell's Pitcher Plant
  • Giant ladies'-tresses found growing in a dried-up bog in the Apalachicola National Forest. Tubular flowers are a key to identifying this species from all the other similar ladies-tresses orchids.
    Giant Ladies'-tresses (Spiranthes pr..cox)
  • Close-up portrait of a laughing gull in Apalachicola, Florida on the northern Gulf Coast. A shrimp boat had just pulled in to port, and this sneaky opportunist was just waiting for an easy meal!
    Laughing Gull Portrait
  • Unusually large golden silk spider in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Golden Silk Spider
  • Water-spider orchid in full flower on the side of the highway in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Water-Spider Orchid (Habernaria repens)
  • Another day ends beautifully with a dazzling sunset over Apalachicola Bay on the Florida Panhandle.
    All's Well That Ends Well.....
  • Drumheads growing in a wet bog in the Apalachicola National Forest. These can be found almost all over the state.
    Drumheads
  • I've encountered these unusual terrestrial orchids in many places along the Apalachicola River. Local terrain and locations include heavily wooded hills, steep ravines, and near creeks cutting through limestone or packed clay. American beech and magnolia trees are always in abundance, as well as the ever-present poison ivy.
    Cranefly Orchid
  • Hackberry butterfly resting after being chased down for a period of time and finally photographed near the Apalachicola River at Torreya State Park on the Florida Panhandle.
    Hackberry Butterfly
  • Sabal palms in silhouette on a glorious sunset over Apalachicola Bay.
    A Sense of Place
  • These large and beautiful wildflowers can sometimes be seen in large patches on the side of the highways in the Apalachicola National Forest.
    Stoke's Aster
  • The beach morning glory is a white, large flowering vine comon on the sandy beaches of the Southeast which helps retains sand on beaches to prevent erosion. These morning bloomers were photographed<br />
 on Florida's northern Gulf Coast on St. George Island near Apalachicola.
    Beach Morning Glory
  • The utterly beautiful dark forest in Torreya State Park in North Florida, with its steep decent to the Apalachicola River.
    Torreya State Park
  • The native flame (or yellow) azalea photographed near the Apalachicola River in Gadsden County, Florida. These shockingly beautiful flowering trees grow in dense rich forests and are often found on steep slopes and ravines.
    Flame Azalea
  • Crow poison, also known as Osceola's plume, is a beautiful but very dangerous bog plant found in the American Southeast. Until recently it was considered a member of the lily family, but now is placed in the bunchflower family alongside many other similar and poisonous plants sharing genetic similarities.  The large beauty was photographed in the Apalachicola National Forest in the Florida Panhandle, where regular natural seasonal wildfires seem to promote the growth of this and other moisture-loving plants. Word of caution: all parts of this plant are considered very dangerous, and have caused the death of many livestock animals.
    Crow Poison
  • Perhaps the world's most popular and favorite moth, found here among the ravines and nameless creeks near the Apalachicola River in North Florida.
    Luna Moth