Leighton Photography & Imaging

  • Home
  • Website
  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • How to Download
  • Galleries
    • All Galleries
    • Search
    • Cart
    • Lightbox
    • Client Area
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
x

Search Results

Refine Search
Match all words
Match any word
Prints
Personal Use
Royalty-Free
Rights-Managed
(leave unchecked to
search all images)
Next
113 images found
twitterlinkedinfacebook

Loading ()...

  • Barred owl perched on a branch in the Fakahatchee Strand. This owl let us get quite close to it for this photograph!
    Fakahatchee Barred Owl
  • Barred owl perched on a branch in the Fakahatchee Strand. This owl let us get quite close to it for this photograph!
    Fakahatchee Barred Owl
  • An adult barred owl watches from the hardwoods at the northern end of the Fakahatchee Strand early in the morning in Southwest Florida near Golden Gate.
    Fakahatchee Barred Owl
  • A slug found on the side of a moss and lichen covered tree in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Fakahatchee Slug
  • In the dry season, water normally knee to waist high is completely absent in the Fakahatchee Strand of Southwest Florida.
    Fakahatchee Strand
  • Ghost orchid habitat in the Fakahatchee Strand of Southwest Florida.
    Ghost Orchid Habitat in the Fakahatc..rand
  • Fakahatchee beaked orchids growing in the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Collier County, Florida. These suddenly appear all over the area when the swamps are low or dry in early April.
    Fakahatchee Beaked Orchids (Sacoila ..ola)
  • The rare and exquisite ghost orchid photographed just after dawn in its natural environment.
    Ghost of the Fakahatchee (Dendrophyl..nii)
  • A green treefrog waits for night in the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida.
    Green Treefrog
  • A squirrel treefrog (individuals can change their color from green to brown based on their environment) found among the cypress knees in the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida. These frogs are most active at night.
    Squirrel Treefrog
  • In some parts of the Fakahatchee Strand in the northwestern Florida Everglades, it is very common to wade into areas heavily populated with alligators - especially if there are floating logs with sunshine for them to bask in. I managed to get quite close to this one. While alert, it stayed calm as long as I moved slowly and stayed low in the water with it.
    Juvenile Alligator
  • Also known as the hoary airplant, this rare bromeliad is infrequently seen in the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida, as this one was.
    Fuzzywuzzy Airplant (Tillandsia prui..osa)
  • A beautiful red-shouldered hawk perched in a bald cypress tree in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Red-Shouldered Hawk
  • A salt marsh skipper feeding on beggarticks (a type of wild aster)  in the southern part of the Fakahatchee Strand where fresh and saltwater meet.
    Salt Marsh Skipper (Panoquina panoquin)
  • A sabatia flower in bloom in one of the deepest and darkest parts of the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida.
    Sabatia
  • Swamp mallows are a very common member of the hibiscus family in the Everglades, as seen here in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Swamp Mallow
  • Pine-pink orchid growing out of a floating log deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. They are almost always seen in large colonies and are truly one of the most beautiful terrestrial swamp orchids that can be found in southern Florida.
    Pine-Pink (Bletia purpurea)
  • Close-up showing the amazing detail in this fantastic orchid. This photo was taken in a tree in the Fakahatchee Strand. Sometimes climbing is necessary to get close to these beauties!
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • A sabatia flower in bloom in one of the deepest and darkest parts of the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida.
    Sabatia
  • Swamp lilies growing deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. In the summertime, these can be found just about anywhere there is standing water in the Florida Everglades.
    Swamp Lilies
  • The terrestrial cowhorn orchid found growing in the Fakahatchee Strand - in full flower weeks before it was stolen from the wild. This is why I no longer tell anyone where the rare orchids are - this happens all too often! They are too hard to find, and very disheartening when they are taken - usually to die in some orchid enthusiast's collection because it has been shocked by its removal from the conditions in which it grew from seed.
    Yellow Cowhorn Orchid (Cyrtopodium p..lum)
  • Close-up of the tiny unusual flowers of the Florida Adder's Mouth orchid in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Florida Adder's-Mouth (Malaxis spicata)
  • White-tailed buck photographed in the Fakahatchee Strand. These are often seen here and other places in and around the Everglades.
    White-tailed Deer
  • Vanilla orchid photographed in the early morning in the Fakahatchee Strand. Timing is important here because the flowers last only a couple of hours and wilt by midday.
    Oblong-leaved Vanilla Orchid (Vanill..tha)
  • The beautiful and tiny red-waisted moth feeding on wildflower nectar in the Fakahatchee Strand. This daytime moth is very common in the middle of summer in South Florida.
    Red-Waisted Moth
  • These wild southern fox grapes, also more popularly known as muscadine grapes, are the wild and natural progenitors of the commercially important and harvested varietal grapes used for making jams and wines. These wild grapes were photographed in Southwest Florida's Fakahatchee Strand - where I regularly snack/gorge on them during the summer when they are are their peak ripeness in the swamps. Delicious!
    Wild Grapes of the Florida Everglades
  • A ghost orchid high in a pop ash tree in a secret location in Collier County. It's good to know that they do in fact grow quite well outside of the Fakahatchee Strand and the Corkscrew Swamp!
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • This is a particularly large Florida adder's mouth orchid found in the Fakahatchee Strand - about 12 inches high. Generally they are in the 4 to 8-inch range.
    Florida Adder's-Mouth (Malaxis spicata)
  • White-tailed buck photographed in the Fakahatchee Strand. These are often seen here and other places in and around the Everglades.
    White-tailed Deer
  • A banded watersnake resting on a submerged log in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Banded Watersnake
  • Ghost orchid photographed on a steamy hot summer morning in the Fakahatchee Strand. Split-toned sepia for an antiqued look.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Pine-pink orchid growing in the Fakahatchee Strand. This springtime bloomer is most often found in wet areas - often rooted in floating logs or old wood. I have also found them growing in sandy marl, so habitats can vary.
    Pine-Pink (Bletia purpurea)
  • A juvenile grey squirrel cautiously watches from the safety of height and distance in a tree in the Fakahatchee Strand - part of the Northern Everglades near Naples, Florida.
    Juvenile Grey Squirrel
  • Ribbon orchid growing on the side of a tree deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. Without leaves to help spot it, this orchid is nearly invisible until it blooms. This one is just starting to bloom.
    Ribbon Orchid (Campylocentrum pachyr..zum)
  • Pine-pink orchid growing out of a floating log deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. I've noticed that the ones that grow in standing water seem to bloom first, followed by those on dry land a couple of weeks later.
    Pine-Pink (Bletia purpurea)
  • Vanilla orchid photographed in the early morning in the Fakahatchee Strand. Well worth the hike through standing water and swarms of mosquitoes!
    Oblong-leaved Vanilla Orchid (Vanill..tha)
  • Vanilla "beans" in the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida. Very similar yet not quite the same as commercial vanilla beans which come from another vanilla orchid - Vanilla planifolia. They do however have a strong vanilla scent when the seedpods are fully developed.
    Oblong-leaved Vanilla Orchid "Beans"..tha)
  • Bromeliads are as common as orchids in the Fakahatchee Strand in Collier County, Florida. These huge West Indian tufted airplants have literally covered this pond apple tree.
    West Indian Tufted Airplants (Guzman..hia)
  • This member of the Amanita mushroom family was found growing in the Fakahatchee Strand of Southwest Florida's Western Everglades. This emerging American Caesar's mushroom is a rare exception to a family of lethally poisonous mushrooms that are responsible for 90% of mushroom-related deaths around the world. This one is known to be be both edible and tasty.
    American Caesar's Mushroom
  • This member of the Amanita mushroom family was found growing in the Fakahatchee Strand of Southwest Florida's Western Everglades. This emerging American Caesar's mushroom is a rare exception to a family of lethally poisonous mushrooms that are responsible for 90% of mushroom-related deaths around the world. This one is known to be be both edible and tasty.
    American Caesar's Mushroom
  • This is a common orchid in the Fakahatchee Strand during the hottest part of summer, and so far I have not seen it anywhere else but here. It is easily spotted by its large lettuce-like leaves growing from any submerged log or cypress stump.
    Tall Twayblade Orchid (Liparis nervosa)
  • The unique buttonbush is a common small tree growing in the Everglades. This one was seen in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Buttonbush
  • Ghost orchid in the early morning, catching a rare sunbeam in the deepest part of the Fakahatchee Strand. Truly one of the most beautiful and exotic orchids in the world.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Tall twayblade orchid found in the wettest part of the Fakahatchee Strand. In the hottest and most miserable part of summer, these beauties can be found quite easily!
    Tall Twayblade Orchid (Liparis nervosa)
  • Close-up of the unusual tall twayblade - photographed here in knee deep water in a wet dark part of the Fakahatchee Strand.  Since it was growing on a cypress knee, it was very easy to photograph at waist level.
    Tall Twayblade Orchid (Liparis nervosa)
  • A very healthy example of a toothpetal orchid growing along a tram road in the Fakahatchee Strand. I can't think of a tram road in Southwest Florida where I haven't seen these orchids in late fall to late winter.
    Toothpetal Orchid (Habenaria floribunda)
  • White pine-pink orchid growing in a large colony in the Fakahatchee Strand in Collier County, Florida.
    White Pine-Pink (Bletia purpurea for..lba)
  • Yellow cowhorn orchid found in the Fakahatchee Strand by another orchid enthusiast, and he told me where to find it. This plant was stolen from the wild a couple of weeks later by some lowlife.
    Yellow Cowhorn Orchid (Cyrtopodium p..lum)
  • A southeastern lubber grasshopper in the Fakahatchee Strand (in the northwestern part of the Florida Everglades) does what grasshoppers do best - eat vegetation!
    Southeastern Lubber Grasshopper
  • The rare and exquisite ghost orchid photographed just after dawn in its natural environment.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Huge fishing spider carefully photographed in the Fakahatchee Strand. These guys can get aggressive and do bite hard!
    Fishing Spider
  • Ghost orchid photographed on a steamy hot summer morning in the Fakahatchee Strand. Not particularly hard to find once you know how to find them, they can be as invisible as ghosts to most people! At last count I'm up to 86 ghost orchids in various locations.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Fully open flower deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. As common as these are, getting a clear and close-up shot of an open flower can be a challenge.
    Zig-Zag Orchid (Epidendrum rigidum)
  • A healthy cluster of tall twayblade orchids in bloom in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Tall Twayblade Orchid (Liparis nervosa)
  • Close-up of a freshly opened flower in the Fakahatchee Strand. This is probably the most common of all the orchids here, often found high in the trees in enormous clumps.
    Zig-Zag Orchid (Epidendrum rigidum)
  • Gray hairstreak in the Fakahatchee Strand in the middle of summer. Roadside wildflowers attract thousands of these little butterflies every morning!
    Gray Hairstreak
  • Ribbon orchid growing on the side of a tree deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. Without leaves to help spot it, this orchid is nearly invisible until it blooms.
    Ribbon Orchid (Campylocentrum pachyr..zum)
  • Florida adder's-mouth found growing deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. If one can find perpetually damp or wet logs in the Fall, then there are sure to be some of these tiny orchids around!
    Florida Adder's-Mouth (Malaxis spicata)
  • Part of a large colony of white pine-pink orchids growing in the Fakahatchee Strand. A curiosty about these is that the white form seems to bloom a month after the usual pink form, and on drier ground.
    White Pine-Pink (Bletia purpurea for..lba)
  • Florida adder's-mouth found growing deep in the Fakahatchee Strand. Occasionally I'll find a single plant, but more often these are found in massive colonies of up to 50 or more plants.
    Florida Adder's-Mouth (Malaxis spicata)
  • Pale red-shouldered hawk photographed in the late afternoon sunlight at the edge of the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Pale Red-Shouldered Hawk
  • Close-up of a wild coco growing in the Fakahatchee Strand. These large flowers can vary in color and shape from one plant to another.
    Wild Coco Orchid (Eulophia alta)
  • A ghost orchid high in a pop ash tree in a secret location in Collier County. It's good to know that they do in fact grow quite well outside of the Fakahatchee Strand and the Corkscrew Swamp!
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • Considered an invasive species in North America, the Peruvian primrose-willow was introduced into the Sunshine State and many other places around the world for its beautiful yellow four-petalled flowers. These days it is a serious problem due to how fast this tall very bush grows and how easily it spreads, outcompeting coastal native plant species in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and the Texas Gulf Coast. This one was photographed in the Fakahatchee Strand in Collier County, Florida.
    Peruvian Primrose-Willow
  • A perfect pair of this distant relative of the pineapple growing in a hardwood hammock in Southwest Florida.
    Fuzzywuzzy Airplant (Tillandsia prui..osa)
  • Largest of the native epidendrums, this orchid is very frustrating to photograph, because it seems that the only ones that are found low enough to shoot easily wilt before opening.
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • This unusual orchid has a very large flower that is almost impossible to find fully open. It has a scent emitted only at night and is always found in the thickest parts of the swamps. Some tree climbing and a big zoom lens were used for this shot.
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • A juvenile cottonmouth warming up in the morning sun on a dirt road near the Corkscrew Swamp in Naples, Florida.
    A Flick of the Tongue
  • The night-fragrant orchid is easy to find, just due to its huge size. It is not uncommon to find these plants reaching two or three feet from the tree it is attached to.
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • A juvenile cottonmouth warming up in the morning sun on a dirt road near the Corkscrew Swamp in Naples, Florida.
    Juvenile Cottonmouth
  • Close-up side view of one of the world's most famous orchids!
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • A very rare sight!!! Although the ghost orchid is known as a "leafless orchid" - when it is just sprouting its recognizable  and distinct roots on its host tree, there is a tiny vestigial leaf - an evolutionary throwback to an earlier ancestor.
    Ghost Orchid Seedling (Dendrophylax ..nii)
  • LPI_8625_26_27_28_29_30_31exited-Edi...jpg
  • This aquatic is very commonly seen in the Florida Everglades. This one was photographed while I was stalking a hawk. I saw this from the corner of my eye and took this shot.
    Banded Watersnake
  • High contrast photograph of dewdrops sparkling on a spiderweb at dawn in the Florida Everglades.
    Spider Web
  • This unusual orchid has a very large flower that is almost impossible to find fully open. This one was photographed while standing on a big floating log in waist deep water while shooting handheld with a 300mm zoom lens. Risky for the camera and somehow in focus!
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • Yellow cowhorn orchid photographed in the pre-dawn in South Florida with a ring-flash. Hopefully this one will be safe from poachers!
    Yellow Cowhorn Orchid (Cyrtopodium p..lum)
  • This large showy sabatia is commonly found in freshwater wetlands in South Florida, such as this one in the Big Cypress National Preserve.
    Bartram's Rosegentian
  • Ghost orchid in full flower on a drab stalk growing from a tangle of green-gray roots. See how the flower just seems to float in mid air?
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • A rare sight! A pair of ghost orchids from a single plant! Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
    Double Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax li..nii)
  • Close-up of the non-venomous banded watersnake - often confused with the venomous cottonmouth. Unfortunately many of these beautiful snakes are killed for this confusion and misidentification.
    Banded Watersnake
  • A pair of baby gray squirrels peeks from their nest in the Florida Everglades. Gray squirrels are perhaps the most adaptable and hardy of all modern squirrel species, and can thrive in the most diverse kinds of habitat. Not only increasing their range in North America, but are beginning to spread into other continents too, wiping out or displacing native populations.
    Baby Eastern Gray Squirrels
  • Clear view of the rigid epidendrum putting out a new flower spike. The alternate bud pattern gives rise to its other common name, the "zigzag" orchid.
    Zig-Zag Orchid (Epidendrum rigidum)
  • The world-famous ghost orchid photographed here in its natural environment.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • A rare sight! A pair of ghost orchids from a single plant, high in a pop ash tree in a secret location in Collier County, Florida.
    Double Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax li..nii)
  • Close-up of toothpetal flowers deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Oftentimes, it is the fragrance that is noticed before the plant is actually found, as in the case here.
    Toothpetal Orchid (Habenaria floribunda)
  • This unusual orchid has a very large flower that is almost impossible to find fully open. It has a scent emitted only at night and is always found in the thickest parts of the swamps.
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • Raceme close-up showing details of the flowers of the toothpetal orchid - one of the most common terrestrial orchids in the southen half of Florida.
    Toothpetal Orchid (Habenaria floribunda)
  • Side view of the ghost orchid. The five to six inch spur is a long hollow tube that contains the nectar which draws the giant silk moth. This unique moth has a six inch tongue that while reaching the bottom of the spur to feed, some pollen from the flower's anther will stick to the head of the moth, and then get transfered to the next ghost orchid it feeds on. While visiting several flowers during the course of a night - it unknowingly pollinates these flowers to produce the next generation of ghosts. Without this special moth, we would have no ghost orchids.
    Ghost Orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii)
  • This massive toothpetal is the biggest I've ever seen, and it stood about fifty inches tall. Incredible!
    Toothpetal Orchid (Habenaria floribunda)
  • Ideal habitat for the night-fragrant orchid ... thick dark swamp, heavy vegetation, lots of mosquitoes, snakes, and alligators... not to mention the menacing deer flies!
    Night-Fragrant Epidendrum (Epidendru..num)
  • Ghost orchid bud at night in the Fakahatchee Strand! Probably not recommended for the bravest of orchid hunters, the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida is an especially busy time at night! This bud opened a few days later.
    Ghost Orchid with Flower Bud
  • Close-up detail of a ghost orchid bud at night in the Fakahatchee Strand! Probably not recommended for the bravest of orchid hunters, the Fakahatchee Strand in SW Florida is an especially busy time at night! This bud opened a few days later.
    Ghost Orchid Bud
  • Successfully pollinated and fruiting seedpods of the nearly impossible-to-find and leafless ribbon orchid. Not only is this orchid extremely rare in the United States, it is only found in one tiny pocket of one remote part of the Northwestern Florida Everglades known as the Fakahatchee Strand, which is its northernmost range This one was photographed deep in the Strand while standing about waist-deep in the black, slowly-moving waters deep in the shadows of ancient bald cypress trees. Luckily, it can also be found in parts of the Caribbean islands, Central America, and even in some parts of Northern South America.
    Ribbon Orchid Seedpods
  • Close-up of the inflorescence of the cardinal airplant, photographed here deep in the Fakahatchee Strand of Southwest Florida. You can just see a few of the purple flowers emerging.
    Cardinal Airplant (Tillandsia fascic..ata)
  • Brilliantly red and yellow, the inflorescences of most species of Tillandsia air plants are very striking and beautiful, such as this cardinal airplant in the Fakahatchee Strand of Southwest Florida. Before long, thin, tubular purple flowers will emerge from this member of the pineapple family.
    Cardinal Airplant
  • Unusual angle of a wild blooming ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii) photographed from behind the flower on Florida's Fakahatchee Strand on a steamy hot summer morning.
    Ghost Orchid Photographed from an Un..e #1
  • Mother and baby alligator basking in the morning sun. Photographed in the Fakahatchee Strand in Collier County, Florida.
    Mother Alligator and Baby
  • The eastern chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia reticularia) is a subspecies of the common chicken turtle (Deirochelys reticularia) that is found throughout most of the American Southeast that is often found in wetlands, lakes and marshes. This one was found and photographed in Southwest Florida  moving overland from one pond to another in the Fakahatchee Strand - part of the northern Florida Everglades watershed system. An easy identification tool is to look for the thick yellow stripe on the forelimb, and as to its common name - the early settlers who caught and ate them thought they tasted like chicken.
    Eastern Chicken Turtle
  • A gray hairstreak  pauses on an unidentified species of liatris in the Fakahatchee Strand in Collier County, Florida.
    Gray Hairstreak
Next