Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • A healthy and delicious papaya-lime smoothie on a white background.
    Papaya-Lime Smoothie
  • A healthy and delicious papaya-lime smoothie on a white background.
    Papaya-Lime Smoothie
  • Wheatgrass closeup with morning dew water droplets.
    Wheatgrass
  • The highly controversial and extremely invasive Himalayan blackberry is might be considered the classic success story if looked at from the the view of this extremely aggressive invasive plant. Why it is called the Himalayan blackberry is a mystery to me, but it originally comes from Armenia and Iran. Introduced to the East Coast of the United States in 1885, it is believed it was confused with a similar European species of blackberry and with the help of local birds who absolutely love the berries, it had reached reached the West Coast of North America. This plant grows fast, easily outcompetes native foliage and is extremely tough to eradicate. On the plus side, this particular blackberry puts out bumper-crops of blackberries every summer that are absolutely delicious. I often see bushes laid out flat on the ground under the weight of all the berries. These were found growing in the Woodard Bay Conservation Area just outside of Olympia, Washington.
    Himalayan Blackberry (Rubus armeniacus)
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  • A gorgeous salad made from homegrown heirloom tomatoes, fresh Maine lobster, and garden-picked mint with organic olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar.
    Mint Lobster Salad
  • Fresh Organic Kiwi
    Fresh Organic Kiwi
  • Beautiful natural spring waterfall in North Florida.
    Natural Spring Waterfall
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  • Early morning tranquility on the banks of the Santa Fe River in North-Central Florida with red filter applied.
    Santa Fe River
  • Early morning tranquility on the banks of the Santa Fe River in North-Central Florida.
    Santa Fe River
  • The bristly beard lichen (Usnea hirta) is a common type of fruticose lichen found in cooler or mountainous habitats and is a very good indicator species for environmental pollution. Where there is little to no air and water pollution, the strands of this fungus will grow long with many branches, and with poor quality surrounding, these lichens will either die, or not exceed more than a few millimeters in length. These long, healthy fiberous branches are indications a healthy Pacific Northwest habitat in next to Soos Creek in Kent, Washington.
    Bristly Beard Lichen (Usnea hirta)
  • Close-up of the tiny green flowers of the stinging nettle. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-3.jpg
  • This plant needs no introduction to most of us. I learned about it the hard way while unknowingly walking through a huge patch of it in shorts. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-1.jpg
  • Close-up of the tiny green flowers of the stinging nettle. While not native to North America, this "uncomfortable" is an unfortunate import from Europe, Asia and Western Africa where it has been stinging people and animals forever and now can be found growing in every state (except Hawaii) and province of the United States, Canada, and even in parts of Northern Mexico. As an act of delicious revenge, when the leaves of the stinging nettle are added to boiling water, the tiny stinging hairs break down resulting in a very healthy and nourishing food source, similar to cooked spinach. This one was found growing above the forrest cliffs of Whidbey Island in Washington State's Puget Sound.
    StingingNettle2020-2.jpg
  • The rosary pea is an invasive vine from Asia and Australia that has found a home in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas. While these "peas" may be useful in many shaker-percussion instruments, the black and red fruits are highly toxic. One ingested pea had the potential to be fatal to a healthy adult. This cluster of rosary peas was found in a suburban neighborhood in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Rosary Pea
  • Deep in the remote wilderness between the Florida Everglades and Lake Okeechobee in South Florida there is a wildly disturbed area, that once was part of the  great Everglades watershed system, but now is mostly drained from human activity, water management, and citrus and sugarcane farming leaving behind a vast tangle of dry wilderness where there are few people, roads or even access (for the faint of heart). One part of this vast landscape that still does carry water south is the Okaloacoochee Slough. In pockets of this region, you can still find survivors hanging on for dear life, such as this northern needleleaf bromeliad, which was found way off the highway in a rare dome of bald cypress trees. This was the first time I'd ever seen one so far north, and it looked healthy and ready to bloom!
    Northern Needleleaf (Tillandsia balb..ana)
  • A vibrant and healthy non-blooming specimen of the giant rattlesnake orchid growing in a damp forest near Enumclaw, Washington. Orchids are most well-known for their beautiful and exotic flowers, but this one has beautiful variegated leaves that outcompete the drab, tiny white flowers that will appear in late summer.
    Western Rattlesnake Orchid (Goodyera..lia)
  • The Joshua tree is the king of the Mojave desert. Reaching upward to 30'-40' tall, it is also losing habitat quickly. Luckily a few healthy and dense pockets still exist in Southern California such as these in the Joshua Tree National Park.
    Joshua Tree
  • The very rare and endangered Confederate trillium is one of the most beautiful and striking members of the trillium genus to be found in the American Southwest. These were photographed as part of a very healthy and robust colony, that were recently discovered growing among the more common species of spotted wakerobins in Tallahassee, Florida.
    Confederate Trillium (Trillium reliquum)
  • One of dozens of emerging green adder's-mouth orchids in a  healthy localized colony in Central Florida.
    Green Adder's-Mouth (Malaxis unifolia)
  • A nice big and healthy clamshell orchid deep in a slough in Southwest Florida. There are three flower spikes on this one and they are blooming!
    Clamshell Orchid (Prosthechea cochle..dra)
  • A member of nature's clean-up crew, the black vulture is a very important and necessary part of keeping the environment healthy and beautiful. This one was photographed in Fort Myers, Florida.
    Black Vulture
  • This old gopher tortoise was found in Estero, Florida in an area with a large healthy population. Taking a break from some recent digging, this one was covered in packed, stained sand, common underground in pine scrub habitats.
    Gopher Tortoise Portrait
  • One of my favorite snakes to be found in the wilderness of the American Southeast is the Florida yellow rat snake. This very long, mustard-yellow colored subspecies of the western rat snake is not very common, like most gray or near-black rat snakes found in the wild, but it is one of the coolest. I have an affinity for this type of snake and once had one as a pet in captivity for years until I decided to let it go free and "go forth and propagate". These non-venomous constrictors primarily feed on rats and birds, although their habit of sneaking into barns and eating eggs has also earned them the nickname of "chicken snake". This one was found by surprise on accident (as most snakes are usually encountered) as I was walking through the edge of the woods in the Ocala National Forest  in Juniper Springs when the tree limb I grabbed suddenly moved in my hand and tried to bite me. I pulled this beauty out into the open for this shot and let it go. It was just about four feet in length and was fat and healthy!
    Florida Yellow Rat Snake
  • The very rare and endangered confererate trillium is one of the most beautiful and striking members of the trillium genus to be found in the American Southwest. These were photographed in as part of a very healthy and robust colony, that were recently discovered growing among the more common species of spotted wakerobins in Tallahassee, Florida.
    Confederate Trillium (Trillium reliquum)
  • 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)
  • 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)
  • A healthy cluster of tall twayblade orchids in bloom in the Fakahatchee Strand.
    Tall Twayblade Orchid (Liparis nervosa)
  • With the confusing name of Boston fern, this truly global sword fern is native to the tropics around most of the equator in the Americas, Africa and Polynesia. In North America, it can be natively inmost of Mexico and the Caribbean, Florida, Texas, Louisiana and even Arizona. This very healthy specimen was growing just at the top of the flood line on the side of a bald cypress tree in Southwest Florida's Corkscrew Swamp.
    Boston Fern