Leighton Photography & Imaging

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  • My favorite palm! The paurotis palm is a wonderfully beautiful palm that I have a personal connection to. As I was starting to build my photography business back when I was still living back home in Southwest Florida, I worked in a plant nursery and planted many hundreds of palm trees all over the Fort Myers/Naples area. My favorite was this slender, attractive Caribbean palm found in the wild from the Florida Everglades and the Bahamas, south to Mexico, Central America and as far south as Colombia. The only species in its genus, Acoelorrhaphe wrightii - grows to about 15' to 25' tall in wet habitats and can grow into very rich and shaded thickets form wildlife havens for many species throughout the tropics. These wild paurotis palms were found in Everglades National Park in their natural habitat.
    Paurotis Palm
  • My favorite palm! The paurotis palm is a wonderfully beautiful palm that I have a personal connection to. As I was starting to build my photography business back when I was still living back home in Southwest Florida, I worked in a plant nursery and planted many hundreds of palm trees all over the Fort Myers/Naples area. My favorite was this slender, attractive Caribbean palm found in the wild from the Florida Everglades and the Bahamas, south to Mexico, Central America and as far south as Colombia. The only species in its genus, Acoelorrhaphe wrightii - grows to about 15' to 25' tall in wet habitats and can grow into very rich and shaded thickets form wildlife havens for many species throughout the tropics. These wild paurotis palms were found in Everglades National Park in their natural habitat.
    Paurotis Palm
  • My favorite palm! The paurotis palm is a wonderfully beautiful palm that I have a personal connection to. As I was starting to build my photography business back when I was still living back home in Southwest Florida, I worked in a plant nursery and planted many hundreds of palm trees all over the Fort Myers/Naples area. My favorite was this slender, attractive Caribbean palm found in the wild from the Florida Everglades and the Bahamas, south to Mexico, Central America and as far south as Colombia. The only species in its genus, Acoelorrhaphe wrightii - grows to about 15' to 25' tall in wet habitats and can grow into very rich and shaded thickets form wildlife havens for many species throughout the tropics. These wild paurotis palms were found in Everglades National Park in their natural habitat.
    Paurotis Palm
  • The turkey-tail mushroom is a very common shelf mushroom found all over the world on dead wood in many different kinds of habitats all across North America. This one was found early in the morning in the Ocala National Forest in Central Florida and was the most stunning and beautiful example I've ever seen.
    Turkey-Tail
  • Close-up detail of a cabbage palm frond (also known as a sabal palm) in rural Eastern Lee County in Southwest Florida.
    Cabbage Palm Close-up
  • Close-up detail of a cabbage palm frond (also known as a sabal palm) in rural Eastern Lee County in Southwest Florida.
    Cabbage Palm Close-up
  • Close-up detail of a coconut palm frond on Florida's Sanibel Island.
    Coconut Palm
  • My favorite palm! The paurotis palm is a wonderfully beautiful palm that I have a personal connection to. As I was starting to build my photography business back when I was still living back home in Southwest Florida, I worked in a plant nursery and planted many hundreds of palm trees all over the Fort Myers/Naples area. My favorite was this slender, attractive Caribbean palm found in the wild from the Florida Everglades and the Bahamas, south to Mexico, Central America and as far south as Colombia. The only species in its genus, Acoelorrhaphe wrightii - grows to about 15' to 25' tall in wet habitats and can grow into very rich and shaded thickets form wildlife havens for many species throughout the tropics. These wild paurotis palms were found in Everglades National Park in their natural habitat.
    Paurotis Palm
  • My favorite palm! The paurotis palm is a wonderfully beautiful palm that I have a personal connection to. As I was starting to build my photography business back when I was still living back home in Southwest Florida, I worked in a plant nursery and planted many hundreds of palm trees all over the Fort Myers/Naples area. My favorite was this slender, attractive Caribbean palm found in the wild from the Florida Everglades and the Bahamas, south to Mexico, Central America and as far south as Colombia. The only species in its genus, Acoelorrhaphe wrightii - grows to about 15' to 25' tall in wet habitats and can grow into very rich and shaded thickets form wildlife havens for many species throughout the tropics. These wild paurotis palms were found in Everglades National Park in their natural habitat.
    Paurotis Palm
  • Oregon Farmhouse
  • With intricately lines purplish-blue lines on the three lower petals with a touch of yellow, this native iris is found across the entirety of the American West, even reaching into Minnesota near creeks, rivers, or any other wetland at mid elevations. This one was found and photographed just north of Ellensburg, Washington deep in a canyon where the surrounding desert was bone-dry.
    Western Blue Flag Iris
  • This very common spider found throughout the woodlands of the American Southeast is often confused with two very similar but not closely related species - the mabel orchard spider (Leucange mabelae) and the venusta orchard spider (Leucange venusta). The easiest identification tool is the pattern on the back of the abdomen: it has three lines on the abdomen that run parallel only about halfway across the abdomen. Completely harmless to humans, it is most often encountered in gardens, woodlands and wetlands. This one was photographed in the Corkscrew Swamp outside of Naples, Florida.
    Orchard Spider (Leucauge argyra)
  • Common throughout most of North America, the variegated meadowhawk is a small-to medium dragonfly in the skimmer family that can be found near ponds and somewhat stagnant water where it actively hunts and devours large numbers of mosquitos, like this one was doing next to a recently dried-up pond in Pharr, Texas. This female is easy to identify by the two yellow spots at the bottom of the two whitish lines on either side of its body.
    Female Variegated Meadowhawk
  • This small, compact member of the aster and daisy family is found at very high elevations in the mountains of Western North America, often near or at the snow line. They prefer wet meadows, and are often found growing in great profusion along with many other alpine/subalpine wildflowers during their brief, showy blooming period. This one was photographed on a  rainy late summer day within sight of Mount Rainier's incredible glaciers near the tree line.
    Subalpine Daisy
  • This is a fantastic example of a nursery log. Many large trees start off at a disadvantage, and some trees seem to do best when they start off as a tiny sapling on top of a fallen log. As these saplings grow with more access to sunlight, the strongest outcompete the weakest and eventually the roots will reach the soil, resulting in a line of trees with exposed roots. In this example, a line of growing Sitka spruce trees flourish on what once was a huge fallen log, but is now decomposed by time and decay.
    Nursery Log
  • Close-up of the bright red fruiting bodies of the jester lichen (Cladonia leporina) is an interesting member of the already interesting Cladionia lichens with their odd and often colorful fruiting bodies. What's particular about this species is their preferred habitat of dry, open sandy soils instead the typical Cladonia low-to-mid mountain forest that gets lots of rainfall. This one was found growing in mass profusion just above the high tide line in the Gulf Islands National Seashore next to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Florida.
    Jester Lichen-4
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 1
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 2
  • One of the many unusual and unique marine invertebrates of the Pacific Northwest, the mossy chiton is a nocturnal hunter of the intertidal zones of the rocky coastline. Recently, biologists have discovered that because they are sometimes above water, and sometimes underwater, their very primitive mineralized eyes have evolved in such a way that they can actually see images, and when they detect a predator coming close, they can react quickly and tighten their muscles, securing themselves to a rock or other hard surface, leaving them protected under their eight-pieced plated shells. This one was found on the sand above the surf line at low tide near Neah Bay, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
    Mossy Chiton
  • Rolling hills, alpine meadows, and mountain peaks from the tree line on a gorgeous summer day on Mount Rainier's southern face above. It may look like winter, but the abundant wildlife and profusion of brightly colored wildflowers would tell you otherwise.
    Summertime on Mount Rainier
  • The black huckleberry is considered by many to be the prize of the mountain berries. These juicy, sweet member of the blueberry family are found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean (with a few isolated locations eastward) and have been enjoyed by wildlife and humans for millennia. This official state fruit of Idaho is a particularly important food source for grizzly and black bears, and traditionally the Native Americans have been eating them in dozens of different ways: fresh, dried, smoked, crushed up in soups or mixed with salmon roe - to name a few. These huckleberries were photographed (then eaten) just below the tree line at the edge of a subalpine meadow in the North Cascades National Park, near the Canadian border in Washington State.
    Black Huckleberry
  • A fisherman casts his line on a sunny cold morning on the White River just outside of Aspen, Colorado.
    Colorado Fly Fisherman
  • At approximately 6400 feet above sea level, Spray Park isn't actually a park but a large subalpine meadow and part of the greater Mount Rainier National Park. From here you are at the top of the tree line and get the most spectacular views of this active volcano and all of its glaciers. It may not be the easiest of places to get to, but the long climb is totally worth the effort!
    Mount Rainier from Spray Park
  • Very early on a chilly fall morning, just before sunrise on the Olympic Peninsula's Rialto Beach on Washington's Pacific Coast. Stands of dead sitka spruce trees line the shore (standing and fallen or washed ashore) on one of North America's most spectacular remote beaches.
    Rialto Beach at Dawn
  • A perfect detail shot of a dimpled trout lily. easily recognized by their mottled leaves, they bloom in the wintertime in spectacular yellow carpets in old hardwood forests. This particular colony is not only extremely rare, it might be the only colony found in all of Florida in the wild, as this one was near the Alabama-Florida-Georgia tri-state line.
    Dimpled Trout Lily
  • This uncommon member of the broomrape family is found at very high altitudes, such as this owl's clover found near the top of the tree line on Hurricane Ridge in Washington's Olympic Mountains. Here the habitat was a very rocky, open subalpine meadow within sight of late-summer mountain snow.
    Mountain Owl's Clover
  • Above the snow line on Mount Rainier on a gorgeous Pacific Northwestern summer day.
    Summertime Snow on Mount Rainier
  • The broadleaf lupine is one of my favorite wildflowers on Mount Rainier. They can be so numerous at the sub-alpine level that they can create a sea of blue mixed with spatters of other well-known wildflowers of other vibrant and contrasting colors. These were photographed on Mount Rainier's southern face close to the tree line.
    Broadleaf Lupine
  • One of many of the wondrous sub-alpine wildflowers found in the Pacific Northwest, this Colombian lily (also known as the small-flowered tiger lily) was found growing high up in the Cascade Mountains in Steven's Pass near the tree line on a cool August day.
    Columbia Lily
  • Here's a perfect view of the bright red fruiting bodies of the jester lichen (Cladonia leporina) is an interesting member of the already interesting Cladionia lichens with their odd and often colorful fruiting bodies. What's particular about this species is their preferred habitat of dry, open sandy soils instead the typical Cladonia low-to-mid mountain forest that gets lots of rainfall. This one was found growing in mass profusion just above the high tide line in the Gulf Islands National Seashore next to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Florida.
    Jester Lichen-3
  • Close-up of the jester lichen (Cladonia leporina) is an interesting member of the already interesting Cladionia lichens with their odd and often colorful fruiting bodies. What's particular about this species is their preferred habitat of dry, open sandy soils instead the typical Cladonia low-to-mid mountain forest that gets lots of rainfall. This one was found growing in mass profusion just above the high tide line in the Gulf Islands National Seashore next to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Florida.
    Jester Lichen-2
  • The jester lichen (Cladonia leporina) is an interesting member of the already interesting Cladionia lichens with their odd and often colorful fruiting bodies. What's particular about this species is their preferred habitat of dry, open sandy soils instead the typical Cladonia low-to-mid mountain forest that gets lots of rainfall. This one was found growing in mass profusion just above the high tide line in the Gulf Islands National Seashore next to Fort Pickens near Pensacola, Florida.
    Jester Lichen-1
  • While incredibly beautiful and also incredibly stinky, the parry's primrose is found blooming in the summertime in very high elevations 8,800 to 13,800 feet (2700 to 4200 meters), often within sight of melting snow. Although common in the Western United States, their range is restricted to Rocky Mountains and cannot be found in the coastal states. These incredibly bright native primroses were found just below the top of the tree line high in the mountains above Aspen, Colorado in Pitkin County at around 10,000 feet in elevation.
    Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) - 3
  • Sea stacks tower above the sitka spruce that line the Pacific coastline of Washington's Rialto Beach and Olympic National Park.
    Sea Stacks and Coastline at Rialto B..gton
  • Standing snow in the North Cascades on a chilly August late afternoon at the tree line, where thick forest opens into subalpine meadow. In most of Washington's mountain ranges, standing snow is common year-round.
    North Cascades National Park
  • It may look like a winter scene, but this close-up of Mount Rainier was photographed from the tree line where altitude and elevation inhibits further growth of trees and shrubs and the lush evergreen forests peter out into icy, snow-covered expanses of white. Look closely and you will see one of the 25 major glaciers on the peak that look much like a rocky, frozen river of ancient ice that ever so slowly flows down this enormous active volcano at its own pace. Some of the glaciers you can see here are (from left to right) Van Trump Glacier, Wilson Glacier, and Paradise Glacier.
    Mid-June on Mount Rainier
  • A sunny summer day on Washington's Mount Rainier just at the top of the tree line above Paradise on the mountains southern face. While the meadows might still be covered in snow, the air was warm and the open spaces were full of blooming wildflowers!
    Alpine Meadows in Summer
  • The black huckleberry is considered by many to be the prize of the mountain berries. These juicy, sweet member of the blueberry family are found from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean (with a few isolated locations eastward) and have been enjoyed by wildlife and humans for millennia. This official state fruit of Idaho is a particularly important food source for grizzly and black bears, and traditionally the Native Americans have been eating them in dozens of different ways: fresh, dried, smoked, crushed up in soups or mixed with salmon roe - to name a few. These huckleberries were photographed (then eaten) just below the tree line at the edge of a subalpine meadow in the North Cascades National Park, near the Canadian border in Washington State.
    Black Huckleberry
  • In summertime, masses of California poppies line roadsides and open areas, such as here in a field near Southern Washington's  Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge.
    California Poppies
  • Close-up detail of avalanche lilies growing at the snow line on Mount Rainier on a beautiful sunny summer day.
    Avalanche Lilies
  • In summertie, masses of California poppies line roadsides and open areas, such as here in a field near Southern Washington's  Catherine Creek in the Columbia River Gorge.
    California Poppies
  • The song sparrow is found in nearly every part of North America, including Northern Mexico all the way north to the arctic tundra. This redder-than-usual sparrow was seen hopping around the rocks at the low-tide line looking for bits and pieces of food left by the receeding water on Washington's Puget Sound, about 25 miles south of Seattle.
    Song Sparrow
  • A female sooty grouse hen stands out on a rocky outcrop on Mount Rainier on a sunny day at the snow line.
    Female Sooty Grouse
  • A view of Paradise. This popular area of Mount Rainier toward the top of the tree line has extraordinary views of the surrounding ridges and mountains, especially at sunset!
    A View of Paradise
  • Handsome meadow katydid (it's real name!) seen in Madison County near the Florida-Georgia County Line. Absolutely beautiful, even with one missing leg!
    Handsome Meadow Katydid
  • A close-up image of the very rare Cascade Red Fox, a subspecies found in the alpine and subalpine regions of many of the volcanic mountains of the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest. This beautiful subspecies is often nearly all black with silver or gray, and once flourished over much of Northwestern North America and is facing increasing pressure from climate change, invasive species like coyotes and humans, high-elevation logging and winter recreation sports such as snowmobiling and skiing. Not long before I got this shot, I spent part of a previous evening watching two pure-black kits (baby foxes) stalking and pouncing on each other in the snow in pure delight up in near the tree line on Mount Rainier.
    Cascade Red Fox
  • 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
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 2
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 1
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 7
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 6
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 5
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 4
  • Ingalls Creek in Washington's Cascade Mountains is utterly beautiful throughout the year. In summer, it is surrounded by tall granite mountains and lined with millions of subalpine and montane wildflowers. In winter with fresh snow, it provides a view that's hard to beat. This particular section of the creek was found by accident while following a downy woodpecker through the snow on a chilly late January afternoon.
    Ingalls Creek - 3
  • One of the more interesting plants found growing in the Pacific Northwest is the yellow skunk cabbage - also know as the western skunk cabbage or swamp lantern. These stinky water-loving plant blooms in the late spring and early summer in wet bogs or swamps and actually produces enough heat to melt snow away from it. Bears are known to eat the roots after their winter slumber to induce a laxative-like effect. While it is potentially toxic to humans, the native peoples of the Pacific Northwest used the large leaves (largest in the PNW) for lining the insides of baskets and for wrapping salmon before cooking them.
    Yellow Skunk Cabbage