This trip just wasn’t turning out the way I thought it would. I’d been planning this all out for months now. When, where, what, how. The best plan of action had been established, the appropriate gear prepared and the research for the species I wanted to photograph had been carefully studied. The goal was to photograph Alligators and Owls. And so, I headed to beautiful Florida. I had reserved a backcountry permit in a stretch of swamp that seemed particularly ideal for these two species. And then the moment finally came to begin this great journey. Arriving at the trailhead, I immediately knew things were not as they should be. As I pulled up to the trailhead parking, the swamp was on fire. When things don’t come together the way you think they will in wildlife photography, it’s always a great idea to have a plan B, a plan C and so on. Resorting to plan B, I soon ran into issues there as well. Plan C, didn’t quite work the way I needed it to.

Pulling out my backup to my backup list, I finally resolved to try plan D. Arriving at a new location that I’d never been, I soon realized that this place was different. Wildlife was everywhere and there were excellent photography opportunities around every corner. I had spent the last couple of days dealing with problems and issues with very little photography. Now it seemed as if mother nature was rewarding my preparation and efforts and I was able to fill memory card after memory card.

Evening was approaching and I began heading back to my car. Making my way along the peaceful trail, I heard some rustling in the nearby bushes. Looking intently into the shadows, I noticed a scaly animal making its way through the underbrush. Was that what I thought it was? Some more movement and the creature made its way out of the shadows and proved to be exactly what I thought. An Armadillo, what a find! This is an animal that I’d never even seen before, but one I’d always wanted to photograph. Keeping very still, I watched as the little digging machine sniffed the air and began to search for dinner. Birds called in the distance, the Armadillo scurried all around me, moss hung from the trees and the sky was alight with beautiful sunset colors. This trip wasn’t turning out the way I thought it would, but I couldn’t wish for a better outcome!