The state of Florida makes a lot of headlines, but few have to do with the Sunshine Stateâs natural beauty. Florida is home to 175 state parks, trails and historic sites and to celebrate its landscapes and wildlife, the Florida State Parks department invited photographers to share their images of the stateâs environmental highlights.
The âCaptureâŚthe Real Floridaâ photo contest selected winners across three divisions: Professional/Hobbyist, Student, and Mobile Phone. Within each division, the judges broke top the top images into eight categories: Landscape, Wildlife, Birds, Waterscapes, Plants and Flowers, Small Wonders, Park Adventures and Parks Overnight.
Location: Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park
Wildlife, Second Place Â
âI was hiking during the peak of dry season and was seeking refuge from the heat in one of the hammocks throughout the prairie. When I turned a corner, there was a male bobcat also hiding from the sunâs intense rays cooling off. Iâm super grateful for preserved spaces in Florida that give a safe quiet area for large predators. Shoutout to the hardworking rangers and volunteers who keep the parks beautiful!â
Credit: Jonathan Crossman
âAs a Wildlife Ecology & Conservation student at the University of Florida, I have always been fascinated with our native wildlife and visit our local state parks quite frequently,â Kelly Bearhs, Student division winner in the Birds category, said. âOne goal of mine in this field is to teach others about native wildlife and spread awarenessâŻon how we can protect them. Iâve been doing this through my photography over the years.â
Other winning photographs include a spectacular pink sky over the beaches of Big Talbot Island State Park, a solitary and stoic flamingo in Honeymoon Island State Park, and a butterfly soaking up golden hour at Bald Point State Park.
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Birds, First Place (Student)
âAs a Wildlife Ecology & Conservation student at the University of Florida, I have always been fascinated with our native wildlife and visit our local state parks quite frequently. One goal of mine in this field is to teach others about native wildlife and spread awarenessâŻon how we can protect them. Iâve been doing this through my photography over the years, sharing my photos & videos on various social media platforms with facts about the species and stories about the moment.
The story behind this photo is actually one of my favorites. It was a rainy afternoon and despiteâŻthe struggles of photographing in the rain, I still decided to try. I came across two adult Purple Gallinules making their way across these plants above the water. This juvenile followed closely, trying its best to make its way over to the adults. You could tell it was still learning how to maneuver across the plants as it would stumble and not be too sure of its footing. It wasnât initially apparent how imperativeâŻit was for there to be no mistakes in footing, but little did it know it was marching right above a gator. Luckily for it, the adults were able to warn the juvenile with a call and they were all able to get away safely. I managed to take this photo during its venture across the plants as it balanced between these two stems in a âsplitsâ pose.
This experience and unique pose has made it one of my favorite photos Iâve taken from our state parks and I am very happy to be able to share it with everyone!â
Credit: Kelly Bearhs
Myakka River State ParkÂ
Landscape, First PlaceÂ
âI love to take photographs, especially of landscapes and nature. Myakka River State Park is one of my favorite places to visit when I am in Florida. I usually come down from Michigan between January and April, so I try to make the most of my time while I am here. Like many photos in this category, it all comes down to timing and light. That is exactly what happened with this shot of Alligator Sunrise. I was exploring the Deep Hole with friends when the moment came together. I took the photo without expecting much from it.â
Credit: Deb Skinner
Location: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Wildlife, Finalist (Student)
Credit: Tomas Bernal
Location: Jonathan Dickinson State Park Â
Park Adventure, Third Place
âJonathan Dickinson State Park hosts an annual Festival promoting and educating about the benefits ofâŻprescribed burns, called FireFest. Arriving just after sunset, I made it just in time to watch ignition of their public prescribed night burn. This was my first time at the festival and first time witnessing a prescribed burn in person. I had heard about this through a former AmeriCorps Member and have been touring the various state parks since. In this photo I captured aâŻfire technician using his drip torch to spread the fire through the forest. I like the reflection of the fire in his glasses as the fire spreads around him.â
Credit: Justin Barnes
Location: Big Talbot Island State Park Â
Waterscapes, Finalist
Credit: Donald Pelliccia
Location: Colt Creek State Park Â
Birds, Finalist
Credit: Shae Jungkans
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park
Small Wonders, Finalist
Credit: Jordan Costano
Anastasia State Park
Wildlife, Finalist (Student)
Credit: Isaac Ewing
Location: Little Talbot Island State Park Â
Park Adventure, FinalistÂ
Credit: Brian Bowen
Location: Honeymoon Island State Park Â
Birds, FinalistÂ
Credit: Tiffany Gloeckner
Location: Bald Point State Park Â
Small Wonders, FinalistÂ
Credit: Randy Traynor
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