Bayou Photography
We went to the heart of Cajun Country for our Louisiana Bayous Workshop. We spent 4 photo sessions on a large flat bottom boat cruising through the bayous and photographing the swamp and wildlife at eye level. This year we had all types of atmospherics: fog in the morning, sunshine and rain. Every type of weather gave us different photos and added to the large variety of images of the tour.
Mossy Landscapes
Swamps are mysterious places. The Bald Cypress and Tupelo trees are covered in Spanish Moss and surrounded by water. We explored these moody landscapes at both dawn and dusk looking for backlighting and rich colors to enhance our images. We were lucky to hit fog on the first morning.
Great Egret Rookery
We photographed for two of our sessions in a private rookery filled with nesting Great Egrets. We saw chicks that were days old as well as large chicks ready to fledge. We used our longest lenses and photographed on tripods. We watched as adults flew in and out of the nest with food for the chicks.
Spoonbills in Flight
There were also Roseate Spoonbills at the rookery and several of them were actively building nests. We captured them in flight as they moved back and forth on the same path looking for new sticks for their nest.
Colors in the Bayou
Colors stand out in the bayou and spring is when everything is at it's most colorful. The birds, like the Prothonotary Warbler, are all in breeding plumage. The flowers are blooming on the roadsides and the moss turns a subtle green in the rain.
Hidden Gems
Part of the allure of this location is that you never know what you will see when you come around the next corner. It could be a pair of alligators sunning on a log, a limb full of Whistling Ducks or sunny beams of light coming through the moss. Most of our participants had never been in a swamp before and they are already eager to come back.
A big thanks to all the photographers who joined us in the Louisiana Bayous this year!
Our Louisiana Bayous Workshop is SOLD OUT in 2026. Click here to join the waitlist or send us a note to be on the Interest List for future Louisiana trips
Check for other Upcoming Openings here
Credits:
Tom Bol and Cree Bol