We spent the afternoon and evening touring around the dirt roads of The Big Cypress National Preserve.  I settled on a spot along the Turner River Canal with a nice grouping of trees in the background.  Patiently waiting for the full moon to rise, I began spotting a few alligators resting in the canal.  As the moon began to rise, I started composing my shot.  I was shooting with a wide angle lens and was not happy with what I was capturing.  I decided to switch to a little longer lens.  I attached an old Canon FD manual focus lens to my camera.  As I was adjusting my equipment, an alligator moved into my scene.  I adjusted my shot to capture the moonrise framed by the trees while our new friend posed perfectly for me. This image has become my most popular at Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery.  

Equipment Used: Samsung NX500 Mirroless Camera, Canon FD 50mm f/1.8 lens, tripod, flashlight and my truck bed.