Head in the clouds - Adam Butler - Wildlife Photographer of the Year2007

2007 Creative Visions of Nature - Highly Commended

Adam Butler Click to enlarge Head in the clouds

Adam Butler (United Kingdom)

Head in the clouds

'We were in Florida's swampy Everglades, and when the skipper turned the boat's engine off, all I could hear were bird calls and the buzz of a thousand mosquitoes. As we paddled up to this 2.5-metre-long alligator, it remained motionless. The reflection of the sky was so clear it looks as though it's drifting through the clouds.' There are three crocodilian families: typical crocodiles, alligators (including caimans) and the gharial. American alligators have lived in Florida's marshes, rivers and lakes for centuries. But as the human population grows, so does conflict. There are thousands of complaints every year about alligators appearing in garden ponds or garages.

Canon EOS 20D + 16-35mm f2.8 lens; 1/200 sec at f7.1; ASA 200.