Florida springs and rivers are the canvas upon which I choose to focus my photographic efforts. Born and raised in North FLorida, I feel fortunate to have grown up in the land of these mysterious waters. Throughout my life I have always had a deep desire to capture images of the natural world.  My first big purchase was a Nikonos camera.  I knew back then that photography was something I had to do, a language to let me communicate what I could not express any other way.

The first time I pulled back the bushes and saw a spring, I knew those magical places would be a permanent part of my life. Our area offers one of the greatest natural wonders on earth. It is a giant, three-dimensional karst terrain that produces a renewable resource.... the finest water on the planet. I can think of no place on the planet more worthy  of my attention and love than my own backyard.

The first objective of my photography is to capture what I am exploring.  This varies greatly from most image makers, who have a talent for capturing what they see.  It is extremely rare that this happens to me spontaneously on a photographic outing. More times than not my images represent an evolutional crafting that may keep me working on an image for years.  Honestly, I'm never sure of what I'm doing until the right elements of light, technology, mood, and the environment all line up for that one magical moment.

Certainly, one of the greatest challenges for me has been the forced mixing of technology with artistry.   In the alien and aqueous world of subterranean caves this has proven to be a greater challenge than one might ever imagine.  The goal... to drag an enormous amount of expensive, flood-proof, tempermental and dangerous equipment into an environment of perpetual darkness and hope everybody and everything does their job.   It has to be the only form of photography where you have no idea what you have created until after you get the film back

The quest to build equipment, techniques and methods necessary to capture these images has lasted decades and has required a tremendous amount of patience and support form a team of the best dive buddies I could have ever hoped to find.

As divers we get to live out a Peter Pan fantasy of flying weightless within a dreamscape of unparalleled beauty.  The things we see, the places we explore have a deep and profound impact on us all.  For me the goal has always been to share our world of Florida springs with others in hopes of touching someone's heart.  Maybe it's a smile, a moment of awe.  The best result is when a photograph reveals to someone a beauty and wonder that they never knew existed.  When my images inspire others to act on behalf of our fragile ecosystem........that's my greatest pleasure.

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© Wes Skiles/ Karst Productions, Inc