Dustin Angell's Pictures & Prose: Becoming a Florida Photographer

Morning spider webs

I have gotten behind on my blog before, but six months is much longer than I ever intended. All I can say is that life got in the way. I have gone through a lot of changes since September, including getting engaged, moving to Florida, and starting a new job. I moved down right after Christmas and have spent the last couple months trying to find my footing in a new place. Since I'm updating this, I'm hoping that means I am starting to get a handle on things and can relax a little to photograph and update my website.

Morning mist at
Archbold Biological Station

Five years ago I started with a part time job in science education at a science museum. Little did I know at the time that it would end up turning into what appears to be my main career. For a while I really wasn't sure how to identify myself. At first I thought of myself a photography who happened to be teaching science. As time passed I began to really associate with science education. So much so now, that I have to make sure to push myself to keep making art. I get to be creative so much of the time at work, that it gets out most of those "urges" us artists have. But I have to remind myself, that no matter how much I get to be creative or even use photography at my job, I need to make art for myself, too.

So far, I've been traveling around to different natural places and bringing my camera along. I now work at a biological research station, so I am about ten steps from my desk to a nature trail. This has been great for my nature photography skills. I have opportunities every day to work on them if I want. So far I've been trying to understand the panoramas down here as well as take close up shots of the plants and animals I come across I have discovered that during the winter here there is a fantastic morning mist, which makes spider webs look amazing. Unfortunately winter is now on its way out, but this may turn into a project down the road. I haven't seriously photographed any people, but eventually I want to get back into photographing babies, weddings, and people in general.

I hope you enjoy these first impressions of Florida and stay with me as I investigate it further over the coming months and years.