Cherry Run
Beaufort County, NC

I try to take photographs in the early light. That often means launching my kayak in the dark, paddling between the deep shadows of trees on either bank, sometimes startled by the slap of a fishtail on the surface or the raucous flight of wild turkeys flushed from the canopy overhead. It can also mean bitter cold in the winter and sulking humidity in the summer.

But the reward is a moment like this when sunlight spills across the dark water and silhouettes the delicately feathered fronds of a bald cypress.

There are so many gradations of green in the wetlands. Humanity has evolved with a keen sensitivity to the color green. It lies in the middle of our visual range. We can distinguish at least 295 shades of green. Green is the color of peace and tranquility. We even live longer and more sanely when surrounded by green plants.

If you want to live longer, live in a swamp.