C. C. Lockwood shares five favorite Louisiana destinations

Thick stands of smoothcord grass in the Bollinger Marsh at Grand Isle. All photos by C. C. Lockwood

Photographer marks release of new book, ‘Louisiana Wild’

By now, C. C. Lockwood has probably traversed and documented most of Louisiana’s natural landscape. The celebrated local nature photographer has 10 books under his belt, several of which focus on the Bayou State. But he had no hesitations about setting out again, partnering with The Nature Conservancy to capture the more than 60 properties it owns and manages within the state. Over two years, Lockwood photographed the wildlife, the flora and the work done by the organization to preserve and maintain more than 285,000 acres of pristine land in Louisiana.

Lockwood’s images are presented beautifully in Louisiana Wild, out this month from LSU Press, with gorgeous full-page images and his own musings and explanations about the varied landscapes from the piney forests in north Louisiana to the thick swamplands and coastal marshes of south Louisiana.

We asked Lockwood to share with us five places he returns to with his camera again and again. Read on for what he had to say.

Photos from C. C. Lockwood's book Louisiana Wild — A yellow pitcher plant is covered in dew at the Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve.

Abita Creek Flatwoods Preserve

For something really different, I head over to the boot of Louisiana to photograph the yellow pitcher plant, a carnivorous species that decorates the prairie along with orchids and many other colorful wildflower species. I also got some nice shots of a controlled burn. Longleaf pines need fire to out-compete other species of trees and shrubs, so The Nature Conservancy burns their properties in this habitat periodically to restore this rare habitat to its former look.

Grand Isle

When you’re tired of fishing or watching the waves from your camp’s high porch, try hiking the trails on The Nature Conservancy preserve. The trail is surrounded by sea-swept live oaks in the middle of the island. My favorite part is the Grilleta Tract. This is where I go during the spring bird migration to see and photograph painted buntings, scarlet tanagers and many other colorful songbirds that have just flown across the Gulf of Mexico.

Lake Martin

A well-known nature photography site is not only close by (to us in Baton Rouge) but offers a diversity of photo subjects such as alligators, beautiful stands of bald cypress and a bird nesting colony harboring 14 species of colonial birds. It is the largest preserve that The Nature Conservancy owns in Louisiana and a major part of my new book.

Atchafalaya Basin

It was love at first sight when I first entered the Atchafalaya Basin. I felt like Meriwether Lewis with such a big area to explore, and I did this slowly by canoe and camping in a small tent. The habitats stretching from hardwood bottomlands in the north to coastal barrier islands in Atchafalaya Bay offered a variety of wildlife, landscapes and recreational opportunities to capture on film.

Mollicy Farm

This 16,000-acre farm was chiseled out of the lush hardwood bottomlands along the Ouachita River in the late ’60s for soybeans. It proved to be too wet and many farmers lost crops and money. The Nature Conservancy along with the Fish and Wildlife Service is currently restoring this farm to its former habitat. You can photograph eagles and waterfowl there in the winter. I shot some very artsy aerial photographs on a foggy morning at sunrise. One of these is a favorite in my new book.

C. C. Lockwood's Louisiana Wild — Courtesy LSU Press

GET WILD

Lockwood will host a signing of Louisiana Wild at the LSU Barnes & Noble Sept. 5, 2 p.m.-4 p.m. The Nature Conservancy will also host a book launch for him at the Manship Theatre Sept. 16, starting at 6 p.m. cclockwood.com

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