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Re: [OM] Clyde Butcher

Subject: Re: [OM] Clyde Butcher
From: Chuck Norcutt <chucknorcutt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2010 18:27:35 -0400
Yes, Clyde is my favorite photog.  The picture of him you're remembering 
is the last one in this series.  They were taken during a swampwalk at 
his Big Cypress gallery on Tamiami Trail (US 41) between Naples and 
Miami.  Incidentally, these are OT photos shot with an OM-G and (IIRC) a 
28mm lens.  Whatever I was willing to lose in the water.
<http://www.chucknorcutt.com/Swamp_Walk/index.htm>

Clyde posed for me in front of the master of the one print I have of 
his.  It was taken at the Loxahatchee National Wild Life Refuge where I 
used to work as a volunteer "interpreter" (docent) for about six years. 
  My copy, of course, is considerably smaller.  I can't afford the 
$3-$10,000 for a print like the one behind him.

During the walk we did encounter a small momma gator about 6 feet long, 
a small, non-venomous, Florida water snake (nerodia fasciata) and a 
small Florida water moccasin (Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti).  The 
momma gator was unperturbed since she was used to the human traffic 
nearby (female gators take up regular residence in a place they deem 
desirable for nesting).  The two snakes were not so calm.  They got very 
panicky and went zooming off between the people (since we were standing 
in the watery escape path) as fast as they could go.

I've been around moccasins and gators for many years but this was the 
first time I was ever actually in the water with them and not inside my 
little kayak.  It was an interesting experience and I was surprised that 
no one became alarmed.  But I think the moccasin had skedaddled before 
most folks knew what was happening.

I did have a fairly lengthy chat with Clyde about his photographic 
exploits in the glades over the past 30 years or more.  I asked if he'd 
ever been threatened by a gator or bitten by a moccasin.  No, he's never 
felt threatened by a gator but has been bitten once by a moccasin. 
Interestingly enough he wasn't in the water at the time.  He was 
standing next to his car in the parking lot and a small moccasin was 
hiding under the car right where he was standing.  The snake struck but 
the strike was ineffective.  Only one of the two fangs hit him and that 
one struck his ankle bone.  Penetration was very shallow and no 
envenomation occurred.

I rank Clyde right up there with Ansel Adams.  I think his work is every 
bit as good but he normally shoots much different subject matter. 
Here's his online Florida gallery
<http://clydebutcher.com/online-gallery.cfm>
But he has done photos in many of the states including some of the same 
places where Ansel did his work
<http://clydebutcher.com/online-gallery.cfm?holdcategory=2>

Chuck Norcutt



On 9/15/2010 4:01 PM, Donald wrote:
> On 15/09/2010 20:51, Rick Beckrich wrote:
>> Prints that you could walk into... quite a character, too.
>>
>> On Wed, Sep 15, 2010 at 3:31 PM,<NSURIT@xxxxxxx>   wrote:
>>
>>>
>
> I recognised him from one of Chuck's pictures, I think, or a link he had
> posted. I think I could listen to his voice all day...
>
> D.
>
-- 
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