A muse in the marsh
You’ve probably heard of guardian angels, but have you ever heard of a guardian alligator?
While working on the JF Welder Ranch during the 2025 Wildlife in Focus photography competition, I became fascinated by an alligator that lived in a small wetland pond. I had missed my first great shot — a failed strike at a Sora — and couldn’t stop thinking about it. I should have stayed on the Sora to be ready for the action. Instead, I swung toward the approaching alligator and missed the best part of the shot as the startled bird flapped desperately and escaped.
That mistake gnawed at me. I returned again and again, determined to make a photograph worthy of the creature’s raw beauty and power. Elaine finally said, “I think it’s like Van Gogh with his sunflowers. You just keep making alligator photos.”
She was right. Though I rarely name wild animals, the nickname stuck. “Van Gogh,” I decided — fierce, persistent, and endlessly compelling.
A surprise attack in the grass
One evening, as the light softened and the pond turned to gold, I set up near the water with my stool and tripod. As usual, Van Gogh was nearby, resting half in shade, half in sunlight. When I looked up again, he had moved quietly from the pond and was fully out of the water, edging through the grass toward my setup. His eyes were fixed in my direction.
Curious, I stepped back a few feet, my camera still set for the slower movements I had been watching. Then, suddenly, he lunged: a burst of muscle and motion, and in an instant clamped down on a cottonmouth snake, thrashing it in the air before retreating to the pond where he ate it.
Only later did I realize what had happened. The venomous snake had been near my stool the entire time. While I was absorbed in framing compositions, Van Gogh had been watching over me — or perhaps simply stocking his prey — but either way, he had kept danger from striking.
From that day on, I called him my Guardian Alligator.
After the rush
When I told the story to Elaine, she was fascinated but made me promise to stop putting myself in danger at that pond. “That could have ended badly” she said. I nodded, though I couldn’t stay away. I went back — carefully — and those sessions produced a collection of winning photos and videos in the competition. Here is a linked list of those. winners.
First Place Video – Promotional Catergory
Honorable Mention – Alligators
Honorable Mention – Wildlife Video
Sometimes the best photographs come not from seeking beauty, but from trusting the wild to reveal its own strange grace.
Do you have an interesting story or thoughts to share?
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Continuing the journey
To read about Martin’s experience photographing for the 2025 Wildlife in Focus photography competition and see all his winning photos visit our last blog post titled Wildlife in Focus 2025: Honored to Share the Wild
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