Lens Artists Photo Challenge #412 – Places shaped by Water

Posted in Georgia, Nature, PhotographyTagged , , , , , ,

John is our host this week. His challenge: “Share up to six waterscapes—images where water shapes the scene. Choose your favorite places, your favorite photos, or a single location that inspires you. Natural or man‑made, peaceful or wild—if water helps tell the story, it’s fair game”

When I first read John’s challenge I thought it would easy. Oceans, rivers, creeks, lakes, swamps, bayous, and salt marshes are a few of my favorite places shaped by water. However, for this challenge I decided to focus on a place near and dear to my heart, the Okefenokee Swamp in my home state of Georgia. The Okefenokee Swamp is first site in the United States to be added as a World Heritage Site in over 30 years and is the only site in Georgia to receive the designation.

The Okefenokee Swamp is North America’s largest blackwater wetland and one of Georgia’s Seven Natural Wonders. It was designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1937 and on July 25, 2026, the Okefenokee Swamp was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can read more about the Okefenokee at Okefenokee World Heritage Site.

One of our favorite state park campgrounds was once named Stephen C. Foster State Park located in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in Fargo, Georgia. The state of Georgia renamed the park Okefenokee State Park on September 1, 2026. We camped there many times during the years. Our favorite thing to do was to take a boat ride into the swamp. Sometimes we went on a Ranger led boat tour, sometimes we rented a canoe to paddle through the swamp, and sometimes we rented a small motor boat. As we rode through the swamp through Spanish Moss Covered Cypress trees we always saw plenty of wildlife including alligators and birds.

Here are a few of my favorite images of the Okefenokee.

Into the Okefenokee
Okefenokee World Heritage Site

Alligator in the lily pads, Okefenokee Swamp

Cormorant in Okefenokee Swamp

Okefenokee Swamp

Okefenokee World Heritage Site

Last week Sofia’s fun challenge of What is it? had us guessing what was depicted in a photo. You had some really great photos that made me think “I have no idea”. Thank you to everyone who joined the challenge.

Many thanks to our host John for this week’s fun challenge. If you would like to join the challenge please be sure to tag your post with Lens-Artists and include a link back to his post Lens-Artists #412: Places shaped by water.

Be sure to check back on Saturday, September 12 at noon eastern time when I will be your host for the challenge.

You can keep up with all of our challenges by subscribing to the Lens-Artists team members websites: Tina, Patti, Ann-Christine, John, Sofia, Anne, Egidio, Ritva, Beth.

For information on how to join the Lens-Artists challenge please click here.

Every Day is a Gift

55 thoughts on “Lens Artists Photo Challenge #412 – Places shaped by Water”

  6. Oh, Beth, your shots are magnificent. I’ve always wanted to visit the Okefenokee, and very recently, Cam now does too. Last weekend, at the end of one of our news broadcasts (Saturday, I think), a reporter did a human interest story on the new UNESCO site, complete with a boat ride through the swamp – and just like that, it changed from “Pam’s dream vacation” to “our” dream vacation”. 🙂

    What are the big trees in your header please – those are specacular. You never (almost never) see mature trees growing in the water up here.

    Abfab post! Thank you so much for sharing these with us. Now I’m more determined than ever…

    Can’t wait to see what you create for us next weekend!

    xx

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    1. Pam, thank you so much! I’m glad to hear the Okefenokee is your dream vacation! The best time to visit is in the winter when the mosquitoes won’t eat you alive! The big trees are Cypress trees. I hope you get there soon!

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    1. Thanks Egidio! When I learned about the Okefenokee becoming a World Heritage Site I knew it had to be my subject for the challenge. I’m glad you enjoyed the images. It’s a very special and mysterious place.

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  17. Great and interesting series, Beth. Perfect for the challenge and interesting to me as I don’t think I’ve ever been in any swamp, so thanks for sharing.

    Were you in a canoe on the day you saw that alligator? If so, you’re very brave to be so close to the waterline.

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  24. Incredible photos of the Okefenokee Swamp. I think we went there when I was a child, but I don’t really have any recollection of it. It’s on my photo list, so hopefully I can experience it in person someday. Thanks for sharing one of Georgia’s Natural Treasures 😉📷

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