An anhinga spreads its wings in a tree to dry at sunset in Everglades National Park in Florida. Unlike many birds in aquatic environments, anhingas don't have waterproof oil on their feathers, so they spend a lot of time with their wings spread to dry out.
(Processed from Raw using DxO Photolab)
Photo: Dale Baskin
If there's one common thread that weaves through my photography this year, it's that I didn't do very much of it – at least not as much as I would have liked.
That may sound odd coming from a DPReview editor. After all, a big part of my job is testing cameras and shooting sample galleries. However, 2025 was an unusual year. Instead of running around with gear, I spent much of my time on infrastructure projects that will help lay the foundation for the site's future, including our new forum system and some other things you'll see in 2026. (Teaser!)
Add some unexpected events in my personal life, and I found precious little time for taking photos. A glance at my Lightroom library for 2025 is like looking at an empty cupboard. But one image that's special to me is the one at the top of this article: an anhinga spreading its wings to dry at sunset, captured during a trip to the opposite corner of the country.
For context, I'm a huge fan of national parks, not just in the US, but everywhere, and I've visited them all over the world. This year, I finally had the chance to visit one that's been on my list for a long time: Everglades National Park in Florida. *
I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from the Everglades. Living in the western US, national parks usually evoke visions of rugged mountains or grand vistas: Yellowstone. Yosemite. Mt. Rainier. In contrast, the highest point in the Everglades is about 3m (10ft) above sea level.
An American alligator lurks in the shallow waters of Everglades National Park. (Processed from Raw using DxO Photolab)
Photo: Dale Baskin
Contrary to popular belief, the Everglades isn't just a giant swamp. It is a slow-moving slough running from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico/America (circle your preference). This unique ecology makes it a fantastic environment for wildlife and wildlife photography. Unlike other regions where you often have to work incredibly hard to get close to subjects, here, the birds and aquatic species often walk right past you.
As with most wildlife photography, however, the hard part is still waiting. Waiting for your subject to be in just the right spot. Or, if shooting from a boat, waiting until you're in just the right spot. You still have to wait for just the right moment when your subject looks in your direction or starts moving in an interesting way.
"As with most wildlife photography, however, the hard part is still waiting. "
During the time I was in the Everglades, I was testing the Panasonic GH7 for our review, paired with the Olympus 40-150mm F2. 8 PRO lens, which provides an 80-300mm equivalent focal length and is one of my favorite lenses for the Micro Four Thirds format.
And that's the gear I used to capture the photo above of the anhinga, spreading its wings against the sky just as the sun was setting. Unlike many birds, Anhingas don't have waterproof oil on their feathers, so they spend a lot of time with their wings spread out to dry.
Hopefully, 2026 will be the year I get back out in the field more often, testing gear and shooting galleries. And I'm definitely planning to go back to the Everglades as soon as I can.
In the gallery below, you'll find a few more of my favorite wildlife shots from my Everglades adventure.
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*The photos in this article were actually taken during the last couple of days of 2024, but since I shot them after writing my 2024 photo of the year article, I'm considering them to be 2025 photos.
. dpreview.com2026-1-1 18:00