Originally shared on Instagram on November 23, 2025. Photography and story by Mark Middleton.
I’m closing out my week of drone photography with this shot from about 75 miles north of Tampa, out on Florida’s Nature Coast. When you see our rivers and tributaries from above — the way they twist, branch, and weave through the landscape — it gives you a whole new respect for how wild this state really is.
I’ve spent a lot of time fishing in the backcountry, and I’ve explored more of Florida’s natural spaces than I can count. What always surprises me is how quickly the noise of everyday life disappears. One minute you’re on a highway, and the next you’re in a part of Florida that looks like it hasn’t changed in a hundred years. Mangroves, marsh, quiet water, and miles of open space that remind you this state is still more wild than it is urban.
This photo is a little homage to the places we have left — the pockets of untouched Florida that keep their secrets well. When I’ve been out here fishing, especially alone, it feels like stepping back in time. No buildings, no people, no sound but water and wind. Just Florida, the way it used to be.
I’m grateful drones let me share these angles — not just for the photography, but for the perspective. This is the Florida most people never see.
Explore more photographs in the gallery or continue reading the Photography Journal.