Nature photographer hopes to inspire others to see ‘the real Florida’

HASTINGS, Fla. – SnapJAX Stories is back and this week we were blown away by one of our snapper’s pictures. Turns out he’s a nature photographer and he’s been capturing images for almost 50 years.

Joe Myers, better known as “Long Hair Guy” on SnapJAX, truly lives up to his nickname. He has a mane of beautiful blonde hair.

“So it’s natural, all-natural. No plans on cutting it. People ask me about it. I tell them I need what little I got. They go silent every time,” Myers said.

Myers’ pictures might also leave you speechless. The best sunsets, extraordinary cloud formations and dramatic lightning all caught on camera — mostly in Hastings. (Photo gallery above of some of Myers’ shares on SnapJAX)

Myers moved from Ohio some years ago and fell in love with what he calls “the real Florida.” He’s a self-described nature photographer and storm spotter.

“(I like) to show people the cool stuff that’s out here so they can enjoy it and say, ‘Hey, this is a Florida we don’t see.’ You go to Florida, you see Disney, you see all the flying and bling, but you come out here: This to me is the real Florida,” Myers said.

One of his talents is capturing time-lapse video, and he’s not afraid to put himself in the middle of a storm to get amazing footage.

“I actually had a good scare back in April where I had a supercell just explode right on top of me,” Myers said. “Normally when I’m out in a storm, it’s like, ‘Bring it on. Bring it on.’ But this one is like, ‘Am I gonna make it through?’”

But it’s the calm after the storm, the sun setting after a hectic day, birds in flight and spectacular butterflies taking a rest on flowers that have shaped Myers’ life and given him a point of view that only a detailed person with true patience can appreciate.

I asked him what his life motto or mission statement would be.

“I would say, ‘Trust the Creator’ because this is all here for our enjoyment. It’s put here for us not to abuse or destroy it but to enjoy it. Have fun with it because that’s what it’s put here for,” Myers said.

One thing we didn’t see when I met Myers was “the big one.” Myers said there’s a 10-foot gator that lives in a nearby lake and travels over to a smaller body of water every night right around dinner time.

On that note, we left, but not without Myers leaving a lasting impression about his love of nature.