Two years ago, I spent quite a bit of time shooting aerials of the coastal marshes and islands of the Gulf Coast of Louisiana for Ducks Unlimited. This shoreline is amazing: there are vast unbroken stretches of pristine marsh intermixed with canals constructed for the oil industry tugs and barges. The BP blowout and loss of the Deepwater Horizon is going to significantly impact the Gulf Coast shoreline for years. The shoreline of Louisiana has receded in recent years due to siltation, development and mangrove destruction.

Aerial Louisiana Coastline Marshes – Images by Cameron Davidson

I’ve shot on quite a few deepwater rigs, primarily for a couple of clients who produce natural gas. The SPAR rigs are quite amazing – much like an iceberg, the majority of the vessel is underwater held to the seafloor by gigantic chains, such as this one I shot on another SPAR rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

For many years I have been drawn to the interaction of our imprint on the shorelines. I’ve shot marshes and rivers around the world and continue to shoot personal projects on watersheds. I am glad that I was able to shoot a few of the Louisiana marshes before they become impacted by this tragedy.

I hope you enjoy the views. These were shot from a Bell Jet Ranger and most of the flight was between one-hundred and three-hundred feet above the water.