Clyde Butcher is an internationally recognized landscape photographer. He lives with his wife Niki, who is also an artist, in the Big Cypress National Preserve in Eastern Collier County near the town of Ochopee. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, he moved frequently during childhood when his father, who worked for the US Government and Air Force, took assignments in various cities in Ohio, Kentucky and Colorado. Butcher studied architecture at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and as a student taught himself photography which enabled him to photograph, rather than draw, his architectural models.

In 1963 Butcher began shooting black and white landscapes after seeing an Ansel Adams exhibition in Yosemite National Park. During the 1960s and 1970s Butcher founded and ran three photography based businesses and fathered his two children, Jackie and Ted. In 1980 the Butchers moved to Ft. Lauderdale, but longed for a slower pace and in 1981 moved to Ft. Myers.

In 1984 Butcher began shooting photographs in the Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades. A year later their Ted was killed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver. The tragic incident marked a turning point in Butcher’s life and career. He set out for the Big Cypress where he found solace with nature and became aware of the fragile ecosystem’s peril and vulnerability. He gave up color photography and began working only in black and white. In 1992, the Butcher’s purchased the Orchid Isles property and moved to the thirteen acre site in the heart of the Big Cypress National Preserve. A year later they opened the Big Cypress Gallery featuring the art of Clyde and Niki Butcher.

The Butcher’s use their art and have dedicated their lives to educating people about the importance of the Everglades and its need for protection. One of the many ways they educate is by opening their property for annual swamp walks known affectionately as “Muck Abouts.” Small groups of people are led by expert guides through the swamps where they have the opportunity to experience the wonder and beauty of nature firsthand.

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