Jessica Simmons is a Florida nature photographer based in the Space Coast. She became serious about shooting pictures around age 27, starting close to home.

“In fact as soon as I got my camera I went straight to the backyard to see what I could find,” Simmons said. “It’s truly amazing what you can see when you’re watching the natural world through the lens.”

Simmons was interviewed recently by Katherine Taylor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

» "Florida is under major construction, we’re seeing trees wiped out and it shouldn’t be a concrete jungle."

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“Florida has kind of become my muse, and I’m constantly hunting for that next shot,” Simmons said. “Florida is nice because of the wide variety of landscapes. I’m from up North originally, and there’s so much to take in: beaches, marshes, and refuges. I’m hitting all of it!”

Simmons’s Facebook page provides a portal to her work but she says she's still an amateur.

"Photography is still a hobby; I haven’t pursued selling yet. The website I have is still getting hits, and I love that. ... It’s a reminder there’s more to the world than ugliness." 

For the full interview, read here.

» Photos by Jessica Simmons / via U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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