The Atchafalaya swamp is a large area in south-western Louisiana used as an emergency flood-plain for the Mississippi river -- if potentially disastrous floods threaten New Orleans the levees are breached and the Atchafalaya flooded. The area comprises swamps of primarily cypress, tupelo and cedar trees, either a few feet above water-level or standing in the water (the water is typically only a few feet deep). The darker areas shown on the cypress trees in this portfolio indicate the height of the flood waters when the Atchafalaya was flooded in June 2011. The isolated cypress trees in the water are stunted as a consequence of being frequently struck by lightning.