FAQ

A family in South Florida. This site is our shoebox of days: short home movies on YouTube, wildlife photography from the local boardwalks and wetlands, and Aura Looks Up, a kids' space-science comic. We keep it in one place so the days stop blurring together.

All three point to the same family. The Mehdees is the full name; Mehdees and Mehdee are the short forms people actually type. Whichever you use, mehdee.com is home.

Short videos about ordinary family days, mostly the family and the kids: drives, backyard evenings, the moments worth keeping. They are made for us first, but everyone is welcome to watch along. Someday the channel might grow into sharing what we learn; no promises. Instagram is mostly photos, with a short reel or story now and then.

YouTube at youtube.com/@themehdees and Instagram at instagram.com/themehdees. The photography has its own Instagram at instagram.com/robinmehdee.

A kids' space-science comic the family publishes: a curious little girl asks the big bedtime questions and gets honest, age-appropriate answers. Season one has nine episodes, plus a glossary that makes the big words kid-sized. It lives at mehdee.com/auralooksup, and it has its own FAQ there.

Ask first, through the contact form. Family footage is personal, so the answer depends on what and where, but asking is always fine.

All of the photography here is one photographer's work: shot, edited, and copyrighted by the family's photographer, Robin Mehdee. You can browse the full set in the galleries, and licensing runs through the contact form.

Nearly all of this work comes from a handful of spots around South Florida: the Wakodahatchee Wetlands in Delray Beach, the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge and Green Cay Nature Center in Boynton Beach, the Everglades and its Anhinga Trail, and a steady rotation of local parks, wetlands, and even my own backyard. The boardwalks put wading birds within a few feet of you, which is why so many of the birds here look so close. I wrote a full guide to where to photograph wading birds in South Florida if you want the details on each spot.

The dry season, roughly November through April, is the classic window. Water levels drop, the birds concentrate around what water is left, and winter migrants show up. Nesting builds from late winter into spring, when the rookeries fill with chicks and breeding plumage. Here's the month by month breakdown.

Early morning, without much competition. The first hour after sunrise gives soft, warm light and the most active birds. Late afternoon golden hour is the other dependable window. The middle of the day is harsh and the birds tend to settle, so I usually don't bother.

Mostly South Florida's wading birds: great egrets, great blue herons, tricolored herons, wood storks, cattle egrets, and more, plus reptiles like American alligators and green iguanas, and some broader nature work. Every photo is captioned with the species where I could identify it. Have a look through the galleries to see the full range.

Size and feet. The great egret is tall with a yellow bill and all black legs and feet. The snowy egret is smaller, with a black bill and bright yellow feet, the "golden slippers." Herons are generally larger and more colored than the all white egrets. I put together a field guide to South Florida's white birds with photos if you want to get these sorted for good.

Two birds get called "the pink one." The roseate spoonbill is the flat, spoon-billed pink wader people usually mean, and the flamingo is the rarer, taller one. Spoonbills turn up around the same wetlands as everything else if you're patient. I wrote about finding roseate spoonbills in South Florida and where they tend to show up.

The Everglades is the obvious one, especially the Anhinga Trail, but gators also turn up at Wakodahatchee, Green Cay, and pretty much any wetland with fresh water. You'll find plenty of them in the reptile gallery. If you want to do it safely, read photographing alligators safely in the Everglades first.

With respect and distance, yes. The best gator shots come from a low, eye level angle, which is exactly where you don't want to be standing close, so that's what a long lens is for. Never approach, feed, or get between a gator and the water, and give baby alligators a wide berth because the mother is usually right there. The full safety guide goes deeper.

Almost anywhere in South Florida with sun and water. Canal banks, park edges, seawalls, and boardwalk railings are all good bets, and the big males in orange breeding color are hard to miss. There's a run of them in the reptile gallery.

Only as close as the bird lets you without changing its behavior. If an animal stops what it's doing, freezes, or flies off, that's your signal to back away, especially near nests in spring and summer. Most of these frames come from a long lens and a lot of standing still, not from crowding anything. I put my thinking on this in an ethical guide to photographing nesting birds in Florida.

The short version: a telephoto lens somewhere in the 300 to 600mm range for birds and reptiles, and fast, reliable autofocus for anything in flight. The camera body matters less than being out at first light and knowing how the animal behaves. I wrote an honest, hobbyist take on what gear you actually need (and what you don't).

A fast shutter speed to freeze the wings, usually 1/2000s or faster, continuous autofocus with tracking, and a burst of frames so you can keep the one where everything lined up. I open up the aperture for light and let ISO float to keep that shutter speed. There's more detail in the gear and technique post.

Yes, on request. I photograph as a hobby, not for hire, but I'm glad to let people use or print an image. Open any photo and choose "Request permission to use this photo," or reach out through the contact page. Tell me which photo and how you'd like to use it, and I'll send a price back. There's a plain-language walkthrough in how to use or print one of my photos.

Yes. Prints are available on request rather than through a cart. Send me the photo you like and the size you want, and I'll get you a quote. Use the request link on any photo, or the contact page.

It depends on the image and how you plan to use it, whether that's a personal print, editorial, or commercial use. There's no fixed price list. Ask about the specific photo and the use and you'll get a straight number back. Start on the contact page.

No. This is personal work, not a business, so I don't take on shoots, workshops, or tours. What is on offer is permission to use or print the photographs already in these galleries.