Algae grows in a Florida swamp. (Karen Glaser)

Until recently, photographer Karen Glaser was based in Chicago, but her work brought her far from home to the murky depths of Florida's swamps and springs. A scuba diving instructor suggested that Glaser trek to the Sunshine State to photograph manatees. Glaser, however, was also captivated by the unique environment which the majestic animals habitate.

"My senses are on overload each and every time I am in these waters," Glaser told weather.com.

Glaser, who was trained in a fine arts program, does not use flash to make the water appear clearer as many underwater photographers might.

"To me the particulate matter in the water is the lifeblood of that water. It's important that it's there," said Glaser.

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In more ways than one, Glaser has learned to work with the conditions that she finds at the swamps and springs. Sporting long pants and boots, she wades out into the water where alligators and other swamp-dwelling creatures lurk. When she photographed spawning garfish, the temperature outside was in the 40s— quite a difference from the constant 72-degree spring water.

Now that it is warmer, Glaser — who now is a resident of Florida — swims in the springs every day. She is in constant awe of these natural waters.

"Swamps often look like a tyrannosaurus is about to come around the corner," she said. "These places feel to me the way the earth may have looked million of years ago."

Glaser's work is now on display in the exhibition, "The Mark of the Water: Florida's Springs and Swamps — Karen Glaser" at the Harn Museum of Art in Gainesville, Fla. through July 6. For more of her photography, visit her website.