The Ridge Runner

My friend Bob and I left the parking lot of Juke Box Junction around 5:45am last Friday morning, and headed up NC215 to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  I had an idea of some good spots for sunrise photos, had checked my iPhone app for sunrise time.  The sky was already very light by the time we reached the Parkway.  But I goofed on my sense of direction and kept thinking the sunrise would show up to our left as we drove south.  Then I spotted some color off to our right through gaps in the trees.  It was already happening and we weren't set up to take photos!  I finally got a decent spot to pull off with a good view.  I got one out-of-focus shot of the sun showing between the ridge and the low cloud cover.  I ended up with some decent images, but I missed the actual sunrise.  Later we moved to other overlooks and made more photos.  The clouds made for some interesting light play on the mountains.  Afterwards, we tried to find Courthouse Falls, but I goofed again and we ended up on a wild goose chase up a narrow trail and never found the falls (although I have been there before, many years ago.)

My trip with Bob was a reminder of what I already knew about trip planning, location scouting, and being prepared.  It was also a remeinder that every photo shoot is a problem solving exercise, that ecompasses a variety of elements to make it successful. Something as simple as making sure there is enough gas in your vehicle, even having enough food and water is a part of it.  GPS and maps and guidebooks can be a part of a successful trip.  Then, there is the actual photo gathering itself where you have to be aware of what is happening with the light, or if it's not great, looking for elements of the scene that can be incorporated into a pleasing composition, all the while being concious of the equipment you have at your disposal and using it in a creative way.

Click on the thumbnail and enjoy the show. You can pause/forward/back the slide show using the controls at bottom right and either side of the slide show window.

Over the last few weeks I have been able to get out and about in various places in North Carolina, from the Smokies to the Peidmont, traveling a variety of backroads and seeing many insteresting things along the way.  It's impossible to record everything because of time limitations, and more often, lack of safe pull-offs on NC's narrow backroads.  I'm also reluctant to photograph private property without permission, probably because of an incident back in college where a man met me with a shotgun when I parked near his driveway to photograph a church...I never did get that photo!

Click on the thumbnail and enjoy the show. You can pause/forward/back the slide show using the controls at bottom right and either side of the slide show window.

I got up early last week and met my friend Paul for a photo outing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  We went to Lakeshore Drive and Deep Creek.  It was a beautiful morning with lots of photo ops and many wildflowers blooming.  Click on the photo for a slide show of some of the images I captured on our excursion.

Photos of Downtown Waynesville.  Snow for the Holidays, 12-18-09.

I was very fortunate to be able to photograph Downtown Waynesville just after the 14" snow of 12/18/09.  It was truly beautiful with the holiday lighting, and deep snow coating and clinging to everything.  The web gallery I made has gone around what seems like the entire U.S.  I continue to hear nice and positive things about the photos I took that evening. Please enjoy the photo gallery by clicking on the image below, which will open a new window.  You can also call us at 800-525-3009 or 828-452-3003 for more information about purchasing prints.  Enjoy! (Hint: you can pause the slide show any time & navigate backward/forward by clicking on the L/R sides of the images.)