Autumn’s Approaching

Living in Western North Carolina, the seasons have begun to shift from Summer to Fall. This is one of my favorite four seasons, ok, there are only four, but I love them all! The colors of Fall are what bring many visitors to my part of the country. With easy access to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, there are a bevy of things to do and see. The town I live in, Franklin, NC, is also a gateway town of the Appalachian Trail. Recently I spent a couple days over in Cades Cove, TN. It is an old settlement that has been preserved by the GSMNP. There are numerous old homes, barns and buildings to see and tour. Cades Cove is an extremely popular place to go, I’ve met people along the 11 mile loop road from places as far away as Ohio, Michigan and California. I will be posting a short series of images from my time at Cades Cove in the coming days, I hope you enjoy them. If you’d like to read more information about Cades Cove, The Great Smoky Mountain National Park or the Blue Ridge Parkway check out all the links from your favorite search engine. I could post a hundred different links and still not cover all of the things to do. Let me know what you think, leave a comment if you’d like!

You can view more of my images of Western North Carolina, The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Blue Ridge Parkway and some of my other favorite images at: http://www.facebook.com/tmi.imaging leave me a quick hello and let me know you linked off of my blog. Thank you!

Cullasaja Gorge

I truly love descending the scramble “trail” down into the Cullasaja Gorge. Located on Hwy 64 between Franklin, NC and Highlands, NC in the Nantahala National Forest, Cullasaja Falls is one of the area’s most popular sights. There is no REAL trail, only what mother nature, gravity and erosion have created over time. Where the run off waters from rain carve a meager path down the nearly 200 foot, sometimes 55-60 (est) degree angle slope. This is not a place for inexperienced hikers/climbers. People have died here, quite a few. Recently a person was pulled out of the gorge when he slipped, fell and broke his ankle. Took EMS personnel over 4 hours to get him out. I remember the first time I went down there after having heard someone had tragically fallen to their death. It was a little eerie, the water seemed as if it was flowing a little slower, somber with the loss of another life.

Taking all of that in to consideration, I don’t go down as often as I used to. I’ve fallen a couple times myself. It happens, and dang do those rocks hurt like hell. The pain of a cut leg, bruised elbow or broken bone are a lot more acceptable to me than a shattered lens! I made my way down into the gorge yesterday, early morning. It had rained over night, so every inch of every rock was wet and slippery. The ground was soft from the amounts of rain we’ve received over the last few weeks. However, the view from the bottom of this magnificent waterfall is worth it. To be able to stand at the base of this massive sight and see all of the water coming right at you, only to suddenly bank left (right from my POV) and head down the gorge, well, it’s nothing short of exhilarating. This photo is from down the gorge a couple hundred yards. You have to be that far away and behind some cover, to ensure you don’t get water spots all over your lens. If you go, you may want to get a camera cover, because it will get wet, there is NO question about that. I got a $10 cover and it works great, keeping the rain and spray off of my gear. Also, bring a few lens cloths and a lens pen. After you wipe water from your lens, the lens pen will get the dust left behind.

In all, Cullasaja Falls, as seen from Cullasaja Gorge, is a place where I feel at home, connected to myself. It truly is a place to get away from it all. But if you do go, please tell someone where you’ll be. There is no cell phone service in the area, so keep that in mind before you head down.

Tallulah River, Northeast Georgia

Today I took a drive I’ve taken a couple times before. South on Hwy 441, into Clayton, GA and then west on Hwy 76. The last time I went down there, it was colder, less green and a lot less crowded (there were A LOT of people fishing today). Although there were lots of people, I was still alone for most of my morning. Passing by a few people now and then, I appreciate a kind word or nod, and return the gesture. The Tallulah River is not a large river, it’s not especially scenic for grand lanscapes, but the intimate landscapes and colors can be breath taking without being over-edited or having to combine multiple exposures. This particular shot I loved the composition that the rocks form a pathway. The green at the top of the frame is the green reflected off of the rocks above the pool of water there. I am not a big photo editing guru, I don’t do HDR and I have only very limited experience with Photoshop. I try to capture the moment, one click, one shot. If it’s not what I saw when I took it, I shoot it again. Sometimes I end up shooting a scene 5 or 6 times before I get it the way I see it. I am not railing against photo editing, I do sharpen and ad a little tonal contrast to help the colors pop, I just prefer to do it my own way. That’s the beauty of photography, the beauty of art, it’s not right or wrong, it just IS.

Thanks for checking out my blog. I am new to this and appreciate you taking the time to stop by, I hope you enjoy my photos and would love any feedback or suggestions!

Into the river

A lot of times, landscape photographers get caught up in the “Big Picture”, the broad view, the wide and sweeping dramatic shots. Most of the time, that’s exactly what landscape photography is. However, there are places where I like to get down close and get intimate with my subjects. Other times, as was the case with this shot, I don’t have much of a choice! I am a forgetful person at times, and on this evening, I didn’t have my tripod. So, that said, if I wanted any long exposure shots of this gentle cascade, I had to improvise. Very simple – set your camera down on some STABLE rocks, adapt your settings for your desired look, set the automatic timer and press the shutter. This shot was taken along the Tuckasegee River the other night on my way home from a long day in Asheville. I had spent the day with my wife, Sonya, and we had done some “urban exploration” while experiencing Bele Chere for the first time. As we passed through Dillsboro, NC on our way home, the sun was in perfect position to get some long exposure shots of the river. Enjoy!