Through The Lens 151 – Abrams Falls Autumn

Abrams Falls - Autumn

Fall color at Abrams Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  I took this one on a trip a couple years ago.  I hope to get back there in the next couple of years.

Happy Friday!

Through The Lens 52 – Great Smoky Mountains

Sunset - Clingman's Dome

Given the recent fires in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the surrounding area, I thought I’d share a favorite from my last trip.  I know the fire has caused significant damage, but the sun will rise again, the damage will be repaired and the forest will regrow.

Trip Report – Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2015 – Part 3 – Cades Cove

For the final part of my Great Smoky Mountains 2015 Trip Report, we’ll visit my favorite place in the park – Cades Cove.

Cades Cove is home to several homesites, churches, and lots of wildlife, making it a great place for photography. Here’s a few of my favorites from last fall:
Cable Mill

Cable Mill

Cades Cove Methodist Church

Cades Cove Methodist Church

Hyatt Lane Sunrise

Hyatt Lane Sunrise

Becky Cable Home

Becky Cable Home

Primitive Baptist Church Road

Cades Cove - Primitive Baptist Church Road

Tipton Barn

Tipton Barn

Sparks Lane Sunrise

Sparks Lane Sunrise

Thanks for following along.  If you missed the the first two parts you can find them here:  Part 1  Part 2

Trip Report – Great Smoky Mountains National Park 2015 – Part 1 – Waterfalls & Cascades

Spruce Flats Falls

Following the Cass Fall Photography Workshop, I made the trip down to Pigeon Forge to see the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the first time.  My two priorities for the trip were spending time in Cades Cove and shooting as many waterfalls as possible.  While I was successful on the first goal, sunny weather all week made waterfall photography a challenge.  But the sunny weather brought great sunsets and clear night skies on Clingman’s Dome so like all photography adventures, it was just a matter of chasing the light.

To keep the length reasonable, I’m going to split the trip report into three sections:  Waterfalls & Cascades, Sunsets & Night Photography and Cades Cove.

First up is Waterfalls.  As I mentioned earlier, many of the waterfalls are difficult to shoot on bright sunny days.  Dappled light and harsh shadows make for a difficult exposure, so instead of hiking the waterfalls back to back as I planned, getting decent waterfall shots became a game of shooting in the shadows.  After some quick research on the topography surrounding the waterfalls, I was able to guess when the surrounding hills would leave them in shadow, making for an easier exposure.

Big Creek Cascades - Autumn

Big Creek Cascades

Midnight Hole

Midnight Hole

Midnight Hole Cascades

Midnight Hole Cascades

Mouse Creek Falls

Mouse Creek Falls

Baskins Creek Falls

Baskins Creek Falls

Grotto Falls

Grotto Falls

Laurel Falls

Laurel Falls

Lynn Camp Cascades

Lynn Camp Cascades

Spruce Flats Falls

Spruce Flats Falls

All things considered, I’m happy with the waterfall shots I was able to get and since I didn’t get them all, I guess I’ll have to go back!

Check back in two weeks for Part 2 – Sunset & Night Photography.