The Barn Series - Day 8 - Great Smoky Mountains

Cade's Cove is on tap today for The Barn Series journey. A beautiful, peaceful valley with old farmsteads and historic, one room churches dotting the landscape. This old barn is one of my favorites. I love to photograph it in all of the seasons with the mountains looming in the background. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the largest national park east of the Mississippi River. Visitors flock here every year in the tens of thousands. The park is located in eastern Tennessee and is actually in Tennessee and North Carolina.

Cade's Code is one of the main attractions with visitors. In this valley, you can go back in time, as you travel the winding road. View first hand how these farmers plied their trade throughout the decades. The moment you enter this park you know you are in an amazing place. The forests are thick and lush with gorgeous trees and plants and wildflowers. Rushing rivers wind through the park as they make their way down the mountains into the valleys. The flora and fauna of this national park is like none other you will find across the nation, because the Smoky Mountains is also a rain forest. Witness that first hand as you drive throughout the park or hike the trails. Water is paramount here.

I hope you are enjoying The Barn Series. Wonder where we will end up tomorrow. ENJOY!

Linking to Metamorphosis Monday

Giving Thanks

It's that time of year again when you are compelled to look back over the past year, or even perhaps your entire life, and give thanks. It matters not what you are giving thanks for. It matters most that you feel compelled. That's the key. I think a lot about the folks in Paradise, California who have lost not only their homes, but their businesses, and their neighbors, and their sense of community. I think a lot about the folks in Mexico Beach, Florida, who dare I repeat it, lost not only their homes, but their businesses, and their neighbors, and their sense of community. Devastation can come in many forms. From battles and wars, and wind and tornadoes, and water and hurricanes. No matter how, it is still devastation. I pray for all of you, and all of the people who are struggling to build your life or rebuild your life for whatever reason. If it's drugs or illness or poverty or abuse. You deserve a better world. I pray you find it. THANKS!

Cornucopia

Today, I just need to say. I'm a Derby City girl who moved to Music City. I am from the Bluegrass State and now reside in the Volunteer State.

I used to photograph Kentucky and Indiana. Now I photograph Kentucky and Tennessee. Today I share a cornucopia of images I captured in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, to herald a new season approaching. Fall is coming.

Tis the season for all things pumpkin, pine cone and acorn. Go crazy with witches and brews and spider webs too. ENJOY!

The Weight of Water & Photographing It

Getting up close and personal with fast moving water and getting the shot, well it's not that easy. Here's a few images I captured throughout the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. These images were taken over a span of about six or seven years.

It's not just about the water, it's really more about the perspective. You can have too much noise in your image. All that does is take away from the feeling a reader gets when they view the image. It's about the scene itself and the relationship it has with the water. The way the water falls over the rocks is a vital element.

This image is my favorite water shot of all. I captured this image no more than 100 steps in on the Porter's Creek Trail in Greenbrier. It may seem like there's too much noise in this shot, but the way the rocks and the foliage frame the image, and the drama of that water flowing so beautifully over the rocks, well, it's just perfect.

Sometimes the focal point screams at you as in this image. A perfect cascade with water spilling over the rocks and leaving a wake of wispy whiteness all around. It screams serenity to me.

And then you encounter the tallest waterfall in the Smokies. Mingo Falls, in Cherokee, North Carolina, along the eastern most point of the Smokies. It's not only the tallest, but it's also the most difficult waterfall to position oneself in order to get a decnt image. I chose to shoot the top half and then the bottom. The bottom was more interesting with the water falling over the large boulder and  the forest trees hanging over in the foreground.

I had never attempted this type of image before. However, the scenery left and right of the Oconaluftee River in this image was just right. So I shot the water from the back side of the flow. It feels a tad serene.

Couldn't believe my eyes when I happened upon this waterfall coming down off a steep mountainside next to the road leading back to Tremont several years back. It took some maneuvering of the tripod to get this perspective, so much so one of the legs was sitting in the stream below the shot. There's so much green in this image even in the moss on the boulders. So decreasing the density did no good. It's just all green foliage and the water.

Photographing moving water is difficult. I have archives of bad images to show for it. Shots with the water not falling off the rocks nicely, too much noise in the background or no real focal point to grab the attention of your reader. 

Here's a few tips I know helped me. First, perspective is the most important thing. Getting the right water falling off the right boulders with the best scenery around it is essential. Second the flow of the water over the rocks or boulders. If it's not falling beautifully, then there's little impact to your reader. Third is how the water lands as it falls. The best way I can describe what I mean by this is for you to go back to the fourth image. See the wispy water after it's fallen over the rocks. What a focal point. Sadly, you may have all of those things, but no place to position your tripod legs. It happens.

My best advice, just keep at it. I have wanted to share this collection for some time. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm not an expert at shooting water. I'm a novice.

Have a wonderful rest of the weekend all and a great week. ENJOY!

Looking Back at 2017

Wherever you travel in the world, more than likely you carry a camera with you today. It may only be a camera on your smartphone or a tiny point and shoot or it might be a larger digital camera with interchangeable lenses. Here's a look back at a few of the venues I captured images of in the past year from the Tennessee all the way west to the Pacific.

One of my favorite places to visit in all of the States is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. At the highest elevation, any visitor in an automobile can drive, sits Clingman's Dome. On this beautiful day in the Smokies, I captured this image of Fontana Lake way off in the distance with clouds floating by.

Capturing images of farms and farmland is by far one of the many photo ops photographers enjoy doing. To take this urban image, I only traveled about thirty miles north of my home and about a mile from the Kentucky/Tennessee northern border, just outside of Portland. This vintage barn with it's peeling red paint sits in a large field with beautiful yellow Canoli flowers in bloom in the background. I love to see the gorgeous fields of Canoli seeds in bloom every Spring. They are breathtaking.

Visiting Cheekwood Botanical Gardens is a great way to spend a few hours and get outdoors in nature. This Spring I walked over to the arboretum one last time only to find all of the visitors had dissipated and there was the beautiful arboretum just waiting for it's close up. It's yellows and purples and reds were so pretty, but I especially loved the urn at the back of the arboretum filled with flowers.

I flew across many states to land in the great state of California to spend a few days in San Francisco this Spring for a sales conference. While out on the Belle of San Francisco one evening, I walked out on the deck looking toward the Golden Gate bridge. When I turned back this image stared back at me. The city's lights were so beautiful I snapped a few images to share with you.

Photographing flowers is one of my favorite past times. Who doesn't love a beautiful flower. To capture Sunflower images this Summer, I traveled south almost an hour to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to Batey Farms to snap images of the beautiful Sunflowers in bloom. It was a picture perfect day with blue skies and tons of sunshine and the time of day couldn't have been more perfect for flower photography. It was the best photo opportunity I have ever had to take images of Sunflowers.

I hope you enjoyed coming along as I looked back at my travels in 2017. I can't wait to see where 2018 takes me. Are you ready for a major cold front that is on the verge of sweeping down from Canada in the next day or two. Today was 70 degrees and really didn't feel like Christmas at all, but this cold front will surely remedy that. Are you deckin' the halls. I trust you are or have and are now in hot pursuit of that perfect gift for your loved ones. My tree is decked, the gifts are purchased and I'm all set. Hope you are having a wonderful Holiday Season. ENJOY!

Beautiful Cade's Cove

It has been many years since I had stopped at Cable Mill in the farthest corner of Cade's Cove, but I decided on this trip to pay a visit.

Along the road to Cable Mill, I happened upon several Deer grazing in the fields. Tourists were everywhere photographing them. Several of the Bucks attempted to play fight, but I didn't capture it.

I love to watch the Deer grazing. It's even more fun to try and get good images of them. It looks like these guys are keeping a close eye on all of us photographers too.

John Cable Gristmill was built back in the late 1800's and, along with five or six other structures, moved to the far end of Cade's Cove where the national park also built a Visitors Center in a log cabin style. The gristmill is barely visible in this image, but it's there.

It had been at least fifteen years since I had stopped at Cable Mill. There was one yellow Maple tree in its Fall regalia. I wished I could have brought it home with me. It was beautiful. Sorry for the construction work in this photo, but I still wanted to share it.

The sun was shining making the leaves on this Persimmon tree really pop. While I was capturing this image, people kept getting into my shots. I just kept shooting around them. I did something different this trip. I kept a mental note of all the license plates from different states that I saw during the time in the park. When I left I was up to 21 different states. All of the Southeast and mid Atlantic states were covered and a few Northeast and Midwest states were represented. The farthest state from the park I happened upon was from Oregon. Gads what a drive. ENJOY!

Linking to Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Blue Smoke Across the Mountains

As I looked out across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week a sense of nostalgia overtook me. I saw the unmistakable blue smoke that is the trademark of the Smokies. That mist lingers above the mountain range from the rain forest. It still seems odd to me, even now, to think of the Smokies as a rain forest, but in fact, it is.

Most of the color has gone from the trees, but I like the spark of yellow from the one tree that seems to be holding on. I had a darker image planned, but lightened the shadows to bring out the trees. I like the detail. Fall has come late to Tennessee and parts South. Did you hear this was the hottest Summer on record for the United States. With all of the wildfires and drought we have had over the past 18 months throughout all of the United States, I can see why. Back soon. ENJOY!

Beautiful Japanese Maple Tree

As I drove along the roadways in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park last week, I happened upon this gorgeous red Japanese Maple tree. I have such a time identifying trees. If it's not Maple or Oak or Birch, I probably will guess wrong the first time.

I thought this tree might be an American Sweetgum or a Sycamore, but I believe it's a Japanese Maple tree. There are so many different species of trees in the Smokies, I couldn't begin to name them all. The one thing I didn't see much of in the park this year were the Red Maple trees. So sad. I can always hope for better color next year. Hope your week is off to a great start. ENJOY!

The Mountains Are Calling

Soon I will make my annual sojourn to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this Fall. A place of such natural beauty with forests and valleys and rivers. I captured these images many, many years ago with a very different camera. These were taken with a Pentax 1000 manual camera using Fuji Nokia slide film. Somehow, against all odds, I had set out to learn to take photographs using this manual camera given to me by a dear friend years before. Here are some of the best photos of the park I captured using this mode of photography. I guess you could say I mastered it as best I could.

On this particular visit I had driven over the mountain and onto the Blue Ridge Parkway quite a ways before turning back to the park. On my way back over the mountain I stopped at Morton's Overlook late in the day and waited about a half hour to capture this sunset. The only sunset I have ever captured I can even say I'm remotely proud of.

I had also paid a visit to Cade's Cove during that same trip and was lucky to capture these two White Tailed Deer bucks going head to head in a field right off the entrance to the park. They weren't actually fighting. They were only sparring. Still it was a sight that stopped traffic. I'm certain I've posted these images before, but probably back in 2009 or 2010. Remember I said they were taken from many years back. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I might try to get to Cheekwood tomorrow. The only thing holding me back will be 50 degree temperatures. Perhaps. ENJOY!

Red Maple Watercolor

I captured this image of beautiful red Maple leaves several years ago in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As I was strolling through my images from Fall's past, I noticed it and wondered just what it would look like with a little watercolor effect. I think it's even more beautiful. I can hardly wait for the reds and yellows and oranges of Fall here in the South. The weekend is approaching. We've had no rain for nearly two weeks. We will finally be getting some from a tropical depression which will be making landfall as Hurricane Nate this weekend. Everyone stay safe and dry. I also wanted to mention just how sad and disparaging all the news of the Las Vegas shooting has been this week. I can't even imagine the lives that have been torn apart by this senseless act of a mad man. Dear God can't they do something about gun control. GOD BLESS!

Fall Color Preview

Fall is my all time favorite season of the year, devoid of all the holiday hustle and bustle. Yet, it brings pumpkins, pumpkins, and more pumpkins. Apple cider and hayrides, and pumpkin patches and corn mazes, and haunted houses too. We decorate our humble abodes with pumpkins and squash, hay bales and corn stalks, and pine cones and acorns. Right in the midst of the fever pitch, comes Halloween with ghosts and goblins and hooligans too. That one special night brings us ugly witches with scary spells, hairy pirates with long black swords, and fire breathing dragons and demons and more. 

Just when you think the season is nie, Thanksgiving arrives. The leaves have fallen, heaped high on the curb. The air has turned to a crispier chill. It's Thanksgiving Day with a feast to thrill. Turkey and dressing and casseroles galore. Pumpkin pie just so sweet and hot mugs of cider, what a treat. Fall, how I love thee. 

These images are from Fall's past taken throughout Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. From along the scenic byways, deep within the wildlife refuge and forest, and high up on the mountains. Fall will soon be upon us. ENJOY! 

Blue Smoke of The Smokies

No matter what you try to do to tone down the blue smoke from photos of the beautiful Smoky Mountains, there's no getting rid of it. That blue smoke gave the national park its name. So as I see you off for a wonderful weekend, here's a little 'blue smoke' from my recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For those of you along the Texas coast, prayers and thoughts go out to you and I hope you evacuated to stay safe from Hurricane Harvey making landfall today. ENJOY!

Up Close With A Turk's Cap Lily

On the road to Clingman's Dome, which leads to the highest elevation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, if you look very closely you just might catch a glimpse of the beautiful Turk Cap's Lily. If you are very lucky, you will find a spot to pull off the road to photograph them as I did on my recent visit.

Before my trek to the Smokies, I had read on the national park's Facebook page that the Turk's Caps were in bloom. I immediately wanted to photograph them. I didn't think I'd actually get to. So imagine my surprise when I found them in bloom along the road up to the summit of Clingman's Dome. The Turk's Cap Lily bloom in Summer in the higher elevations of the park. Since I rarely visit the Smokies in Summer, I had never made their acquaintance until this trip.

Along the road to Clingman's Dome I only saw one clump of Turk's Caps, but on the way back down there were several. Luckily I found a spot or two to pull off and capture these images. Needless to say, I was in my glory. Oddly enough, I thought I might see these flowers blooming along the road up to Newfound Gap, as that is a higher elevation too, but I didn't. We are having an 80's kind of weekend here in Nashville with an occasional scattered thunderstorm. Could it be that the 90 degree days are behind us. Wherever you are, I hope you are enjoying the weekend and your weather is cooperating. ENJOY!

Fontana Lake View, Clingman's Dome

What a view from the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Looking out from Clingman's Dome, alt. 6,644 feet at the tip of the observation tower, you can see Fontana Lake in the distance. The forest around Clingman's Dome is a spruce-fir forest, but due to the cool, wet conditions here making it a coniferous rainforest. You notice the change almost immediately when you turn off the main road to make the drive up to the summit. You also notice the 10-20 degree drop in temperature.

Fontana Lake snakes its way through the valley below and is actually situated in eastern North Carolina. Clingman's Dome actually sets half in North Carolina and half in Tennessee. On a clear day you can see up to 100 miles and perhaps even seven states.

I snapped this photo with one of those beautiful Spruce Firs in the foreground. I just love these beautiful trees. The blue haze hung over the Smokies making for a beautiful blue hue. The weather here in middle Tennessee finally cooled off a bit and the sun gave us a beautiful weekend. Thank goodness for those cooler temperatures. What a sweltering July. Have a wonderful week. Back soon. ENJOY!

Barns of Tennessee

Oh, but for the beauty of those old, abandoned and vintage barns that we all love to photograph as we travel, off the beaten path, and drive, the scenic byways, throughout our countryside.

Visiting my archives, I encountered numerous images that I began to collect in a separate folder titled simply Barns. Before long I had assembled quite a collection of barn images from across quite a few states. Each time I opened the folder the barns seemed to scream, 'please put up a post and feature me." I finally surrendered and now what you have before you is a collection of images from the Volunteer State of Tennessee.

Are you ready? Here we go with a few of those beautiful icons that dot our landscape.

Historic Barn at a Homestead, Cade's Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

Barn and Horse, Winter's Snowfall, Hendersonville, Tennessee

Old Barn, Summer, Leiper's Fork, Tennessee

Vintage Barn and Conveyor, Spring, Portland, Tennessee

Red Barn in Spring, Portland, Tennessee

Barn and Pond, Evin's Mill, Smithville, Tennessee

I hope you enjoyed my look back at some of the barns I have encountered in my travels across the state of Tennessee. I would love to know your favorite if you have one. I'll be back to post another collection of barn images I've captured across the beautiful state of Kentucky very soon. I hope your week is off to a wonderful start. ENJOY!

Linking to The Barn Collective

Hello September!

Hello September! May you herald in cooler temps, dryer afternoons, blue skies, balmy breezes and the slightly hint of Fall. Photo taken in Cade's Cove, Great Smoky Mountains, in June after a bit of rain a rainbow came out. Back soon. ENJOY!

Rambling Mountain Stream

A tiny stream makes its way down the mountain at a gingerly pace at the head of Ramsey Cascades Trail in Greenbrier, in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I often photograph streams such as this. I have a particular image in my mind that I hope to achieve some day. This attempt came close, but not quite there yet. A tad bit too much foliage and noise in the image, but I still think it's a keeper.

There is nothing more fun than Independence Day here in the States. The very words conjure up images of our Founding Fathers. I can see them sitting at a simple writing desk, quill pen in hand, with a stack of well crafted paper, as they create the The Declaration of Independence. I could swear I hear someone say 'We the People . . .'

It would not be the Fourth of July without our ever faithful Red, White and Blue flying our proud colors and stars and stripes all. Parades and music, food and fun. And of course, the standard fireworks display will be seen by millions from town to town and city to city. From what I have heard, the largest 4th of July Fireworks Show in America is held in Nashville, Tennessee. Who knew!

My weekend plans involve a whole lot of resting and generally taking it easy. It has been an extremely busy few weeks. However you plan on spending the holiday weekend I hope it is filled with sun, fun and maybe a spark or two from a nearby sparkler or firecracker. Stay cool and dry wherever you are. ENJOY!

The Grandeur

The grandeur that is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is truly amazing. Every year millions visit the park. There is no fee to view the park. There is no wait list to view the park.

Foggy Day, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Spring 2016

There is the Roaring Fork, Cade's Cove, Newfound Gap, Chimney Tops, Elkmont, Greenbrier and Tremont. There are Elk, Black Bear and White Tailed Deer. There are White Trilliums, Black Eyed Susans, Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurels. There are rapid rivers, waterfalls, flowing streams and babbling brooks. There is blue smoke, fog and rain. There are cool days in Spring, sweltering days in Summer, crisp Autumn days and snowstorms in Winter. This is the grandeur of the Smokies.

Bright Sunny Day, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Spring 2012

Every year I visit the park at least once and often twice. I love Spring in the Smokies with the blooming wildflowers and bright green of the new leaves in the forests. Yet, I can't resist Autumn when every surface is a magnificent chorus of color. The red Maple trees, the orange Sycamores, the yellow Oaks are in contrast to the dark green of the Fir trees. Each visit I bask in the grandeur of the Smokes. This magical place shows my heart, eases my mind and soothes my soul. It ruly is grandeur. ENJOY!

The Roaring Fork River

The source of the Roaring Fork River in Great Smoky Mountains National Park is 5,000 feet up the slope of Mount Le Conte where several springs converge. Twenty five hundred feet over a two mile span the river falls until it spills over Grotto Falls, absorbs Surry Creek and comes to a steady flow, as it meanders through the narrow valley between Mount Winnesoka and Piney Mountain. The mouth is at the northern end of the small town of Gatlinburg. From there it empties into the West Fork of the Little Pigeon River.

On a dry day, the river could easily be a steady trickle, but let the slightest rain fall and the river turns into a torrent smashing its way downstream rushing over moss covered boulders as it makes its way through the valley. It's magnificent to see and hear. I always drive the motor nature trail to see the Roaring Fork River. I love this river and look forward to hearing the sound of the rushing water. On this particular visit, with wet weather before and after my trip, the river was a monster barreling through the valley. This is just one of the stops I made to photograph the water. ENJOY!

Blue Smoke, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The essence of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park surely must be the fog and blue smoke that hangs over the Sugarloaf Mountains. This mountain range is typically immersed in blue smoke, but this past weekend there was an abundance of fog and blue smoke due to the rain showers that plagued the park. In spite of the weather, I did visit several sections of the park taking in the various wildlife including a few Black Bears in Cade's Cove. If you look at the very bottom of this image you will see bright pink blooms from the Mountain Rhododendrons. The Rhododendrons will be in full bloom in mid June. I just wished I could be there to see it. ENJOY!