Grotto Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

A beautiful waterfall, Grotto Falls, is located off of the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail and is a 2.4 mile hike roundtrip. It isn't a difficult hike, but you will gain 2100 feet in elevation in your hike to the falls. Little did I know on my hike that the bear droppings I discovered along the path were very, very fresh. The folks who arrived sometime after I reached the falls asked if I'd seen the bear and her cubs. I hadn't and apparently I had just passed right after the bears had. They watched the mother and her cubs for quite a while. Sorry I missed that.

In case you didn't know, this is the only waterfall in the park where visitors can walk "behind" the falls which I did and found it was pretty cool. Not one of my favorite photographs in my travels to the Smokies, but I did want to share it. Having taken many photographs over the years at the park, I will occasionally share them on my blog, if you'll forgive me for not being the best photographer in the world. I love to get comments on my posts. So feel free.

MY EQUIPMENT:
Pentax K1000 35mm camera (it is a strictly manual camera)
Fuji Film Velvia 100F slide film
Vivitar 200 telephoto lens and a Pentax 320 zoom
Bogen Manfrotto Tripod
Note: I seldom use filters and rarely retouch my photographs. I shoot the light.

MY BACKGROUND: I am self taught meaning I taught myself light and composition by studying James Archambeault, a Kentucky landscape photographer, and John Shaw, a well known American landscape photographer. And, of course, reading many, many books and manuals on photography.