Ode to Mountains!

We all have to pay homage from time to time to places in life that bring us happiness and joy. Today mine is about the mountains. I visit often and love every single moment I'm in them. The hills, the valleys, the mountains. And there you will find waterfalls and streams and creeks. This is Grotto Falls many years ago whilst I was still shooting slide film on my Pentax.

I don't think I've posted this image before although I have posted a similar image of Grotto Falls. This one shows the dual effect of the water falling in two separate falls down the side of the mountain. The hike was long but there are longer hikes to waterfalls.

I remember along the trail I almost walked right into bear droppings. I had never seen bear droppings before, but I knew when I saw them just what they were. I began talking as though I was with someone because there was no one in sight either in front of me or behind me. I knew there were many people up the trail and many behind me as this hike is very, very popular, but I wasn't going to test mother nature. So I became somewhat noisy until I had passed this area. Knowing full well there was a bear in earshot and I didn't want to scare him up.

I walked behind Grotto Falls and around both sides. It was a treat to photograph it. I climbed on boulders and sat for a bit. I positioned my tripod (that's why the hike was arduous at times), that darned tripod grew heavy despite all my efforts.

And so I pay homage to the mountains today. For they bring us these beautiful water wonders, and while you may not think they are alive, they definitely take on a life of their own. Have a great week. ENJOY!

Postscript: I went back in time and did find I had posted this image in 2009. But this one is much larger as I've learned how to enlarge my photos since then. So I was wrong, but I'm ok with that.

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.