Great Smoky Mountains ~ Dawn Till Dusk [Photo Slide Show]

After six weeks photographing in Tennessee and North Carolina I have just returned to my studio and home in Ohio. The assignment at Great Smoky Mountains National Park was filled with magical light, amazing plants and creatures, breathtaking views and all types of weather ranging from rain, fog, snow and ice to blue skies and delightful temperatures. This variety is what most landscape photographers wish for, and during these past weeks, that wish came true.

     There is an immense diversity of landscapes within Great Smoky Mountains National Park as well as some of the most most dramatic light and weather conditions I’ve ever experienced in a national park. The most memorable of those conditions is the frequent fog or smoke for which this area is well known. On many days the fog was moderately translucent and visible for an hour or two, and on a few other days it was so dense as to limit visibility to an arm’s length. The photographic beauty of fog however, is the mood it helps to create in a scene and the way the water molecules in that fog work like thousands of mirrors to create unique lighting conditions.

     I found some of the best locations for sunrise and sunset photography as well as sweeping landscape scenes located at higher elevations near the center of the park. For me the absolute best place for sunrise and early morning photography was Clingman’s Dome, the highest point in the park. Although requiring a 45 minutes from either park entrance, its elevation at 6,643 feet (2,025 m) offers 360° views up to 100 miles (160 km). While Clingman’s Dome offers sunset views, for late day and sunset photography I found nearby Morton’s Overlook to have more interesting westward looking views that included mountains and valleys in the foreground.

     I spent this past weekend reviewing over 100 images made only on or near Clingman’s Dome and Morton’s Overlook. From those I created the slide show below containing 12 photos that convey a sense of the scenes, weather diversity and dramatic light to be found there. Click on the image below to begin the slide show. Once it begins, you can either click on a specific photo to view it in a larger size, or easily navigate from one photo to the next.

 Dawn Till Dusk
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Click the Image to Start the Show.

Instant Film Images From The Smoky Mountains [Slide Show]

The camera for an artist is just another tool. It is no more mechanical than a violin if you analyze it. Beyond the rudiments, it is up to the artist to create art, not the camera.”  ~ Brett Weston (American Photographer, 1911-1993).

As a visual artist, I primarily work with three different photo techniques in my work. One is a traditional landscape photography approach that captures scenes with modern digital cameras. The images produced show the subjects in full color and as they appear today. These are the same types of photos that are normally appear in fine art photo exhibitions, magazines and brochures.

     A second approach I use, especially with subjects or structures of historic significance, is to photograph in black and white using a vintage film camera. As a historic form of photography, black and white images not only show the subjects of today as they might have appeared in photos from the past, but also help to convey a sense of their history. To see examples of how this approach was used in the Great Smoky Mountains, read the prior blog post titled “Sharing History Thru Black & White” by clicking here.

     A third method I use in my photographic work utilizes several different nontraditional artistic techniques. As an artist, these alternative approaches are both fun and challenging ways to add interest and an artistic flair to a subject. Since most photography clients usually request more traditional types of images however, I use these artistic techniques most often in my personal fine art photography work.

     There are dozens of artistic photography techniques. With “encaustic photography” for example, a photograph is carefully painted with a thin layer of wax to add depth and give it a soft, almost surrealistic appearance. With “hand-tint photography” colors are painted onto a black and white photo creating an image reminiscent of the early 1900′s.

An Artistic Look at The Smokies
 (Images Made Using Instant-Film Transfer)
(Click an image to start the slide show)

     Here in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, I used one of my most favorite techniques called Instant-Film Transfer. With this technique you first photograph a subject with an instant camera–the type that uses self-developing film (like the cameras/film formerly made by the Polaroid Corporation). Then, the negative portion of the photo (the part usually thrown away) is carefully treated and then pressed against paper for several minutes using various techniques. The final image combines the feeling of a soft-focus photograph and an oil painting. I have created a slide show with 9 images made using Instant-Film Transfer. Click on the image above to begin the slide show. Once it begins, you can either click on a photo to view it in a larger size, or easily navigate from one photo to the next.

Black & White Photos From The Smoky Mountains [Slide Show]

“My greatest aim has been to advance the art of photography and to make it what I think I have, a great and truthful medium of history.”  ~ Mathew Brady (Father of Photojournalism, 1823-1896)

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is an area of Tennessee and North Carolina steeped in American pioneer history from the 1800′s. Many of those pioneer’s homes, farms, churches and mills that are still standing here were built before the end of the Civil War. At that time, the most well-known photographer in America was Mathew Brady, whose black and white photographs of the war were known to people worldwide. Making a photograph at that time was a complicated process because the camera was heavy and required exposures of 1 to 5 minutes. The final images however contained exquisite details.

     I have visited and photographed in the Appalachian Mountains several times before and always feel drawn to record the beauty of its historic barns, homes and churches, some dating back 150 years. Most were constructed from rough cut timbers now aged with a warm patina. And, with no access to modern day nails, most timber buildings were held together by precisely mortised joints and the space between then insulated from the cold and rain with mud or rough mortar. This was also an age when food was kept cool in a springhouse–a small building constructed over a over a nearby stream or spring, when door and gate hinges were made from wood or fashioned by a blacksmith and when lavatory facilities consisted of an outhouse or privy. Each structure tells an amazing story of ingenuity, courage, creativity and perseverance.

     For those who follow this blog already know, when wanting to convey a sense of history, I use various vintage cameras made in the early 1900’s. Here in the Smoky Mountains, I am using a Seneca view camera from 1907. This all-wooden camera records photographs on single sheets of 4 x 5 inch (10.2 x 12.7 cm) black and white film. It features an accordion-style bellows at the front and when capturing an image, the photographer stands behind the camera draped under a dark cloth.

     The images below are 12 of over 40 black and white photographs of historic structures made within the park these past weeks. I have placed them into a slideshow so you can view them more easily and in a larger size. Click on the image below to begin the slide show. Once it begins, you can either click on a specific photo to view it in a larger size, or easily navigate from one photo to the next.

 Honoring History Thru Black and White
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Click the Image to Start the Show.

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WITH HEARTFELT THANKS

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I am deeply grateful to Annette Hartigan, Chief Librarian for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and long time resident of the area for sharing with me her vast knowledge of the region and its pioneers and her and love of region. Several of the B&W images in the slide show above were made possible because of her suggestions, tips and incredible knowledge of the families that once lived here. My heartfelt thanks to you Annette.




Animals of The Great Smoky Mountains [Slide Show]

While this park is well known for its ancient mountains, lush forests and spring wildflowers, it is also home and refuge to many animals. These include more than 60 species of mammals, 200 types of birds and 50 species of fish, to name just a few. such as bear. During the past five weeks I’ve been joined on my travels within the park by a great many of these creatures. Some I met face-to-face along hiking trails, others I noticed watching me carefully from behind a tree or rock, and a few others I discovered while visiting the park’s stables.

Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature.  ~ Albert Einstein, 1879-1955

     I have just finished sorting through hundreds of animal images made here in the park. And while looking at each image I vividly remember the details of the moment I encountered them—the time of day, weather, temperature, lighting and sounds of the forest.
Each of those photographs also has a “behind the scenes” story that replays itself as I view the photo. The experiences of one day in particular stand out in my mind. It was the day I photographed a squirrel who greeted me almost daily and in the same place whenever I arrived home, the deer whom I was shocked to find standing an arms length away and then stood motionless with me eye-to-eye for a full minute, and the wild male turkey who allowed me to watch and photograph his courtship dance performed for two female hens.

     There is also another group of animals here in the park that deserve special mention, the horses. The Cherokee Indians who once lived in this area raised horses here starting in the early 1700′s. Although horses no longer run wild in the park, it does offer riding stables operated by local companies who provide guided horseback rides. As a lover of horses, I visited several of those stables many times, both operated by a great team of caring and talented people from Sugarlands Riding Stables. For anyone who enjoys horses, riding, or the chance to experience nature in a truly unique way I encourage you to consider participating in a ride.

Click to Open the Interactive Slide Show

     Because there are too many animal photos to share easily in a single blog, I have chosen nine images made on a single day—that one memorable day mentioned above. While I have met many different animals here each day, this sampling will share a sense of what is possible. Below is a slide show of those photos. Click on the image above to open the show. Once opened, you can then click on a specific photo to view it in a larger size, or easily navigate from one photo to the next.

Great Smoky Mountains – Waterfalls & Streams [Slide Show]

Many national parks become well-known because of some dominant geographic feature like the gorge of the Grand Canyon or the giant sequoias trees of Redwood National Park. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park was appropriately named for its ancient, graceful and expansive mountains which are frequently covered in fog or smoke. What is lesser known and was an exciting surprise for me to discover were the many beautiful streams, waterfalls and cascades found throughout the park.

     The Smokies is home to over 2,100 miles (3,380 km) of free running streams. The streams at the higher elevations are constantly filled by an average of 84 inches (213 cm) of rainfall. To provide some perspective on this amount of precipitation, a “rainforest” is defined as an area receiving over 69 inches (175 cm) of precipitation each year. Many of the park’s streams, such as those along Little River or Elkmont Roads, for example, can easily be viewed from the road or experienced close-up from adjacent paths or hiking trails.

     The park’s streams, flowing downward from high elevations, cascade over one or more waterfalls on their journey. Waterfalls are often rated by the distance that water descends over the falls. For some of this park’s waterfalls the water descends only a short distance like Midnight Hole Falls in which it drops only 8 feet (2.4 m) while others feature dazzling heights like Chasteen Creek Cascade where water drops more than 200 feet (61 m). Some of the waterfalls like “The Sinks” or “Place-of-a-Thousand-Drips” are easily viewed from a road. Others like Laurel Falls (in my opinion, the most lovely and photogenic of them all) require walking or hiking along well marked paths.

     During the past weeks I have photographed dozens of streams, waterfalls, cascades and pools. From those photographs I have selected 12 which I believe shares their diverse beauty, peacefulness and at times, awe that they can inspire. Below is a slide show of those photos. Click on the image below to open the slide show. Once opened, you can then click on a specific photo to view it in a larger size, or easily navigate from one photo to the next.

Click to Open the Interactive Slide Show

A NOTE FROM RICK: When photographing moving water (as in some of the photos above) I often want the photograph to convey to the viewer that sense of movement. By using a long exposure time of 2-10 seconds, moving water can take on a soft, cotton-like appearance. Long exposures like these work best when the camera is mounted on a tripod. Also, I often place a “neutral density filter” (also called an ND filter) over the lens which works like sunglasses to reduce the intensity of the light. You can read more about them in a prior post by clicking here.