Discovery Launch from the Skyline Cafe

Today the Space Shuttle Discovery made its final voyage. Discovery served us well as a symbol of achievement and quest for knowledge. I know the costs were staggering, but the benefits are innumerable. This image was taken from the 42nd floor of the Bank of America Tower from the Skyline Cafe. I like to find cool places to photograph Jacksonville and the Skyline Cafe is the discovery of the month, thanks to fellow artist Robert Leedy. The windows are relatively clean and you have access to almost the entire perimeter of the building. Skyline offers a few hot entrees, salad bar, sandwiches (hot and cold), and soups, all at a very reasonable cost ($8 can get you  a lunch) with an incredible view. There are buzzards constantly flying around the tower, wonder what "dead" meat they are sensing, couldn't be all the empty office space downtown could it? So far every time I'm there the sky is blue and sunny. I'm waiting for some nasty weather to roll in. I'll post interesting stuff as it comes.

Buzzards

This is a Cool Place

Dolf James is always coming up with something new and creative to get people involved with the arts in Jacksonville. His latest project, Art In Strange Places,  includes bumper stickers that are placed all over town announcing that Jacksonville is a cool place. How cool is that? Coinciding with this is Dolf's new installation at MOCA (chair related of course), and as a teaser to all of us wondering what the heck is going on, Dolf made 3 Red Chairs and is taking these all over town for pics. I went out with Dolf on New Year's Eve and we had a blast...driving around town and finding some cool spots. We met a few new friends on the People Mover and it suddenly occurred to me what a neat way this is to meet people . I mean it is much cheaper than having a puppy! When you carry around a big red chair people notice, they inquire, and ultimately they want to sit in your chair! Bingo.  

3 Red Chairs have their day in court

Hey, follow that chair!

3 Red Chairs enjoying the fountain

Follow the expoits and adventures of the 3 Red Chairs on Facebook.

New Orleans road trip

The last time I was in New Orleans was in 1978 right after Dorian and I bought our first car. We received two free nights as a promotion. So when my friend Bill Yates told me that PhotoNOLAwas happening over the weekend, my first reaction was, "let's go!" A quick 8.5 hour drive down I-10 brought us to this lovely city. We were met by Bill's friend John Burns, a local who spent some time in Palatka, and is now establishing an organic food market. My first objective was to catch the keynote presentation by Michael Kenna, and then to check out some galleries and do some street photography...and of course to EAT! And we managed to accomplish all of the above.

Beignets

Red beans and rice

The highlight of the trip was definitely the food: red beans and rice, collards, more red beans and rice, beignets, and BBQ chicken (a la John Burns). John did a marvelous job directing us to the local spots, and we managed to see a fair amount of art, drove around much of the city, and even had a friendly chat with Exxon security as we were photographing near a refinery. The devastation by hurricane Katrina is still very evident in some parts of the city. We spent some time in the 9th Ward to see how an urban neighborhood literally got wiped from the face of the earth. New Orleans is a very dense city and it is hard to imagine how 20 ft of water would look like over many of the neighborhoods.

The Dome

Local color

Hangout

Levee at Ninth Ward

The best gallery for photography in New Orleans (probably the best in the Southeast) is A Gallery for Fine Photography at 241 Chartres Street.

On our way home we took the scenic Route 90 starting near Pass Christian (get off at the Mississippi Welcome Center on I-10), through Gulfport and on towards Pascagoula. There were still a few crews working the oil spill and some old dock pilings left over from Katrina. The beaches were pretty much deserted.

Near Gulf Shores

New Orleans is full of life and vitality and offers its own special kind of ambiance. This city is now on my list...I'll be back for sure.

Help Portrait 2010

On Saturday we did another session at Family Promise Jacksonville and met with 6 wonderful families for some holiday portraits. Help Portrait is a voluntary initiative started by Nashville photographer Jeremy Cowart. Last year over 40,000 portraits were taken by over 8,300 photographers worldwide, all for the joy of giving, not taking, pictures. It is always a great pleasure to meet with families and young kids at this time of the year and to share some holiday cheer through photographs. I know after all the packages are open and the season wears off, those photos will continue to bring joy and memories to their owners. What a privilege it is to give this kind of gift. My sincere thanks and best wishes go out to Razzle, Devon, Emery, Latoya, Yakema, Malaki, Tykia, Zyasia, Ronnie, William, Tameika, Shon, Jayniha, Elijah, Ruby, Aleta, Yehudit, Justice, Stacy, Makenna, Sasia, Triniti, saul, Frank, and Jesse. And to Mark of Family Promise. You were all wonderful today!

Family Promise families

The furture of fine art photography?

Today I found a link on the Costco Photo Center site to an Art and Image Gallery. Hmmm..."Select from more than 20,000 images of fine art, photography, and illustrations to create  wall decor" A small "images by Corbis" is in the corner. So here is the deal, for the cost of printing only, Costco allows you to select from a collection of 20,000 images from the Corbis stock collection. After browsing this collection I was impressed. A series of Brett Weston's B&W classics (125 images), a very nice set of national park images, flowers, landscapes, you name it, it's there. Knowing Corbis, the quality of the images is high so enlargements to 20x30 should not be a problem. And the cost? Costco already prints below my cost. They are running an Epson 7700 with K3 Ultrachrome inks on Fuji Luster paper. A 20x30 print is $8.99, and 8x10 is $1.49. A canvas 20x30 is $69.00. Costco quality is pretty good. It's not museum quality but for wall decor it is perfectly adequate. So if I'm an art consultant who needs to decorate a building why wouldn't I use this? I can make my selections, email images to the client for approval, submit an order, and pick it up in an hour at Costco. Now the biggest expense is the framing, which believe me is still quite expensive. Where does this leave a fine art photographer who is selling images to be used as wall decor in offices, hospitals, and people's homes? If you are shooting generic stock material, this EATS YOUR LUNCH! If I need photo of a flower, a landscape, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Milky Way, or the Eiffel Tower, why would I ever consider your photograph when I can have the whole piece for less than your printing cost?

This is the new economy my friends and this is reality. Those who cannot find their niche and specialize, those who cannot deliver a unique style or service will be replaced by a less costly, higher quality, more convenient alternatives. This is a business truth. For the most part, the general public buys very little art anyway, and when they do, it is from Wal-mart, Ikea, and now Costco. At least the quality is decent and who knows, maybe this will create an interest in photographic prints as art for the home. Right.

Farewell to Imagination Squared

Yesterday we took down the Imagination Squared exhibit. Since early March this project captivated the arts community in Jacksonville and brought together thousands of people in one collaborative project. The idea was brilliant. On September 1, Imagination Squared!: A Creative Response Experimentopened at MOCA Jacksonville to a record crowd. I will never forget that night. The museum was packed and the energy was high. We had spent the previous 2 weeks in D-day mode, preparing for the event, hanging the exhibit, printing nametags and legends, and completing the artist catalog that appeared in Arbus magazine. Overall a highlight in my artistic career. Through this project I've met so many wonderful people - artists, arts supporters, organizations - all who have a common love of the arts and an interest in making Jacksonville a better place through the arts. I've also gained some insight about what interests me and how I can contribute my skills to helping others. It's not often when we can engage in something where we can learn more about ourselves. I'm thankful for those times.

I thought taking down the exhibit would be emotional for me. It was but in a way that I did not expect. I felt good to know that I was part of perhaps a rebirth in an arts movement in Jacksonville. What if this was a tipping point, a needed push of momentum that would inspire others to move forward with their projects? And a needed point of awareness for the public to know that the arts community is something to be watched. For me it has. So it is onwards to different things. I'm excited!

Art Squared at Southlight Gallery

Doug Eng and Dolf James, Art Squared at Southlight

Me

A new body of work is now installed at Southlight Gallery titled Art Squared: Imagination Squared! Photographs. It is a collection of my favorite images from the Imagination Squared project, those which coveyed the uniqueness and simplicity of the exhibit. Many of these were featured in the article Art Squared in the Nov/Dec issue of Arbus Magazine. There are a lot of fond memories in these photographs and that's why they are so important to me. Working on this project was the turning point in my "art" career and I am thankful to have been a part of it. Find a project where you can work with others to help all reach a common goal. That's how amazing things can get accomplished.

Each of these were printed as a square 20x20 on Epson Ultra Premium Luster and sandwiched between a sheet of foamcore and plexi. I used Uni-frames to put everything together, and ended up with 12 pieces. If you need a source for acrylic sheets in Jacksonville call Red at Farco Plastics off Phillips Hiway (near 9A). A 48x96 - 1/8 in sheet costs about $60 (they will also cut to your spec for free). Overall I was pleased with the installation, it looked decent without costing an arm and leg. It's always important that your work be presented in a professional way, or your viewer will not take it seriously.

Art Squared poster, 13x19 archival print

These photographs are available in many sizes, including 8x8 and 12x12 folios of all the prints. I also have a 13x19 mini-poster for this exhibit, and these are $15. Email me if you are interested in prints, the mini-poster or any of the other Imagination Squared exhibition posters and prints.

Drive by shooting

On my way out to Oceanway to photograph some road improvements, I witnessed one of those rare sunsets that deserved to be recorded. I could see the heavy clouds and the sun intermittently peaking through as I was making my way north on 9A. I knew that I would have a clear shot of whatever was going on once I was on the Dames Point Bridge. Luckily it was Saturday and not a very heavy traffic day. As I approached the ramp I reached for my camera which just happened to be on the seat next to me. I needed a relatively fast shutter speed which was no problem since I was shooting into the sun. My concern was actually overexposing the shot if too much of the sun was not covered by clouds. Going northbound on the bridge with the sun setting in the west meant that I needed to shoot over the oncoming traffic from my side of the car. I slid over to the left most lane and slowed down.

Now people are usually speeding over this bridge. Three lanes of high speed traffic. I put on my emergency flasher and hoped for the best. I slowed to about 30 mph and took one shot, holding my 5D II and 24-70 f2.8 with one hand, the other hand on the wheel. I quickly focused and shot. I didn't have the nerve to keep shooting, a tractor trailer was fast approaching in my rear view mirror. I sped up and went over the bridge, and enjoyed the rest of the sunset while driving.

I was thrilled that I got the shot (1/800, f/13, ISO 200). Sometimes we get lucky.

Art Squared in Arbus Magazine

Today the Nov/Dec issue of Arbus Magazine was released with a six page spread of my photographs from the Imagination Squared exhibit. I'm a little bit blown away. It seems like such a long time ago when we were all consumed with this incredible collaborative art project. When all your creative energies are focused with like-minded people, things just happen. Wow, sorta like running a marathon for the first time, and then you ask, "what's next?" I have some loose ends to tie up on the project and my goal is to write a short book documenting the process and key events. I don't want the genius of what happened to be lost. We are a society hungry for the next big thing, and the past big things can easily vanish. The inspiration of Imagination Squared for other cities and artist groups needs preservation and dissemination. I hope to be a part of that too.

I would like to thank Cinda Sherman the publisher and CEO of Arbus Magazine. She approached me soon after the exhibit with the idea of a photo essay of my best images and just left it at that.  Cinda is a visionary who "gets it" for the city and the arts community. From her tireless efforts comes a remarkable, high quality publication that supports and promotes the arts in our city. Arbus is distributed for free and paid through advertisers, a tough business model to negotiate. Bravo to Cinda and all the advertisers in Arbus.

You can experience the photographs in the Arbus spread at an exhibition in the Southlight Gallery on Forsyth and Laura. I'll be ready with everything on November 3 the night of Art Walk. Drop by to see these and some other memorable moments, and then head on down to MOCA to view the exhibit which comes down on November 14. Hope to see you soon!

The hi-res version of the article can be viewed at the Arbus website here.

I'm the photographer at my daughter's wedding

My daughter got married last weekend and I was the photographer. I wasn't “A” photographer, I was THE photographer. When I got into this business it never crossed my mind that one day my daughter would get married and that she would need a photographer and that would be me. No doubt, it was a great honor and I was glad to do it, but it does put a bit of pressure on you at a time when you are emotionally vulnerable. The service was very small and delightful, and the priest happened to be the groom's mother. As my daughter put it to me, "It's a working wedding dad, everyone has a job to do!" I guess this is the new trend in modern weddings, it works for me and was easy on the pocketbook.

The shoot was challenging because of the lighting conditions. The ceremony was held at the family's lake house at around one in the afternoon, the back yard was partially shaded by a big maple tree with bright orange leaves. We shot with off camera flash in a small softbox for most of the day, which worked quite well except for that "edgy, contrasty" look that I wanted to minimize for the final shots. I decided to go without flash for most of the ceremony only to avoid the annoyance factor of the flash. The bright background of the lake made for underexposed faces which had to be rescued with the Fill slider in Lightroom (thank goodness for that). Next time a small amount of fill flash would be perfect, I'll remember for my son's wedding in a few years. Indoors I was plagued with plenty of natural light and lots of incandescent. So the choice was orange or blue background light and a funny mix in between. Oh the joys of white balance!

At the end of the day I renewed my vows of never doing another wedding...that is until someone special asks :)

Our new family

Diana and Dave and the beautiful tree

The new couple

The ceremony with Donald and Sophie on the sidelines

Group shot

A special moment

The artist as hero

"I think I witnessed some young lives being changed" I told Mr. Ramos, visual arts instructor at Arlington Heights Elementary School. We had just finished a session with Alexandre Renoir (great grandson of Pierre-Auguste Renoir) and 30 students in the Cathedral Arts Project, a non-profit organization bringing art resources to under-priveleged children in schools. I love to see children being inspired, especially through the arts. It's rare to witness the transformation from casual interest to participation and then to emotional commitment. One can always see the effect clearly with children who expose their feelings and opinions openly. The Cathedral Arts Project has many ongoing programs with local schools throughout the area. Through the efforts of Jen Jones and the RRoberts Gallery, Alexandre was in Jacksonville for a week doing special openings and giving lectures about his work and the work of other Impressionists artists. What opportunity it was for such a renown artist to visit and paint with the children. He was a rock star!

So often we forget how impressionable children are, and that they need to be inspired each day just as we seek inspiration from others. You don't have to be in sports or movies to connect to children. Artists can fill that role too.

Stories told about growing up

Lots of questions

Painting with the children

Future artists having fun

Encouragement

Some advice at the end

Lego Architecture and more

National Building Museum - interior

Our second trip downtown took us to the National Building Museum for an exhibit on Palladio. We studied Palladio and his villas in our Architectural History classes, at least the classes that we stayed awake in. When we arrived we were excited that the Lego Architecture exhibit was still available to see. So it looked like our day was already filled. The Museum is on F Street right across the street from the Judiciary Square Metro station, and was originally the Pension Building. It is quite a remarkable structure.

Lego Architecture

I couldn't wait to see the Lego exhibit so we headed there first. I'm sorry I did not lug my tripod along. It's tough handholding for shots that you know will need to be extra sharp and a decent depth of field. I shot at ISO 1250, 1/125 at f/10. The results were ok, but the tripod would have made this easy. Next time. The Lego models were all of famous skyscrapers and very well done. Luckily the exhibit hall was fairly empty so I could take my time.

No photos were allowed in the Palladio exhibit. There were rooms full of original drawings and some historical models. It was fascinating to see the drawings which were meticulously executed. Most of these materials were from British museums and collections. During their colonial period many of the antiquities were plundered by the British, but at least we have them to see and enjoy.

Kogod Courtyard ceiling

After a quick bite at the snack counter we headed next door to the American Art Museum and the American Portrait Gallery to see an exhibit of Norman Rockwell paintings owned by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. There was also an exhibit on Remembering Running Fence, the 24 mile  temporary sculpture by Christo. The most impressive view in the museum though was the ceiling in the Kogod Courtyard...remarkable. Washington DC is a very neat place and I wish we had more time to explore.

An evening at the National Mall

Washington Monument

On the occasion of attending a wedding in Washington DC, we made 2 trips to the Mall to check out the sites. It's tough to cover the National Mall in a few hours, so we decided to keep focused on one or two things per trip. No meanderings through the Air and Space Museum or National Galleries. Tonight we visited the Washington Monument and the WW2 Memorial. Riding the Metro is alwys exciting for me as I really love the large coffered ceilings at the downtown stations. We got off at the Smithsonian and headed west.  The sun came down quickly so we lost the light fast. The Mall is so big that you can't just run all over the place to try to get multiple shots. So you take what you can and then enjoy yourself.

WW2 Memorial

WW2 Memorial and Washington Monument

MOCA LAB Gallery Opening

On Thursday, August 5th I am having an opening at the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville (affectionately known here as MOCA). Well, sorta. I'm not actually in the museum, but in their museum store called the LAB Gallery. This is an area reserved for "emerging" local artists who need to get exposure to the public. Hey, that's me! It's a great idea. There is an application process and your work is displayed on easels in the store for a month. For more information on the program visit the MOCA website.

Exposure is an important aspect of building an artist's presence. It's part of marketing yourself and also part of engaging the public in your art. I enjoy meeting people and talking to them about photography. Nowadays, everyone is a photographer, so my work can perhaps be useful to those wanting to increase their skills or find different viewpoints.

For the exhibit I decided to gather a selection of images where the subject is water. I've been looking for the opportunity to put this together and now I have it. Throughout my travels to various national parks and gardens, I find myself often observing a body of water from a lookout point or the shore. Where water meets the land always creates an interesting situation. Two opposites meeting. Sometimes a clash, sometimes a harmonious union. I plan on maintaining this body of work and adding to it. Establishing thematic categories for your work is important. More than just keywords (plants, trees, water, etc.), a theme addresses an underlying concept behind an image and serves as a reminder to look deeper at a subject.

Displayed with each image is a small story about the making of the photograph. Sometimes the story is more interesting than the image, together they enforce each other. If you can't make the opening, please drop by to see the exhibit which runs until September 1.

Brooks Jenson DVD workshop on Finding an Audience

"Emerging" artists (don't you just love that term?) are always looking for attention. For the most part most of us are shy, introverted people, who would rather spend a day in the studio or field by ourselves toiling blissfully away on our art. But ultimately, most of us feel the need to bring our art to the public. Sharing our creations fuels our production, and if we measure success, it usually comes in the form of monetary recognition. I'm a great fan of Brooks Jenson and his LensWork publication. I discovered LensWork back in 2006 when I picked up a copy of the magazine at a Barnes & Noble in Columbus OH. I now have a shelf devoted to the magazines and extended DVDs and these have become some of my most valuable and used reference material.

Jenson recently published a Visual Workshop DVD on "Finding and Audience for Your Work". It seems like all famous photographers have found their way into the education business, and the workshop format has been a staple of photographic education since Ansel Adams. Taking advice from other photographers on the business of photography is another story. Here we must rely on people who have achieved success in doing what we plan or want to do. Brooks Jenson is not a household name as a photographer, he is not part of any museum or corporate art collection (not that I know of) nor does he have multiple galleries representing him around the world. He is well know among fine art photographers for his LensWork publication (one of the best), but as a photographer, Jenson can be considered "one of us" (although he is a very talented photographer in his own right).

Jenson's workshop provides a comprehensive overview of the business of fine art photography and offers several ways to think about the relationship of business to art. As in all business endeavors, it all starts with your mission, or as Jenson puts it, "What juices your jets." Understanding what you want to accomplish with your art is fundamental to how you should be bringing it to market. And Jenson provides a "spectrum" of possibilities, with an exhaustive analysis of scenarios. You will either subscribe to Jenson's preference for "photography at real people prices" or not. Yes, our egos get in the way all the time. But this man who has sold over 40,000 prints has a point, and a quality of thought and accomplishment to back it up.

The high end "elite" art world is really elusive. Perhaps we should all aspire to being a part of it. Hey, this is America and anything is possible, right? But honestly, do you have what it takes to participate? Are you willing to do what you need to do? Or do you struggle just to find courage to show at the local art fair? This workshop offers some tangible advice and a roadmap for your journey. It's meaty, comprehensive, funny, and valuable. If you have any funds left over after your Adobe upgrades, treat yourself to this workshop. For an excellent preview, visit Jenson's promotion page for the product and watch the videos. You'll get an education just with those.

Of This Earth

Here is my new body of work hanging at Southlight Gallery. This is just one group of images from our trip to Yellowstone in late May, (sorry, still working on the post). In going through all my Yellowstone pictures, I found several groups of images that were candidates for a submission. My past two exhibits have been on trees, and I had plenty of tree images to choose from, but I wanted to try something different. I enjoy showing images of things that are unique and thought provoking, so what could be more interesting that a look at details around a hot spring? (we don't have many of these here in FL).   After selecting the final images, I found that all of them came from two areas, Grand Prismatic Spring in the Midway Geyser Basin, and the Canary Spring/Minerva Terrace in Mammoth Hot Springs. Both areas were quite magical and extraordinary.

 

    

Here is my artist statement and images for the showing:

There is no place on earth like Yellowstone National park. And here you can find the largest number of geysers, hot springs, fumaroles, and mud volcanoes anywhere. These openings in the ground create other-worldly landscapes and details from a mixture of water, steam, minerals, chemicals, and the attraction of a myriad assortment of bacteria and small organisms. The patterns and textures are living, dynamic structures, changing constantly over time.

For many the beauty of Yellowstone is usually found in its wildlife, flowers, lakes, and landscapes. For me there is greater interest in what is different and unique. My fascination with these thermal features draws me into a primitive world of ages ago, when the earth was cooling, and the basic elements of the earth began to support life. Isn’t it interesting that these areas support only primitive life forms (bacteria, algae, fungi) and are hostile to others? Portraying landscapes and details emphasizing the fundamental flow patterns reveal the beauty in the structure of natural things. We seek order in our observations…nature provides it if we know where to look.

    

   

   

You'll have to drop by the gallery to see the bigger versions. The best comment from the opening was someone who asked if I was in an airplane when I took these...love it! The work should be up for at least 2 months.

Disaster in the Gulf

"How we treat our land, how we build upon it, how we act toward our air and water will in the long run tell what kind of people we really are."  - Laurance S. Rockefeller, 1965 How are you dealing with what is happening in the Gulf? Frustrated, completely disgusted, heartbroken? What will it take for things to change, how bad do things need to get? The news is continuously dismal and downright depressing. Reports of failure, inefficiency and insurmountable losses to people's lives and our environment are reported daily. It's actually hard to get through the day without a sinking feeling about the direction of our country. I think it is important for each of us to get through our veils of complacency and to do something. Not just complain or sulk, but to take action. Join groups on Facebook, write letters and emails, raise money, spread the information. I'm thinking of taking a road trip out to Pensacola so I can see for myself what crude oil looks like on a sandy beach. Sometimes reality doesn't set in until you can see, touch, and smell a situation (sorry the taste part will not be an option). For the majority of Americans, this calamity is off the radar screen and life goes on. It's hard enough to keep food on the table for some. Each individual seems to have their personal tipping point for action. I can accept that. If you are reading this, I ask that you examine your own feelings about what is happening in the Gulf and how significant it is as a indicator of what we value as a country.

On July 10, a local gallery in Jacksonville, 323 Modernism,  is holding a silent auction to benefit the Audubon Society. It is a small but important action for people to step forward to say we care. The details can be found here. I made 5 - 11x17 prints last night that I am donating to the cause. Hopefully people will turn out, buy some great art and help a worthy cause. One image that I printed for the first time is shown here. It is a sunset at Point Reyes National Seashore in West Marin, CA. It reminds me of the overpowering beauty of nature and the need for responsible stewardship of our land. To imagine these pristine shorelines covered in crude oil...well that reality is upon us in the Gulf.

Andy Goldsworthy

At he suggestion of Dolf James, I've just finished watching the movie "Rivers and Tides," a documentary on the work of Andy Goldsworthy (and here), artist, scuptor, photographer, and environmentalist. It is a fascinating view of a remarkable man. Goldsworthy was the A. D. White Professor at Large at Cornell University for eight years, which peaked my interest (my Alma mater). His large environmental sculptures are made of completely natural materials and are fashioned by found objects as tools. Photography is used to record the various states of a piece, as it adapts to its surroundings, often floating down a river, washing out to sea, or melting in the sun. The ephemeral quality of the film and Goldsworthy's narrative makes this an extremely effective presentation. I enjoy hearing artists talk about their work and why they are compelled to create, especially if I can understand them. It's hard to believe that there are people who can create at this level. The link is to the 1st of a series of 9 videos snatched from the DVD. A worthwhile 90 minutes if you are into this kind of stuff.

Another great video of Goldsworthy's last lecture at Cornell:

Delinquent blogger

I've been very remiss at updating my blog over the past 2 months. I don't know what it is, sometimes priorities change and you just don't feel like doing the things you used to do. Not that nothing important is going on. I think this started back in March when I had to get some periodontal surgery done. This is what happens when you don't get your teeth cleaned for 15 years. After that ordeal I just didn't feel 100%. Well, I'm back and although my mouth isn't up to 100% yet, it's time to keep things rolling. I've been keeping busy with many photo projects and small jobs, a long trip to Yellowstone, and surviving the heat of the Florida summer. I'll post some past events and some interesting techniques. Life as a photographer is good, thanks for reading along.

Smoky Mountains Spring Road Trip

  We just returned from a spring road trip to the Great Smoky Mountains NP, staying 3 nights in Cherokee and 3 in Gatlinburg (Best Western of course!). Traffic on I-95 and I-26 was surprisingly heavy, but Cherokee was still in pre-season mode. We planned to follow many of the hikes featured on the Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage which is a 5 day educational program in its 60th year. Go to the site and download their program for some ideas of places to check out. We arrived one week before the program to beat the crowds, but it seems that Hiway 441 through the park is perpetually busy. There are also many road closings throughout the park including the Cades Cove Loop, Clingman's Dome, and the Roaring Fork loop. Parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway were also closed between the park and Asheville.

 We started out from Cherokee as home base. Day 1 included a morning sunrise at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. A good "warm up" shoot in that it is virtually 5 minutes from Cherokee. Don't you love it when you arrive at a site and there is no one in the parking lot? We had some fog in the field at the Mountain Farm Museum. There is also a 1.5 mile nature trail that runs along the Oconaluftee river. From here we returned to the hotel for breakfast, then a nap, then west to Bryson City to check out the Deep Creek area. There is a loop trail that takes you to 3 waterfalls. I was expecting the area to be empty but there were quite a few people there enjoying the sunny day. I was looking for clouds and overcast but bright sun and blue skies followed us for 3 days. We stopped in Bryson City for ice cream and visited with a gallery owner, Charles Heath. It's always nice to chat with the local artists. We ended the day at Mingo Falls, which is not in the park but easily accessible off of Big Cove Road near the park entrance. We saw one family there and that was it. This is probably the most impressive falls in the whole region.

   

Day 2 included our big adventure to Cataloochee, located on the east end of the park. We were up at 4:30 AM for the drive. The last 10 miles is on a one lane gravel road in the mountains. It was still pretty dark so we really didn't know what to expect. Dorian was nervous. But we made it and were greeted by a herd of elk on the main road, then a group of wild turkeys. There are several old buildings as this was a main settlement area similar to Cades Cove. We also hiked the first mile of the Caldwell Fork Trail, starting with a log bridge over the river. Now this "bridge" was literally a log, flattened on one side, spanning about 30 ft over a river. There was a rail on one side to hold onto (for your life!). With tripod and camera gear I didn't look down and just kept walking. As you reached the other side the log was getting narrower and bouncing! Ok, so I'm a wimp. We ended the day back in the park at the Mingus Mill and then to the visitor center parking lot for some shots of the redbuds and dogwood. It was dark when we finished.

  

  

Day 3 we packed up and headed to Gatlinburg. On the way we pulled off for a few shots of the Oconaluftee River from 441. The sun was still behind the mountains so the valley stays in shadow until about 9:00. We stopped at the Newfound Gap viewing area and hiked a bit on the Appalachian Trail. Only 1972 miles to Katahdin, Maine from here! The afternoon included another hike on the Chestnut Top Trail where 73 meets Little River Road to look for wildflowers. There were many people there and all very friendly, pointing out their finds. We then proceeded down to Cades Cove...and yes the loop was really closed for repaving. On the way back we stopped at another pullout to check out the river. There are numerous points to stop and we took advantage of them. I can't understand why some people need to tailgate you on a national park road, they must be in a hurry to go somewhere! Traffic is bad in the Smokys so you just have to get off the road and walk a bit. We rolled into Gatlinburg and headed towards Cherokee Orchard Road which is part of a loop that includes the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Roaring Fork was closed for repairs so we went as far as we could and rewarded with a bear sighting...wow! My camera was in the back of the car so I made a small movie with my G10 and here is my fuzzy snap. Onwards to the Best Western.

 

Day 4 started at the Cove Hardwood Nature Trail located at the Chimney Tops picnic area. We arrived at around 7:15 AM and there were a bunch of photographers there. Got some cold stares as we walked by them, guess they forgot how to say "good morning." I think some photographers are territorial and they feel like someone is infringing on their space. This compared to the wildflower hikers who were eager to share their discoveries. There was plenty of space so we just moved on. The flowers on this trail are great and the scenery and soft light very nice. It's a 1 mile loop through an old growth forest. The sun didn't poke through until around 9:00 and even then there were plenty of shady areas to keep working. This trail is highly recommended, in addition the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River also flows through the area. Lots of stuff to shoot. After our shoot we returned to Gatlinburg for a late breakfast and then a nap, then on to Laurel Falls. Some clouds began to roll in and I was happy. The trail to Laurel Falls is 1.3 miles on a paved road uphill. Definitely worth the hike. Getting to the base of the falls was a bit treacherous. The hike back was great downhill. On the drive back on Little River Road we stopped to photograph a field of blue phlox until dark.

   

Day 5 saw the results of my rain dance for the past week. The good thing about a rainy morning is that there is no sunrise, so we grabbed breakfast before we made our way to the Greenbrier entrance to the Porters Creek trailhead. From there we hiked in about a mile before it really started to rain hard. I love shooting in the drizzle but when the rain comes it gets tough. We saw a few other photographers on the trail looking for wildflowers. From here we went back into town and drove around the arts and crafts loop in Gatlinburg and it was back to the hotel for a nap. As the rain began to let up we headed back into the park on Newfound Gap Road and found that the mist and fog were settling in. The light quickly disappeared and we headed back for a nice Italian dinner.

 

We headed out the door on Day 6 and probably should have gotten an earlier start. There was nice morning light and some remnants of a nice sunrise. Back through the park one last time on Newfound Gap road, stopping at a few overlooks. By 9:00 what was left of the fog had burned off. At Newfound Gap it was quite chilly and very windy. I waited for a composition with the clouds but the light was harsh and the landscape burned out. It was on to Cherokee to fill the tank and grab some lunch for the road. From here we jumped onto the Blue Ridge Parkway south to 74, then to Waynesville where we took 276 through Pisgah National Forest then to 64 and eventually I-26 and I-95 to home. It's always a little sad to leave the mountains. The Interstate has a way of bringing you back to harsh reality.

   

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