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ALLAN BOVEE - PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURES IN NATURE PHOTOGRAPHY DECEMBER 2007
My trip to the south in October was simply spectacular. I drove through the Shenandoah National Park on the Skyline Drive and then took the Blue Ridge Parkway nearly the entire 469 miles to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where I camped for a few days. The fall color had peaked along the highways and I experienced overwhelmingly optimal photography conditions. The above view was taken with my big 6X7 Mamiya and I reduced the size by 34% and the quality by 43% to make it web usable (and so it doesn't take 15 minutes to load) and it still looks decent. Once I set up my base in Cherokee, North Carolina, I took
day trips up the Blue Ridge Parkway or through the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park. After spending a lot of time on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I began
to feel guilty about enjoying all the beauty and photography and not spending
any money. There is no fee for driving the 469 mile road or no fee either for
Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So, one day I drove on Interstate-40 to
quickly get further up north to Ashville and then visited the Folk Art Center on
the Blue Ridge Parkway where I had no problem contributing to the Blue Ridge
Parkway cause.
Then I went north from the Art Center. I had made a rather long detour when I was staying in Virginia looking for the Crabtree Falls. From the pictures I saw it looked like a nice place to visit and get some photos. But it turns out there are two Crabtree Falls and the first one wasn't the one I was looking for. The second one I went to directly from the art center and it was all it's cracked up to be. Even with water at an all time low and North Carolina rationing and restricting water use, the falls is still rather spectacular. It requires an easy hike down but a rather strenuous hike back with all the camera gear, but well worth the effort. Then, turning back south I had to stop at Mount Mitchell, the highest point east of the Mississippi at 6684 feet. There is a side road that takes you to the summit and it is an absolute must on this trip. The view is incredible as you can see for miles and there are great facilities set up there. It is actually a separate park, Mount Mitchell State Park, and is the oldest state park in North Carolina. They were building a new facility when I was there that will be even higher up and more incredible when it is done. Continuing south, the Waterrock Knob visitor center is another great view place, an especially good place for sunsets (or so I hear, as it was mostly overcast when I was there - great for fall color but not sunsets). The last turnout was Heintooga Overlook where I took the above photo, a road that actually takes you into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park without going through the main entrance. There is a one way gravel road that would take me to the road I was camped on eight miles down, but with the recent rain washing out some of the early curves, I opted to pass on this and went back by the Blue Ridge Parkway. I found the best photography in the Great Smoky Mountains to be along the Newfound Gap Road, the main route through the park from Cherokee, North Carolina to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. There is a lot more northwest and northeast of there, but with the peak tourist season underway, I avoided these areas and concentrated on the Newfound Gap. Basically, I would shoot up the sixteen miles to the mountain tops in the predawn to look for a sunrise spot and drive back and spend the day driving on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Then, if I was near, I would go back up for a sunset shot in the evening along the Newfound Gap Road. At the top of this road near the North Carolina/ Tennessee state line is the best scenery in the park. There are many turnouts to view and photograph depending on the sun's position and scenery. The two best I found to be was the Morton overlook and the Oconaluftee valley overlook as well as Newfound gap itself. I basically hung around these areas watching the changing light and figuring which would be the best photograph at which time. Also from here, a seven mile road takes you to the top of Clingman's dome, at 6,642 feet it is the second highest point east of the Mississippi. Here, like at Mount Mitchell the view is fabulous, high above or inside of the clouds and just a great place to be. My Art Show Schedule for Florida is set, you can view it by going to that link. If you are in Florida and nearby, please stop by and say hello. I wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Return to PHOTOGRAPHY JOURNAL main page. Date this page was edited: December 8, 2007. |
