Photography

A picture may be worth 1,000 words, so photography tells many stories.

A thunderstorm had rattled our ridges, but the clouds over Soco Gap began dissipating just before sunset.

Turkeys and Sunsets

September 5, 2015 |

Turkeys and sunsets have nothing in common, unless you find both while wandering through Cataloochee Ranch on a Friday evening. Wild turkeys are very abundant in the Western North Carolina mountains and the flocks can be quite large.Turkeys will assemble large flocks to enter the winter months but then break into smaller flocks in the spring…

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A relaxing, warm summer day and a pasture of green grass - a perfect horse day.

Horses and Clouds

August 29, 2015 |

Horses and clouds make the perfect photography subject, particularly at the beautiful, sprawling Cataloochee Ranch – our next door neighbors. The ranch was established in 1933 by Tom and Judy Alexander and is run to this day by their descendants. The nearly thousand acres of ranch provides terrific riding opportunities, but they also can take…

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1/80 sec at f/11, ISO 2000, 72 mm - Horses and cows at Cataloochee Ranch

Horses and Cows at Cataloochee Ranch

August 21, 2015 |

I love driving home on a cool, summer evening and seeing the horses and cows at our next door neighbor, Cataloochee Ranch. Driving through the ranch, I can’t help but grab the camera and take a few pictures of them enjoying their pasture land.       By the way, Cataloochee Ranch has great guest cabins, good…

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Sunrise from Maggie Valley

Sunsets and Sunrises

August 16, 2015 |

Sunsets and sunrises offer the most brilliant colors and light for photography which is why the hour after sunrise and the hour before sunset are commonly known as the golden or magic hour. We are blessed with the addition of mountain ridges and dramatic storm clouds, so resisting the urge to photograph these times is…

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Captured exiting the barrel roll - 1/1600 sec at f/11, ISO 500, 180mm

Fighter Jet Practice & Barrel Roll

August 12, 2015 |

Living on the eastern edge of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, once of the most unusual visitors we receive are fighter jet practice as the pilots do their training runs. With yesterday’s beautiful, fall-like weather, I was able to capture a few pictures of a Navy pilot training – including part of a barrel…

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Clear Blue Skies

Clear Blue Skies

August 12, 2015 |

The middle of August in the mountains can still produce a beautiful fall like day with clear blue skies and cool breezes. We love the mountains for a variety of reasons, but the four distinct seasons are a major highlight. We have gorgeous falls with brilliant colors, snowy winters, and the promise of spring. And,…

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Storm Brewing

August 11, 2015 |

Man’s best plans can be so easily diverted. Never is that more true than when a photographer sets up and Mother Nature starts a storm brewing. My goal was very simple – capture a photograph of the sun setting over Soco Gap through a mix of the puffy clouds that had been around all afternoon.…

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Random art of Cairns built in the French Broad River in Asheville, NC

Random Art

August 9, 2015 |

The beauty of living in the Asheville, NC, area is the creative spirit of those who live here, producing random art wherever you might be. The creative spirit in this area is empowering and you see inspiration everywhere. For example, we were walking our dogs in Carrier Park in Asheville. The park borders the French…

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Rain Chains

August 7, 2015 |

Rain chains are a favorite photography target on dreary, rainy days with the challenge of fast shutter speed and low light. One of the last steps in the construction of this house was the installation of gutters and downspouts. When the installer suggested rain chains rather than downspouts for the back patio area, I really…

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Sunrise Time Lapse – Summer – July 2015

July 31, 2015 |

A friend takes a great deal of time lapse photography and has challenged me to practice. Like much about photography, I have a great deal to learn about capturing light. Time lapse photography makes this particularly challenging since you have to capture light consistently in hundreds or thousands of photos. When photographing a sunrise or…

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Sunrise – July 22, 2015

July 22, 2015 |

Sunrise. The world is quiet and peaceful. The colors are beautiful. And you have the promise of the whole day in front of you. Don’t get me wrong. I love sunsets as well and will often photograph them. But dawn is just different. Fewer people take the time to get up and enjoy the early…

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