These pictures are dark because of the lateness of these shots. The sun had pretty much set and it was twilight.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
North Bay Park - January
Picking up on a theme from my friend, Ken, I've decided to try getting pictures of doing a 12 month series focusing on North Bay Park. I will try to get these pictures around the middle of each month so that there isn't a grouping of photos. I don't think that taking pictures the last weekend of one month and then the first weekend of the next month is representative of what I want to accomplish. This won't be a hard, fast rule, but a guideline I'm going to try to follow.
These pictures are dark because of the lateness of these shots. The sun had pretty much set and it was twilight.
These pictures are dark because of the lateness of these shots. The sun had pretty much set and it was twilight.
Daily photo shoot - Soft
Given the limited settings on my camera, for the 'soft' assignment, I chose my cat Daisy. She is certainly soft.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
This Old Barn
This barn sits at an intersection near Royersford, Pennsylvania. It was once part of a larger working farm. Now it sits forgotten and unused, development of the old farmstead having begun.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Hidden Lake Gardens
The theme was to take a picture of a trail or path leading your eye through the picture.
Themes
I've been following the daily shoot assignment page where a theme for a day is given.
Since I can't always get out to shoot on that day, I try to get as many as the themes as I can when I do get out. I hope to have as many of those as I can as well as other pictures I have taken.
For the daily photo shoot pictures, my goal is to use the single best image that captures that theme.
Since I can't always get out to shoot on that day, I try to get as many as the themes as I can when I do get out. I hope to have as many of those as I can as well as other pictures I have taken.
For the daily photo shoot pictures, my goal is to use the single best image that captures that theme.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
A new direction
I am hoping to take things in a bit of a new direction. Rather than document a trip again, I'm hoping to show only some of my better pictures. There will probably be no connection to them. If you see them and have thoughts, I welcome comments.
The Blue Ridge Parkway - Final Thoughts
Once I got to the Smokey Mountains, the road to Clingman's Dome was closed because of roadwork and The Tail of the Dragon was only allowing one way traffic because of a rockslide. So there were two more of the places I wanted to get to that I was unable to.
In the end, I ended up eating in Pigeon Forge and then decided to just head home. I tried getting a room once on the way up, but not having reservations and it being a holiday weekend, they were full. I stopped at the first rest area in Kentucky, put my feet up and slept for 8 hours. The next morning I ate breakfast and drove home. I had a few more days left on my vacation but just wasn't having a good enough time to justify staying in the area.
My trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway was a mixed bag. When I got back and people asked how it was my response was, "I can't say it was the worst trip I was ever on, but it was close." For some reason, what I'd hoped to experience on the trip never really materialized. The drive was broken up in by numerous stops, and although there were nice viewpoints, I feel I stopped too often.
There is a large difference between the maintainance of the Parkway and it's facilities. The roadway itself was well maintained. I saw roadwork almost everyday. Resurfacing and trimming the grass were common. Where there wasn't roadwork, there were signs that it had recently been done in the form of freshly cut grass and new blacktop.
The facilities are a different matter. They look like something out of the '50s and don't look as if they've been attended to since they were built. The campground I stayed at was okay, but the private/state ones were much nicer. Many of the turnouts probably would have stunning views, but trees and brush have grown up so much that viewing anything other than them becomes difficult, if not impossible. For example, the view of the cabin in the valley that was all that was left of the community destroyed by the landslides could only be seen by standing on the stone wall the keeps people from falling over the edge. This isn't safe nor should it be necessary to do it.
I went the week before Memorial Day for various reasons. If you're going to make this trip, I suggest you check your schedule. Some things do not open until the Memorial Day weekend and I was unable to visit some of the places I wanted to because I was there a week early.
The trip wasn't all bad and I'd probably do it again sometime, but not in the forseeable future. There are other things I want to do and other places I want to see.
In the end, I ended up eating in Pigeon Forge and then decided to just head home. I tried getting a room once on the way up, but not having reservations and it being a holiday weekend, they were full. I stopped at the first rest area in Kentucky, put my feet up and slept for 8 hours. The next morning I ate breakfast and drove home. I had a few more days left on my vacation but just wasn't having a good enough time to justify staying in the area.
My trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway was a mixed bag. When I got back and people asked how it was my response was, "I can't say it was the worst trip I was ever on, but it was close." For some reason, what I'd hoped to experience on the trip never really materialized. The drive was broken up in by numerous stops, and although there were nice viewpoints, I feel I stopped too often.
There is a large difference between the maintainance of the Parkway and it's facilities. The roadway itself was well maintained. I saw roadwork almost everyday. Resurfacing and trimming the grass were common. Where there wasn't roadwork, there were signs that it had recently been done in the form of freshly cut grass and new blacktop.
The facilities are a different matter. They look like something out of the '50s and don't look as if they've been attended to since they were built. The campground I stayed at was okay, but the private/state ones were much nicer. Many of the turnouts probably would have stunning views, but trees and brush have grown up so much that viewing anything other than them becomes difficult, if not impossible. For example, the view of the cabin in the valley that was all that was left of the community destroyed by the landslides could only be seen by standing on the stone wall the keeps people from falling over the edge. This isn't safe nor should it be necessary to do it.
I went the week before Memorial Day for various reasons. If you're going to make this trip, I suggest you check your schedule. Some things do not open until the Memorial Day weekend and I was unable to visit some of the places I wanted to because I was there a week early.
The trip wasn't all bad and I'd probably do it again sometime, but not in the forseeable future. There are other things I want to do and other places I want to see.
Friday, January 14, 2011
The Seventh Day - Graveyard Fields
Driving along the Parkway, I saw this waterfall. I stopped to take a picture, not knowing that a mile down the road there was a turnout where you could walk to it. Still, I'm glad I stopped.
One of the trails leading from the parking lot. This led to the the lower falls which were the ones I saw from the road earlier.
The lower falls.
The trail leading through Graveyard Fields.
The upper falls were about 1.6 miles from the lower falls if I recall. This is part of the trail to those falls. 
The upper falls. There were half a dozen people there taking pictures. I'd run into the folks with the orange Avalance and we chatted along the hike to the upper falls and then while taking pictures. 
The only time the sun came out while I was at Graveyard Fields was just as I was crossing the river. 
Looking back towards the upper falls from the parking lot. You can see the cut the Parkway makes in the trees to the left.
Looking back on Graveyard Fields.
One of the informational signs.
The Seventh Day - Buck Spring Lodge
I stopped by the site where Buck Spring Lodge was located. This was a retreat that George Vanderbilt had constructed at the top a mountain. The lodge no longer stands, but you can still see the view that would have been visible walking out the front of the lodge.
The weather was cloudy and a bit rainy. I thought it might clear and waited around a bit, but it was not to be. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out too well.
The weather was cloudy and a bit rainy. I thought it might clear and waited around a bit, but it was not to be. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out too well.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The Seventh Day - A waterfall
I found a campground to spend the night at. It was one of the nicer places I stayed and probably the most enjoyable evening I had. I was up early the next morning exploring. I passed this waterfall, then turned around and stopped for some pictures. Unfortunately, the sun was in such a postion that it limited where I could shoot from.
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