Life just seems to get in the way of writing a blog post! I no longer upload photos to Facebook after a "friend" messaged me that he was downloading my images and claiming them as his own. Should I be flattered? Well, let's just say that I wasn't! So I will post new work here with a link from FB and hope that works.
I just returned from a 2 week trip, first to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and then my beloved Smokies. It felt so great to get out with my camera after a long dry spell due to my new titanium knee! I missed photography so much, and I picked two great places to get back into action.
The Outer Banks are lovely. This was my first visit and I was lucky to attend a retreat with Jennifer Carr Photography. She is a very inspirational photographer and I spent a week working on reviving my creative spirit! Ahhh! Check out her work at Jennifercarrphotograhy.com
My favorite images from the Outer Banks were, as usual, captured early morning or at sunset. It sure is easy to get up early when you have the ocean and a gorgeous pier just waiting for you!
Sunrise was a daily treat, and each day brought different gifts. There is magic in the light and the waves and that gorgeous reflective wet sand!
The light at the end of yet another day of fun in the Outer Banks.
And I definitely couldn't miss out on photographing the shore birds!
The vantage point that I prefer when shooting shore birds is low! Suffice it to say, getting down and up was a bit of a chore with my new knee, but totally worth it!
The sanderlings were so fun to watch as they darted in the wet sand, finding breakfast and avoiding the crashing waves.
Leaving the Outer Banks was a bit easier because I was heading to the Smoky Mountains! Apparently, so was everyone else! The leaf peepers were out in force and it required a good bit of patience to navigate the crowds and traffic. The very dry summer made the streams a little low and the leaves a bit duller than I would have liked, but it was still a fun week. The highlight of the week in the Smokies was a trip to Clingman's Dome. I had hoped to photograph the Milky Way one last time before the core drops below the horizon until next year. I charged up my tracker and all the accessories and as often happens to me, the sky was cloudy when I pulled into the dome parking lot. But I was lucky enough to arrive just in time to set up my camera for an incredible sunset! I forgot about my Milky Way disappointment when I saw the sunset develop right before my lens!!
This glorious sunset would not have been possible without the clouds, so this was a good lesson for me to work with what I've been given. There will be another Milky Way night...
After the sun went down, I got out my telephoto lens and hoped for some blue layers and I was not disapointed!
I wish you could see the straight out of camera image, because this is exactly what it looked like! Sure, you can crank the sliders in post production and "make" blue layers, but how much more fun it is when all you have to do is press the shutter and the magic just creates itself!
Thanks for viewing my images, I know it's more work to come here to see my photographs than just scrolling past on FB. But for now, this will have to suffice. I love sharing my work with all of you!
And remember, all of my images are available for purchase with proceeds going to various animal rescues. Just contact me through the website and I can help you pick out the perfect print for your home!
If you go to the Smokies in the fall, be sure to pack lots of patience!!!