Cabin Creek, Grayson Highlands, VA

Early in July, I spent the weekend camping and hiking around Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia. Although I think the really spectacular open views of the landscape are found along the Massie Gap – Wilburn Ridge – Mt Rogers trail, there is a nice, relative short (~2-3 miles) loop hike down in the valley near the ridge that goes to Cabin Creek Falls. We decided to hike clockwise around the loop (I’d go this direction again so I can see the falls as I hike up to them along the stream), and I stopped briefly at this small set of falls (not the ‘actual’ Cabin Creek Falls) thinking this was the ‘big attraction’. Cabin Creek Falls next week.

Cascading Water below Cabin Creek Falls, Grayson Highlands State Park, VA (15″x22″)

Panorama of Crater Lake and Maroon Bells

Crater Lake, Maroon Bells, and Passing Clouds (B&W, 2021), White River National Forest, CO (16″x51″)

Spouting Rock and Stream

A vertical panorama of the stream and falls above Hanging Lake in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado. This panorama is composed of three horizontal single-frame images stitched together so I could capture the mini-falls and stream in the foreground below where I was standing as well as Spouting Rock in front/above.

Spouting Rock and Stream (B&W, 2021), Hanging Lake, Glenwood Canyon, CO (19″x20.5″)

Crater Lake and Maroon Bells

Even at nearly 10,000 feet elevation, the trailhead at Maroon Lake was a bit warm. Fortunately, the relatively short (~1.8 mile) hike to Crater Lake only ascends about 600 feet and is partly shaded through evergreens and aspens. The views of the mountains and gathering clouds above Crater Lake were as beautiful as usual, so the walk, despite the warmth, was worth it. I was glad I had a 15-stop ND filter to make a 4-minute exposure of the lake and the movement in the clouds around noon. I shot the photo at f/16, so I could have even made an 8-minute photograph at f/22 (wish I would have now- the clouds could use a little more blur!).

Crater Lake, Maroon Bells, and Passing Clouds (B&W, 2021), White River National Forest, CO (13″x23″)

Spouting Rock, Hanging Lake, June 2021

There is a long history in my family of hiking up to Hanging Lake and Spouting Rock- my maternal grandmother had heart problems and still managed to make her way up to the lake most years up until she died. After the fire in the summer of 2020 in Glenwood Canyon, I expected the vegetation to be burned out, but most of the trees are still standing in the canyon. There is an occasional charred tree trunk that has fallen into the canyon along the trail, but most of the area around the trail made it through unscathed. Despite the heat wave, it was a nice walk up to the lake. I hope the remainder of the canyon recovers from the fire- the scrub oak are already regrowing.

Spouting Rock (Color, 2021), Glenwood Canyon, Colorado (14″x21″)

Falls near Mortimer Campground, NC (Color)

Color version of the falls upstream from Mortimer Campground (black and white last week). I go back and forth about which I like more. There’s a bit more depth in the color I think.

Falls above Mortimer Campground (Color), near Collettsville, NC (15″x15″)

Falls near Mortimer Campground, NC

In late May I took a weekend trip out to western North Carolina just south of Grandfather Mountain. We stayed in Mortimer Campground for several nights- a lovely location where you can hear the stream flowing by as you fall asleep. We hiked up the trail that follows the stream out of camp and came across a few sets of beautiful falls. Here is one of my favorite images from the hike- this week the black and white version, next week the color version.

Falls above Mortimer Campground (B&W), near Collettsville, NC (15″x15″)

Bridges over Tennessee River, Part 2

More long-exposure photographs of clouds and bridges over the Tennessee River using a 15-stop ND filter. Here, I liked how the leading lines of the clouds and the bridges direct the eye to the right third of the image, but the boardwalk in the foreground leads the eye back to the bridge on the left.

Tennessee River, Bridges, and Clouds (Part 2), Knoxville, TN (14″x21″)

Bridges and Clouds over Tennessee River

Visited Knoxville, TN for the first time a few weeks ago- it was cloudy and moderately chilly. I took a walk along the Tennessee River and used a 15-stop filter to make a few photographs of the passing clouds over the river. So much time and history has passed by this spot.

Tennessee River, Bridges, and Clouds, Knoxville, TN (14″x21″)

Tracks and Self Help, Durham

Buildings and railroad tracks under clouds passing at sunset in downtown Durham, NC. 80s exposure time.

Time and Self Help, Downtown Durham, NC (12″x20″)