Clouds Moving over Blue Ridge Mtns from Pisgah Inn
Morning fog and clouds move over the ridge tops along the Blue Ridge Mountains. Exposure time: 61 seconds.
Moving Clouds over Ridges from Pisgah Inn, Pisgah Forest, NC (10″x22″)
Panoramic View of Blue Ridge Mtns from Pisgah Inn
Early spring view of the Blue Ridge Mountains from the Pisgah Inn. No fancy sunset or spectacular clouds, just ridges stacked on ridges rolling away into the distance.
Ridges Fading into Distance from Pisgah Inn, Pisgah Forest, NC (20″x78″)
Moore Cove Falls from Left Side
Another long-exposure photograph of Moore Cove Falls, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mt Pisgah, this time made from below and to the left of the falls. I decided to post both the color and black and white versions- which one do you like more?
Moore Cove Falls from Left (#1, Color), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (15″22.5″)
Moore Cove Falls from Left (#2, B&W), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (15″22.5″)
Moore Cove Falls from Right Side
Another long-exposure photograph of Moore Cove Falls, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mt Pisgah, this time made from below and to the right of the falls.
Moore Cove Falls from Right (#1, Vertical), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (15″22.5″)
Moore Cove Falls
Moore Cove Falls, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mt Pisgah.
Moore Cove Falls (#1, Vertical), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (15″22.5″)
Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields
Another photograph of the Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields, also made with a 10-stop ND filter. This time I decided to get closer to the bottom of the falls to try to capture the whole series of cascades in one (non-panoramic) image.
Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (15″22.5″)
Panorama of Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields
After taking a brief hike up to Devil’s Courthouse, we drove to Graveyard Fields and walked to the Upper Falls- lovely scenery, and a beautiful set of falls at the end of the hike. With a 10-stop ND filter, I made a series of 5-second exposures of the falls as they cascade over the rocks and around the corner.
Upper Falls at Graveyard Fields (Panorama #1), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (18″x45″)
Spring Storm Clouds from Devil’s Courthouse
Rain clouds approaching us at Devil’s Courthouse. The dark cloud in the distance over the ridge on the right moved over us and delivered some nice spring rain and thunder as we were hiking near Graveyard Fields about an hour later.
Spring Clouds from Devil’s Courhouse (Single Frame #1), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (12″x21″)
Panoramic View from Devil’s Courthouse
Last weekend, I took a trip out to the Blue Ridge Parkway- I stopped by the Devil’s Courthouse as some dramatic spring storm clouds were rolling in. The trees at ~4,000-5,000 feet were just about to leaf out, but not quite, so it still looked a bit like late winter on the Parkway.
Spring Clouds from Devil’s Courhouse (Panorama #1), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (17″x54″)
Falls at Graveyard Fields, BRP, NC
Last autumn, I made a few ‘single-frame’ photographs of the falls around the Graveyard Fields area along the Blue Ridge Parkway, but was generally not happy with these images. I recently came across several panoramic images I had been too busy to work on – much better images in my opinion.
Second Falls at Graveyard Fields (Panorama #1), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (19″x50″)
Long Exposure: Clouds from Craggy Pinnacle
Long-exposure photograph of clouds passing over the ridge line northeast of Craggy Pinnacle Summit along the Blue Ridge Parkway, NC.
Clouds from Craggy Pinnacle Summit (B&W, 121s exposure), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (15″x22″)
Panoramas of Ridges from Craggy Pinnacle
Panoramas of shadows on the ridges along the Blue Ridge Parkway, shot from Craggy Pinnacle Summit, NC.
Ridges and Shadows from Craggy Pinnacle Summit (B&W), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (20″x67″)
Cloud over Ridges and Shadows from Craggy Pinnacle Summit (B&W), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (20″x54″)
Panorama of Clouds from Craggy Pinnacle
Panorama of light and shadow on the mountains and clouds over the Blue Ridge Parkway, shot from Craggy Pinnacle Summit, NC.
Clouds and Mountains from Craggy Pinnacle Summit (B&W), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (21″x65″)
View of Clouds from Craggy Pinnacle Summit
View looking northeast from Craggy Pinnacle Summit along the Blue Ridge Parkway, NC. I’m a sucker for clouds spilling over a ridge.
Clouds from Craggy Pinnacle Summit (B&W), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (13″x23″)
Blue Ridge Parkway Overlook (B&W), Oct 2021
Black and white version of a 136s exposure of the view over the fence near the Graybeard Mountain View Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway, NC.
Graybeard Mtn View Overlook, Fence, and Clouds (B&W, 136s exp.), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (13″x21)
Blue Ridge Parkway Overlook, Oct 2021
View over the fence near the Graybeard Mountain View Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway, NC. One exposure is 136 seconds, the other 301 seconds- shot with a 15-stop ND filter.
Graybeard Mtn View Overlook, Fence, and Clouds (136s exposure), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (13″x21)
Graybeard Mtn View Overlook, Fence, and Clouds (301s exposure), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (13″x21)
East Fork Pigeon River, Blue Ridge Parkway
Playing with exposure time. Basically the same subject and composition, but one photograph is made using a 10-stop ND filter, the other with a polarizing filter, which is ~2 stops. Both images get some amount of blur in the water, but one photograph has a 30-second exposure time, the other 1/6 second. I think a split down the middle (~2 seconds) may have actually been nicer, but I didn’t do it because I didn’t have a mid-range filter!
Falls along East Fork Pigeon River (10-Stop ND Filter), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (12″x18″)
Falls along East Fork Pigeon River (Polarizing Filter), Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (12″x18″)
Layers of Light at Sunset from Mt Mitchell
The setting sun peaked out from behind rain clouds, casting yellow and gold beams of light onto the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Layered Mountains, Clouds, Light (Panorama #8), Mt Mitchell, NC (16″x52″)
Sunset at Summit of Mt Mitchell
Rain clouds and fog draped over the ridge north of Mt Mitchell just after sunset.
Clouds and Fog at Sunset (Panorama #2), Mt Mitchell, NC (16″x43″)
Blue Ridge Parkway Overlook
Since moving to North Carolina, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Blue Ridge Parkway and Mt Mitchell a few times. Every time I drive by this overlook, I think about photographing the dead tree hanging over the steep hillside just off the road. I’m still trying to get the composition right- this is getting close, but not quite there. Rain clouds were moving in when I set up to shoot this panorama, which provided a nice backdrop for the trees.
Lone Tree Overlook, Blue Ridge Parkway, NC (16″x43″)
Streaming Clouds over Mt Mitchell after Sunset
Clouds streaming over Mt Mitchell as the sun’s light fades from the Blue Ridge Mountains. Exposure time was ~5 minutes to allow blurring of the moving clouds.
Mt Mitchell and Streaming Clouds after Sunset, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC (9″x16″)
Panorama of Clouds at Mt Mitchell
Panorama of clouds and a window in the clouds, shot from the top of Mt Mitchell, NC.
Panorama of Clouds at the Summit of Mt Mitchell, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC (16″x49″)
Window in Fog at Mt Mitchell
Nice and cool at the summit of Mt Mitchell (6,684 feet elevation), even in late July in North Carolina. The top of the mountain was draped in a beautiful fog/cloud, with a few brief windows that revealed views of the surrounding landscape. Full panorama next week.
Hole in the Clouds at the Summit of Mt Mitchell, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC (12″x18″)
Towering Thunderhead near Asheville, NC
Decided to escape the heat in the Raleigh/Durham area, so I spent the weekend hiking in the mountains near Asheville, NC. Gorgeous views of thunderstorms over the mountains out there. I ended up shooting this as a double-stacked panorama to capture the height of the building clouds.
Building Clouds over Mountains, Blue Ridge Mountains, NC (20″x32″)
Luke Parsons Photography 