Whigg Meadow is is on the Tennessee North Carolina line accessed by the mud gap trail, Benton MacKaye trail or a long winding forest road.
Some people were there seriously picking berries but I just ate all the berries I picked.
Catching a sunrise up on Max Patch is totally worth getting up for!
Please excuse the wicked sigma lens flare of my “beater lens”. I don’t think all newer sigma lenses have this kind of crazy flare, I think it’s just that this old lens has been through a lot.
I shot these next 8 photos intending to stitch them together as a panorama but I didn’t get to it, so use your imagination here ok?
There were only two other hearty souls up at the top for the sunrise.
Others may have thought about getting up for the sunrise but ended up just pulling the covers back over their heads and mumbling something about looking at the photos later.
No problem, I got them for ya!
Calderwood lake after the rain.
The fog rolled in and the fog rolled out.
Dana caught a few fish.
and was busy cleaning them.
Don’t ask me what kind of fish, lets just call them fish ok?
Later on Dana came over as the rain stopped and said You need to get out in that canoe with that camera as the sun sets and the fog clears out.
I knew he was right the minute he said it.
So we headed out.
The fog came and went and the water was just as still as could be.
The wind started to pick up and ripple the glassy water. And there it was, that moment when you know you got the photo you came for.
Big shout out to Dana for getting me to be in the right place at the right time for this photo!
The photographer amigos and I next headed down a one lane forest road into the steep valleys of North Carolina.
They didn’t get very far before somebody had to stop because they saw something.
They got out their gear
and set it up all over again.
They checked settings,
and changed lenses again.
These hounds were waiting to get out and enjoy the day too. I told them they were cute as I walked by but they just gave me that sad look.
While others shot from the bridge I stumbled down the bank because I thought I saw a picture in the middle of the brook.
Later in the day I was driving by a farm thinking there might be some good picture on this road.
Chris was already there thinking the same thing.
Chris is very focused about what he does. He does not partake in conversation while photographing.
I saw some of his work that evening. Wow. Maybe I should try not talking. On second thought Nah, ain’t going to happen.
Then we all met back at the house and learned a few things about editing before dinner. I’m sure some things went right over my head but I still picked up a few useful pieces.
Brenda found these reflections and water patterns in the river. I like them, nice job.
Paul made an outstanding sweet potato soup.
I didn’t see him make it so I don’t know what all went into it but it sure was good.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of the amigos again next year.
P.S. As soon as I get Paul’s recipe I’ll have to make it again and share it with all of you.
The three amigos came back and this year they had multiplied! There were nearly a dozen who came to town for the fall foliage. Large Groups of Photographers don’t stay in a large group long, they see different things and wander off.
This morning I joined the most late departing group. Others had left their nice warm beds much earlier and stumbled off in the dark for places they just had a hunch would be perfect in morning light.
Just before the sun came around the mountain they hurried to their chosen spots.
They set their cameras just the way they wanted them.
And waited.
They bracketed like it was going out of style.
As the sun came up You could hear the click click of the shutters all up and down the bridge.
Later they’d take their bracketed images and make them into one HDR image.
Burt saw the light change. I didn’t, I was busy standing in the middle of the road to get the picture.
That’s James from St Louis. Who needs a tripod anyway?
Johnny Nikon and
Paul are from the other side of the hill (North Carolina).
Brenda came from Florida.
Burt came from Missouri
Then they decided to pack up and go somewhere else… Where? They had an idea but planned on changing their plan if anything interesting caught their attention along the way.
