a few of my favorite things

Yes, I'm still protesting winter by posting some spring flower photos. I thought I'd use the lull in photos to share some of my favorite photo blogs that I check all the time. Do you have a favorite one you'd like to share?

Some old favorites...
http://blueridgeblog.blogs.com/ (Marie captures blue ridge life and beauty like no one else!)
http://www.durhamtownship.com/ (Kathleen's work is amazing, flawless)
http://fromthesehills.wordpress.com/ (Lee shares beautiful thoughts and images each day)
http://www.wayfaringwanderer.com/ (Jessica inspires with her creative words and photos)

And some new ones!
http://billfullerphotography.com/blog/ (Hiking Bill has a great new photoblog...check it out!)
http://www.williamclayton.com/ (Very talented and creative photographer)
http://www.shorpy.com/ (Old B&W photos...always something interesting!)

Pictured above: One of my favorite spring wildflowers, the red trillium.

invincible summer

In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer.
--Albert Camus (1913-1960) French Novelist, Essayist and Playwright

Above: Wild Columbine

I Heart Spring

Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.
--Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Well, that's it, I've had it. I'm officially tired of winter. Sick of the gray days, the brown fields and the freeze-thaw-rain-sleet-snow cycle that is winter in Appalachia. So I'm digging through old photos looking for color, and warmth, and hope. :)

A Compilation

We don't make a photograph just with a camera, we bring to the act of photography all the books we have read, the movies we have seen, the music we have heard, the people we have loved.
--Ansel Adams

To be honest, I didn't really like this photo at first because it was too busy, just too chaotic -- the focal point was unclear. It also didn't seem to have enough contrast for a black and white, nothing really stood out. But I posted it anyway because it was a new angle on a familiar subject for me and because even with my doubts there was still something about it that I found compelling. I then made it my desktop wallpaper and now it's finally grown on me. And the reason I think I like it is because there IS so much going on -- lots of areas of the photo to investigate. I guess it's one of those images that looks better big (and a week later). :)

Pine Ridge Falls

Every mile is two in winter.
--George Hurbert

Even with our colder temps, the hike to Pine Ridge Falls isn't too bad at all. It's probably a half mile or so, with a gentle incline and (under most circumstances) a manageable creek crossing. The hike is of similar length as that to nearby Sill Branch Falls (although that one's a little more steep -- but still a fairly easy hike). Both are found in the beautiful Clark's Creek area of Unicoi County, TN. Click here to see more pics and get directions.

leaning in

It's not a good sign when photos taken earlier this week were not even downloaded until tonight. Wish I had a warmer scene to share with you, but this view of Martin's Creek in Erwin will have to do.

Dark spruce forest frowned on either side the frozen waterway. The trees had been stripped by a recent wind of their white covering of frost, and they seemed to lean towards each other, black and ominous, in the fading light. A vast silence reigned over the land.
--Jack London (1876-1916) American short-story Writer and Novelist

Work and Success

The only place that success is before work is in the dictionary.
--John Wooden (b.1910) UCLA Head Basketball Coach from 1948-75

This is a photo of Milligan College senior Tyler Estepp (Limestone, TN) that I took a week or so ago at a game against Bluefield College. Basketball is notoriously a difficult sport to photograph because of its fast pace and usually poor lighting. You need a fast lens (at least f/2.8), a high ISO (800+), and a shutter speed of at least 1/250 sec (preferably faster). You'll want to set your camera to auto focus continuous so the camera will continue to focus as the subject moves through the frame. White balance is always another issue -- gym lights give off their own distinctive colored glow. You can either shoot raw and adjust this later or use a gray card to remove the color cast while shooting. Obviously every court is different, so it takes some experimentation. You can forget using a flash. First, it's a distraction and many teams won't allow them, and second, the court is huge and the reach of the flash is limited.

I've recently been reading an excellent book on photographic composition and design by Michael Freeman entitled "The Photographer's Eye." It's very well written with lots of wonderful images. I highly recommend it if you love photography -- you'll never look at a photo the same again! As I was sorting through the photos from the basketball game, this photo stood out because it illustrates some basic aspects of composition I had been reading about. For example, I noticed how Tyler is framed by two arms and by the curved bodies of his two defenders -- frames draw attention to whatever they enclose, while curves convey a sense of flow and smoothness. Next, I noticed what the author calls 'eye lines' - the viewer is automatically drawn to the eyes and then follows to see where each subject is looking -- notice the way in which #22 is looking at #42 draws your attention to #42. I recommend this book if you want to understand and articulate what makes an image compelling -- which will then help you make stronger, more effective, more successful photos. (And isn't that what we're all working for?!)

Photo Details: Nikon D90, Tamron 28-75mm lens at 55mm, f/2.8, 1/320 sec., ISO 1600.

Carpe Diem

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
--Steve Jobs (b.1955) Co-founder of Apple, Inc.

I've always loved dilapidated, old barns and cabins, this one is found near the foot of Buffalo Mountain.

Click here to listen to the compelling, inspirational commencement speech by Steve Jobs given at Stanford University back in 2005.

standing on the shoulders of giants

Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we've ever known.
--Ronald Reagan (1911-2004) 40th US President

Above: Crabtree Falls, Blue Ridge Parkway, Mile 339.5. Click here for more information and directions.

the risk of love

The risk of love is loss,
and the price of loss is grief -
But the pain of grief
Is only a shadow
When compared with the pain
Of never risking love.
--Hilary Stanton Zunin, author

Three years ago today a 21 year old Milligan College student died suddenly and unexpectedly of heart failure. Steven Hunter transferred to Milligan his junior year as a history major and pre-law student. He fell in love with Appalachia, the mountains, hiking, bluegrass and fly fishing. He was the kind of student every professor loves to have in class: inquisitive, enthusiastic, serious. And yet you can't speak about Steven without remembering his playfulness. Yes, he took living seriously, but wasn't afraid to be silly; he was outgoing and fun, confident of who he was and what he believed. I remember his tears as well as his smiles and his laughter. His zeal for living was infectious. He loved Milligan and we all loved him back.

Say a prayer today for his parents, Mark and Virgie. You can read more about Steven and his parents here. Click here and here to read my previous posts about Steven and to watch video tributes.

Above: Two fly-fishermen on the South Holston River, one of Steven's favorite places.

winter adventure

Here's a photo of some Milligan friends (Emily, Jeremiah and Tyler) who journeyed last week with me up the icy roads to visit the Roan. It was snowy and cold. And very windy. My fingers were numb. And so we didn't really get too far or stay too long. But I'm happy to report that the views were glorious and we had fun on our winter adventure. :)

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
--T. S. Eliot (1888-1965) poet

sensational simplicity

The simplification of anything is always sensational.
--G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) English essayist and poet

This is a different photo of the same subject as yesterday's post, Rocky Fork. I zoomed in because I was completely amazed by the intricate forms appearing in the churning water.

Rolling Rocky Fork

Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.
--Norman Maclean (1902-1990) American author.

defiance

A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.
--G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) English essayist and poet

Rocky Fork is roaring. Under normal conditions, you'd see the trio of falls -- one of the most well known features of the 10,000 acre tract -- but following our recent snows and heavy rains, its distinguishing features are hidden beneath the roar.

a successful day

If I have been of service, if I have glimpsed more of the nature and essence of ultimate good, if I am inspired to reach wider horizons of thought and action, if I am at peace with myself, it has been a successful day.
--Alex Noble, artist

This is a view of the Blue Ridge taken from Round Bald in the Roan Highlands last winter and enhanced using Topaz Simplify (a Photoshop plug-in), which really brings out the color and makes the photo look more like a painting.

A Hiker's Blessing

May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.
--Edward Abbey (1927-1989) American Writer

Above: On the Appalachian Trail leading from Carver's Gap to Round Bald.

Always on the threshold

Never have I found the limits of the photographic potential. Every horizon, upon being reached, reveals another beckoning in the distance. Always, I am on the threshold.
--W. Eugene Smith (1918-1978) American photojournalist

Looking out over North Carolina from Round Bald in the Roan Highlands. [Click to enlarge]

Jon

This is Jon Hartman, a senior at Milligan College from Montpelier, Ohio, majoring in Business Administration with a minor in Legal Studies. With his interest in city government, he hopes one day to become a city manager. I told him that if that doesn't work out, he could always go into modeling. Click here to visit my gallery to see more portraits of Jon taken at the Beauty Spot on Unaka Mountain. And click here for pricing information and to schedule your own portrait session!

Lower Higgins Creek Falls

Along the northern edge of 10,000 acre Rocky Fork in Unicoi County, TN is a small, tumbling stream with numerous waterfalls. I've previously visited the beautiful 100' main falls (click here), but there are five more falls to see there -- if you're adventuresome. The main trail is in good shape --but there really aren't well established side-trails down to the individual falls. Hopefully with the recent purchase of Rocky Fork by The Conservation Fund and the U.S. Forest Service, improvements can be made to make this magnificent area more accessible to hikers. As a side note, I'd like to cast my vote to keep four wheelers out of this particular section of Rocky Fork in order to help preserve this remote and fragile and unspoiled place. It's a mile hike to the main falls, and then about a half mile or so further to the fourth waterfall pictured above. With the water now up, the two creek crossings may be a little tricky. The fourth falls is the second largest of the bunch -- it was hard to capture its size so I was glad when Jeremiah volunteered to climb part way up the 50' falls for some photos [Click photos to enlarge]. The other one, on the right, is the third waterfall - smaller, but still beautiful. For more pictures and helpful descriptions, click here and here.

Directions: Take I-26 to the Temple Hill exit #43 just south of Erwin and then turn right onto the old Asheville Highway (19/23), after 3/4 mile, turn right onto Lower Higgins Creek Road and drive 1.5 miles till you reach a dead end. There's a clearing where you can park. The trail is actually an old logging road which begins to the left over a rickety, old wooden bridge. While there are No Trespassing signs all around, there is not one at the trail head. The waterfall is about a mile in on your right. The trail has a moderate grade, with the exception of the last quarter mile, when it becomes steep. You'll be able to see the waterfall down a treacherous 100 foot slope to your right. It's best to visit in the spring or fall, as the steep descent to the falls is made even more difficult when the slope is completely overgrown. Continue on the main trail for another half mile or so to discover more waterfalls.

Sunset Prayer

Lord of the far horizons,
Give us the eyes to see
Over the verge of the sundown
The beauty that is to be.
--William Bliss Carman (1861-1929) Canadian poet

The Tavern

The Tavern in historic Abingdon, VA , constructed in 1779, is the town's oldest building and among the oldest west of the Blue Ridge. It began as a stagecoach stop, inn, and tavern. Over the years it served a number of other uses, including post office, barber shop, bank and bakery. It even served as a hospital for wounded Confederate and Union soldiers during the Civil War. Today it continues to welcome visitors as a restaurant. Click here to visit the website.

There is nothing yet which has been contrived by man by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern.
--Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) English author

reviving its echoes

White's Mill, near Abingdon, VA, was built in the 1790s and continued its water-powered milling operations until 1989. With community support, it's currently undergoing renovations. Here is the web site with more information, directions and hours listed.

History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes, and kindle with pale gleams the passion of former days.
--Winston Churchill