Snow adds a little extra visual excitement to landscapes. In the image I used a 4x5 view camera with black and white film because a want to capture as much detail as possible. The choice of no color was used to bring out the white shapes the snow made as it covered rocks and trees. This is in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. LynnFreeny.com
If you live close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park you will never ask where that name came from. This image shows an almost daily occurrence in the park. Fog forming in the valley below rises as the sun comes out. I like to be on the edge of the fog so I can get sharp objects that will contrast with areas softened by the fog.LynnFreeny.com
Fog is an amazing thing to photography. Getting images of it frozen can be very interesting. In this early morning shot near New Found Gap in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park the frozen fog coats every limb and plant in its path. LynnFreeny.com
I consider both the negative and positive space when composing an image such as these leaf patterns in the water. The leaves are the positive space and the water surrounding the leaves is the negative space. Both are equally important in creating a successful image. This image was shot during my photography workshop at Tremont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. LynnFreeny.com
This is another image I shot in Tremont during my photography workshop . The roots look like stairs because of the pattern they form growing down hill. The colorful carpet of fall leaves add to the interest when contrasted with the dark roots. Using a wide angle lens helped show the progression of the roots giving a rhythm to the photograph. To get the foreground sharp along with the background I had to shoot at f- 22 for 2 seconds. LynnFreeny.com
I love trees because they offer so many interesting photography opportunities. Even in death a tree has a beauty that can not be ignored. This is an image of exposed roots of a hemlock tree that has fallen in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The lines on the wood look like a pencil drawing. LynnFreeny.com
I took my camera mounted to my tripod and started walking along the banks of my favorite river in the Southern Appalachians. It is the Little River in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I had my camera on a tripod because I knew the light would be low as I followed the direction of this small but beautiful stream surrounded by very dense vegetation. I wanted to capture the brilliant colors of the surrounding forest along with the same colors reflected in the water. My exposure ended up being around 10 seconds because of the dense tree canopy and a f-stop of 32. F-32 was used to get the depth of field in the picture.LynnFreeny.com
When you include reflections in an image you have to be careful with the depth of field. The range of focus is so wide that many times a small lens opening is necessary. For this photograph, I set the f-stop at 32 which gave me an exposure of about 10 seconds. This was the only way I could obtain sharp focus throughout the image. The trees that are reflected in the water are in the sun, whereas the rocks and river are in shade. Because of the long exposure, the slow moving water at the top of the photograph shows some motion with a slight blur. LynnFreeny.com
There is something about a river that attracts me like a magnet. I enjoy trails that go alongside a stream. Camping in places where you can hear the sound of rushing water seems to help melt away stress for a good nights sleep. On a hot day in the 90s the best place to be is in a small mountain stream taking in the cooling effects of the cold water. The best place to read a book, have quiet time, paint, sketch, or write is along a small stream. This image of a slow moving part of the Little River in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a mental reflection of what a wonderful gift a mountain stream is. LynnFreeny.com
When I think of a place that I would like to be for photography I am usually thinking of being there early in the morning. Morning can be "The best of times and the worst of times." You may have cloud cover so heavy that you can not even see the sun let alone have warm light. But when all the weather elements are just right, it is by far the best lighting you can work with as a photographer. When most people are still in bed I am already setup for that first light of the day.
I always have a camera with me. I love to find things when I am not out just to take pictures. In this case I was at a birthday party that just happened to be in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park( my favorite place for photography) . The party was alongside a gentle flowing stream with rocks that almost looked streamlined from the wear of the constant flow of the water. My wife saw it first. A rock within a rock as if one rock cradled the smaller one. My first thought was to fill the frame with the unusual site. As I thought more about the composition the more I realized in order to tell the story of these very worn rocks the river must be included. Positioning the rock to the left helps give a directional flow for the water in the image. LynnFreeny.com
I heard one sarcastic professional photographer tell me that he did not take sunset photographs anymore because they all look the same. I do not know what world he lives in but it is not the same as mine. One of the biggest mistakes most photographers make is leaving before the show is over. What I mean by that is the fact that they put their cameras away and drive off when the sun disappears from site. Some of the most beautiful light happens after the sun disappears from the scene. This is the case in this image taken on Cliff Tops at Mt. LeConte in The GreatSmoky Mountains National Park . If you are going to wait on the light and you are far from your car take a flashlight. It gets really dark in the woods! LynnFreeny.com
