There are times of the year when Morton Overlook, the quintessential Smokies sunset location, is just not a viable place to photograph sunset. This is because of where the sun sets in relation to Sugarland Mountain. In writing in my quarterly newsletter, A Song for the Asking, I always mention this, but I always point out that, even so, Morton Overlook in certain conditions – any time of year – can be an amazing opportunity. Earlier this week I was gifted with such an occasion as I was on my way between Cherokee and Gatlinburg. A shower that had come up the valley of Walker Camp Prong was slowly clearing as it rose, creating some incredible cloud and forest scenes across the valley on Anakeesta Ridge. The real effort was to watch and wait patiently while the mists sifted through the trees, revealing here and obscuring there, looking for contrasts, relationships, and shapes that offered striking patterns of elements. The most attractive compositions, in my mind, came with long telephoto focal lengths that allowed small areas of mountainside to be isolated and emphasized. Being able to quickly react to slight changes as the relationships altered was a definite plus. A focal length of 450mm gave me the angle of view and isolation I wanted. An aperture of f/16 gave me depth-of-field; and a shutter speed of 1/8 second at ISO 100 gave me a somewhat-lighter-than-medium overall exposure.
Howdy Don – It’s exciting to see something other than a sunset from Morton Overlook. Wonderful.
It looks like the wispy hand of God as He blows white powder dust into the trees. Great shot, Don.
Some chase storms, others ambulances, but you chase these magic moments in nature and skillfully capture them for the rest of us who probably did not even get outside that day. Then you share the images with us and give us the info we need to capture this kind of scene. Now all we have to do is ‘show up’. This is beautiful and inspiring! Thank you!
Hi Everyone. Thank you all for joining me in this conversation. Mike, I know just what you mean, and thanks for your kind words. While I never want to minimize the significance of Morton as a sunset location, it is so many other things as well and should always be considered both at certain times of the year, all year, as well as in certain conditions, even when sunset is out of the question.I hope the message is getting out there. Rosemary, I love your description of the scene and thanks for your kind comment. I can certainly envision the picture you have painted. Nancy T., you are so very welcome and your words are more than kind. I hope one of the days to be able to share places like this again with you and to see your vision as it expresses what you are seeing. As you well know, and as you have said, it’s all about showing up. Thanks again everyone; spring is on its way.
Out of the primordial mist rises the forest primeval. There is something mystical and at the same time lyrical about this photo. The layers and diagonals give depth and instruction to the topography you are photographing. One of my favorites from your more recent posts.
Hey Dorsey, thanks very much for joining us for this conversation. Mystical and lyrical are words I very much appreciate, as are your descriptors: layers and diagonals. Those are ideas that ran through my mind as I watched the mists come and go. I am grateful that the image resonated so with you. Spring has always seemed a mystical time in the Smokies to me; I glad we share that perspective on it.