Over the years Bonnie and I have photographed the sunset at Cowee Mountain Overlook (Blue Ridge Parkway) on more occasions than I can readily recall, and even when the creative conditions are somewhat less than what might be considered optimum, I am always glad and grateful to have made the effort to go. This week I shared Cowee with one of my students who had journeyed from Reno, Nevada. The conditions along the Parkway all afternoon had been intriguing in an odd sort of way, yet when we arrived at Cowee for sunset, it seemed that conditions might not materialize to our benefit. Then, as we watched, a long swirling mass of cirrus, of a type somewhere between fibratus and uncinus, appeared and stretched from far to the southwest all the way into the northeast, nowhere near the direction of the sunset. As the sun sank below the western horizon, the lights in the cloud mass came on, and we watched as something amazing evloved from something rather ordinary. Thus it is with sunsets.
A focal length of 160mm, on the cusp of medium telephotoland, gave me the angle-of-view I wanted, isolating a section of the cloudmass and some interesting, rim-lit portions of the hills below the overlook. An aperture of f/14, considering the camera-to-subject distance, provided depth-of-field., and of equal importance, allowed, at ISO 100 (less digital noise), for a shutter speed of 8.0 seconds and a somewhat darker-than-medium overall exposure.
I have watched the clouds over Cowee do some extraordinary things over the years; but this week they did something that was truly unique.
Beautiful! It makes me want to be there standing beside you.
VERY nice!
Splendid scene. Wonderful layers of light and shadow that makes feel I am there.
Howdy Don, love this image and how the ripples in the clouds mimic the ripples of the ridges on the land, and the contrast of warm tones in the sky and cool tones in the landscape. Certainly a, “wish you were here” moment.
Unbelievable just beautiful
Beautiful image. Love the pattern in the orange sky with the flowing “strands”. You exposed the foreground just enough for us to see some detail in the trees, which I like. For me though, the best lesson from this shot is that you need to be persistent and patient. Just because conditions are not perfect at the moment, does not mean that you should pack up and go home. The same is true when the conditions look perfect. Light can change quickly so patience is the key. You may not always “win” but you will get shots that others miss if you take the chance.
This is such an awesome reward for your patience. I too see the clouds mimicking the ridges like Mike Di Stefano mentioned. The clouds look like a musical instrument in the string section. A little extra-terrestrial. That would be quite a sound bouncing off the ridges. Thanks for sharing the awesomeness of the mountains.
Good morning Everyone. Thank you all very much for joining me for this discussion. I am honored and delighted by all of your words and expressions. Bonnie and I have just come home from a really wonderful week with our final Road Scholar group of 2019 at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. Their experience in the Smokies was quite reminiscent of my feelings about this week’s Image: the amazing beauty of the natural world is inspirational beyond measure.
Hi Judi. Thank you for being with us. I am honored by your words for they are what every creative photographer longs to hear – this image makes me feel like I was standing there beside you. What more could anyone ask of his/her work.
Hey Dick. Thank you very much. I appreciate your kind words and hope very much that all is well with you.
Hey John. I hope very much that wherever you have roamed, you have been blessed with opportunities like this. I had been concerned that the fall experience in the Southern Appalachians might go wanting for quality this year in the face of the high temperatures and lack of rain. However, the temperature dropped just in time and the rains came. as well. It was gratifying to observe how quickly Nature responded. Indeed, layers of light and shadow. You would have enjoyed it immensely.
Howdy Michael. It’s always good to have you join us, and I truly wish you could have been there with me; but perhaps equally fervently, I wish that your fall in the Ocean State has been amazing. I was telling someone in the Road Scholar group how very special is the natural beauty of Rhode Island. Be well, my friend.
Hey Mike. As always, it’s great to have you join me. Looking back, it seems rather unbelievable that the conditions at Cowee changed from what they portended when we arrived to what they became as the sunset went on. I’ve seen conditions change considerably over the years as I have witnessed the sun say farewell to day; but I don’t believe the change has ever been quite so dramatic. It was a special evening. Thanks for your kind comment.
Hey Kev. Hope you and Elizabeth are doing well. You have summed up the thought process for living in patience very, very well. Patience with knowledge and understanding is easy to talk about, but so much more difficult to live. May we all aspire to be as you have described; it can only serve us well in our creative efforts. And even when we may not “win” we can only be rewarded for the effort by receiving images that others have foregone. Let’s talk soon.
Hi Nancy T. I see that you heard the music, too. Only you could give such a felt description. Indeed, clouds mimicking ridges can only offer beauty for our eyes to enjoy. Be well and let’s talk soon.
Thanks, again, Everyone for a wonderful journey to an amazing place where even when we don’t “win,” the beauty we are shown sustains us.