A Misty, Frosty Morning in Cades Cove

I spent last week in the Smoky Mountains with my family, but was able to get out a few mornings and do some shooting. The fall colors were hit or miss this year. Several areas of the park were booming, but others were mixes of not-yet-turned greens and bare trees. The first snow of the season happened the last night we were there, so I was sure to head out the following morning to see what I could find. In checking the weather (temperature, skies, dew points, etc), I figured a clear sky overnight with snow and frost, combined with a small difference in dew point/temperature would lend itself to some nice fog. Cades Cove is a low area that receives a lot of fog, so I decided that's where I would go. I actually had another wide angle composition I was hoping for that I had stalked for three morning straight, with uncooperative light. But when the sun began to rise, I could tell my composition was not going to work well so I grabbed my long lens, as these two similar, but different, magical scenes unfolded before my eyes. I shot handheld for about five minutes before the light became too harsh. I'll release a New Work gallery titled "Fall in the Smoky Mountains" in early January. Click and image to enlarge.


"A Frosty Morning"


"In the Morning Mist"