The Backwoods
The heavily trafficked tourist areas within the Great Smokey Mountains national parks can be daunting this time of year, especially for a landscape photographer, and after spending almost every day up in those parks this month I needed a break. This is a little known area, only really locals to the area know it even exists. I spent the better part of my evening inside the small forest service controlled area known as Ghost Highway. I have been here before, even tossed a few photos from the last few years into my various platforms, this is a more unique area as it gets even less traffic, the leaves still coating the road well enough, giving me the opportunity to take advantage of the fall leaves lining the road beneath the canopy above.
Woodland photography is something I have difficulty wrapping my head around, so I lean heavily on the roads and the obvious compositions. While there’s not much direct light in this scene, I still enjoyed the diffused light from the setting sun. Take your time in these compositions, set your camera up carefully. While the initial scene is obvious, you still need to mind your composition here, having your camera off to the side in a place where you should be shooting the center of the road to get the effect you want can ruin your photo. Know the scene your at, and the photo you want, and work to capture that image.
Of course at the same time you should be mindful that your ideal shot may not be available. Can you figure out how to get a shot in less than ideal circumstances to give you the same overall effect, or a better composition? That’s why photography can be fickle in nature! Your minds eye, and the shot you want can often be different things, that’s where the work comes in. Finding compositions in a place it should be easy can become a challenge, and vice versa, your difficult composition can just leap out and do all the work for you. It’s up to you to find out what the scene needs, and how you’re prepared to shoot it.
Until Next Time!
Aperture: f8
ISO: 160
SS: 1/15th
Focal: 22mm
Fujinon 16-55mm
