Views from the 5300’ summit of Sugar Mountain, Sugar Mountain Resort near Banner Elk, North Carolina
I had a special request this month for a “snowy mountain scene” and I just happen to have a few. Taken a couple of years ago, I had the privilege of shooting an assignment at Sugar Mountain in Banner Elk, NC. As luck would have it a very nice snowstorm blew through a couple of days before my scheduled visit, and the folks at the ski resort were kind enough to let me ride the chairlifts without skis. You wouldn’t want to see me on skis!
This is a view from the 5300’ summit of Sugar Mountain at Sugar Mountain Resort near Banner Elk, North Carolina.
Sunrise over Swans Cove Pool, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Assateague Island, Virginia
November is a time of transition. Here in the Southeast fall hangs on for another few weeks, sometimes until Thanksgiving. We’ve already seen our first snowfall in the mountains, and I know a lot of my friends Up North have had a lot more. Like October, November can be a month of color, but as the color recedes from the landscape it is often found in the sky. Clear days and nights lead to an often monochrome but very colorful sky. Enjoy it while it lasts, because soon Winter will be here, in whatever form it takes where you are.
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On a somewhat related note, a plea for feedback. Kirk Tuck recently posted a great article on The Online Photographer about “What I learned when I stopped writing a photo blog.” In it he discusses, among other things, the value of comments from the “silent majority.” I get a number of comments from a few regular visitors, but I know from my stats that a lot more people follow my work. A few of you may even like my work! So feel free to comment, to tell me you like something, ask me a question or suggest I keep my Day Job. I don’t write for comments or for money, I do it because I enjoy it. But it’s nice to hear from people now and again. So don’t be shy! And I promise to do my part as well, to keep writing what I write. If something moves you, feel free to let me know in the comments. Thanks!
Fall colors from Blue Valley Overlook in Nantahala National Forest near Highlands, North Carolina
Fall is easily my favorite time of the year in North Carolina. Although Spring is also beautiful, it is somewhat more predictable than Fall, at least in terms of what you are going to get. Fall can be a bit more mercurial in terms of what colors there are and when and where to find them. Temperature, rain and wind can result in stunning displays of fall glory or can just as easily wreak havoc with nature’s display. But we’ll be there and see what gifts we find. And there will be gifts. The joy is in the looking.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse - Cape Lookout National Seashore, NC
How did that happen? It was just July, wasn’t it? Time marches on….
Here’s another coastal scene from the archives, taken all the way back in 2007. This is the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, located on the coast of North Carolina at Cape Lookout National Seashore.
I had a special request this month for a beach-oriented calendar, and decided to dust off this classic TD photo from 2007. It’s a sunset on the beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
I hope you enjoy this wallpaper calendar for August and hope everyone has a great month!
Roy Taylor Forest Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesville, North Carolina
What better wallpaper for July than a great summertime view from the Blue Ridge Parkway?
The Roy Taylor Forest is a section of the Nantahala Ranger District of Nantahala National Forest that includes the rugged and scenic Tuckasegee Gorge. The Roy Taylor Forest Overlook is at mile post 433 on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Waynesville, NC. At a cool elevation of 5580 feet, a paved path leads to a wooden platform that clings precariously to the mountainside here, with a more or less southwestern view overlooking the Balsams and eventually the Tuckasegee Gorge beyond.
This is a viewpoint that would benefit from some judicious pruning, as the view will soon be choked off by trees unless a helpful wind or ice storm comes along. It was in good form on a summer day last year and yielded this photograph that I hope you enjoy.
Sunrise from Craggy Pinnacle, Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, NC
I had a different photograph all picked out for this month’s calendar, but this afternoon my June issue of WNC Magazine arrived. In it is a two-page spread with this photo, one of the two images chosen for the newly-revived Vistas feature. It’s pretty special to get a big spread in a great magazine, so I decided I would rather look at this one for the month of June. I hope you agree.
This photo was taken several years ago from Craggy Pinnacle, in Craggy Gardens on the Blue Ridge Parkway just north of Asheville. The vertical version of this is one of my all-time favorites, and now this one is growing on me too.
My friend and mentor Les Saucier frequently asks, “when is the best time to take a horizontal photograph?” To which the proper reply is “just after you’ve taken the vertical.”
Cascades on Boone Fork from the Tanawha Trail, Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina
My grandmother always used to say that it was bad luck to turn the calendar page ahead of time, but then I always forget to turn it on the first of the month!
It’s hard to believe that yet another month has flown by! I’ve got several more posts in the works but wanted to get this one out, because I know I have a few people looking for it!
This is a photograph of some cascades on Boone Fork, along the Tanawha Trail, just off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina.
The traditional adage is “April showers bring May flowers.” Here in the Southeast flowers don’t wait until May. Some of you still have snow on the ground but down here we’ve had our air conditioners tuned up and are ready for Spring. The Dogwood is the Official Flower of North Carolina, although these particular Dogwood were found in Georgia. Hope you enjoy!
Early Spring on the Torrence Creek Greenway in Huntersville, North Carolina
March is a month of transition, especially here in the Southeast. We’ve been running around in shorts and flip-flops one day, sweats and boots the next. In just the last few days the signs of Spring have started to appear. A tinge of red on the redbud trees, a few daffodils peeking out of the mulch, and the Bradford Pears are starting to get a little excited. March is a month of Anticipation, so my photo for this month hopefully reflects that theme.
Also, this is the first official new post for my blog at a new location. For those of you following along, please use the RSS links to update your feed, and those following on Facebook through Networked Blogs can just use the “Follow” link. The biggest deal right now is that the Networked Blogs app isn’t playing nice with Facebook’s new secure “https” thing, so if you have to go to regular “http” to get to Networked Blogs you might have to go back and re-set your security settings. Those of you who know what I’m talking about aren’t the ones I’m talking to though, are you?
As with last month, below is an iPad version of the monthly calendar for those of you who are iPad-inclined.
