Category Archives: Landscape

I was stopped just below 3000 feet elevation along Highway 58 headed “up the mountain” (as it’s called around here when one goes into the Blue Ridge Mountains) at a popular location called Lover’s Leap. An old indian legend gave the spot its name. Anyway…I spotted the red-roofed farm way below, and I positioned myself so it could be seen, framed by a couple of trees. The best time to make photos in the Blue Ridge is (in my opinion) when there are no leaves on the trees. You can just see so much more, and besides the air is much clearer in the winter months at this elevation. Click the image to enlarge so you can see the farm better.

I suppose out of 100 photos I might make on a given day, less than 10% are what I’d judge as being above average…for me at least. This is one of those which I was very happy with, but I did not know that until I had opened it up on my computer to begin digital processing. What’s that you say…you “process” digital images? Yes I do. Just as I did back when I was developing film in the darkroom, I took an original “negative” as captured on film by the camera lens, and then adjusted the exposure and so forth to have it look like I remembered the original scene. It’s much easier to do this today digitally, but the process is essentially the same.

In this scene with horses relaxing and feeding, in the center of a beautiful farm in North Carolina, with dark clouds on the horizon, everything was “just right.” Once inna while this happens…and then I am happy.

These two photos are examples of scenes I have an opportunity to see whenever I want, so long as I get into my Toyota and drive a short distance into the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia or North Carolina. These locations are often destinations for one of my photo “road trips.” I hardly ever plan such trips out, other than to select a direction in which to drive…usually north, south or west. I’ll often be driving along a narrow road and for no reason other than I can, take a side road off to somewhere with sights unknown. When I find photo treasures for my camera lens to savor, I make a mental note to perhaps return during a different season so as to be able to experience it all again with a new look. Anyone who knows me well will wonder if I could go anywhere “unplanned.” For all my life I have always planned out just about everything I did…often to excess, worrying about what might go wrong to delay or impede my progress. Now that I am older and perhaps wiser, I tend to “go with the flow” so to speak. My rewards in that regard seem much better than they were when I was younger.

It was a partly cloudy, cold blustery day, with temperatures well below freezing at 1000 foot elevation in the Blue Ridge foothills near where we live. There is no way I’d move again, but every time I drive along narrow, 2-lane roads in the Blue Ridge Mountains such as you see here I wonder what it would be like having a small, quaint home sitting on a ridge with spectacular views out our family room window, and perhaps with a small apple or peach orchard out back. But then I think about how long it would take to drive somewhere to buy food, gas or what-not, even in good weather, and I am quite certain I’m happy living where we do now.

The view you see here was taken through my Toyota’s windshield with me sitting stopped in the middle of Virginia Highway Route 8, on my way to Floyd (I had been checking behind me for a long ways and there was no following traffic). Floyd was where I had planned to eat a late lunch, and to make some photos of that rustic town for my collection of images from Southwest Virginia. I’ve driven this road many times all during the year since we moved to this part of Virginia in 2002. This view is one of my favorites. It’s not that special, but I love the way the road goes downhill a bit headed toward the rising mountains, eventually leading up a winding road to the Blue Ridge Parkway…which this day was closed to through traffic at elevations above 2500 feet…not sure why…there was no snow.

Later this week I’ll have some more images I made in Floyd at the nice cafe where I had lunch. Plus, I’ll continue with a series of photos I made elsewhere that special day

Each day we are given is a gift, and it’s a one-of-a-kind thing. It’s not easy to remember this when things happen to us during the day, so we wish the remaining hours might move on so we can get to the next (and perhaps better) day. Rather than savoring what we have been afforded that unique day, we too often wish for a change to another. When we do this, days pass all too fast…and that turns into weeks, months and years. If you are older than fifty you know what I’m talking about. The old saying “take time to small the roses” is a good one. Hours, days, weeks, months and years pass all to quickly and our time on earth is not unlimited. So, sit back and be thankful for what’s around you…right now…because those single, unique moments are never going to be there for you again.

PS: If you look closely in this photo I made (click to enlarge it), you’ll see two crows sitting in the top right. They were there when I made the photo, but within seconds afterwards they were gone…most likely forever from my view.

Now that a new year is upon me, I have several “hopes” in mind for 2012. First, I hope for good health for me and my family. Next, I want to learn more about how to make my photography better and more interesting. Third, I want to be a better person in terms of relating to others…those I know well and those I may meet for the first time. I also want to be a better husband, now that I have been married for 50 years…today being our anniversary. Lastly, and most important, I want to continue to improve my religious faith. This photograph depicts two things to me. First, in the background is a very large, old oak tree and a historic building…signifying my past; while the colorful, vibrant bushes in the foreground reflect the present, with hopefully a bright future ahead.

May you all have a wonderful 2012!

I have many photographs made right from this spot…the overlook of Philpott Lake, next to the Army Corps of Engineers Visitor’s Center near Bassett, Virginia. I like to make photos from this panoramic view location as the seasons change, and that’s what I was doing with my “almost winter” shot here. Note the Blue Ridge Mountains in the background. Converting my color photo to black and white made it appear more dramatic in my opinion. As an aside, I can monitor the lake’s water level from here too, by looking at the shoreline. The Army Corps has a dam located just to the right and below this overlook. They release water from time to time into the Smith River…which is full of trout. Philpott Lake is managed by the Corps, and they do an excellent job.

Objective with this image was to place the canon in the foreground, looking out at a portion of the battlefield. This was right in front of the visitor’s center. Shortly after I made this photo, two large tour buses full of veterans and their families from the Maryland and Virginia based 29th Infantry Division drove up. They were on a “reunion” trip. I was glad to see them, but was even happier I had made all my photos before they came into the scene. NIkon P7100.