Spring is in the air and the wildflowers are adorning the Smoky Mountains. The earliest ephemerals have already begun unfurling their leaves and blooms. They will leaf out, flower, and fruit within a short two-month period before the trees leaf out. But the show doesn’t end there as the Smokies are home to over 1,500 species of flowering plants. Wildflowers continue through summer and fall. Variations in elevation, rainfall, temperature, and geology create an ideal habitat for an amazing diversity of plants. In fact, there are over 20 flowering plants that are only found in the Southern Appalachians. Check out the infographic below for more fun facts about Smoky Mountain wildflowers.
Photography subjects are all around us. When you are a beginner, sometimes it can actually be overwhelming to decide what to start photographing. I, of course, focus on nature and wildlife photography. One of my favorite wildlife subjects is birds. I enjoy learning about them, the challenge of photographing them, and teaching others about them. In this Quick Tips blog, I will give some tips on getting started photographing our feathered friends.
There are many benefits of learning how to photograph birds. A few include
Getting outside and enjoying nature
Your subject is everywhere, even cities and your own backyard
For birders, good photographs help with bird identification and documentation
All ages can enjoy it
Provides a fun challenge
How to Get Started
Begin by learning some basics about your subject. Knowing basic behaviors and characteristics will help you appreciate your subject more and help you to identify, locate, and photograph them.
Identification Help
Local year-round birds are easiest to start identifying and photographing. Migrating birds are fairly predictable, so you can learn the times of the year that various birds migrate through your area. Male birds are usually more easily identified because they are more colorful and vocal. Females and young males can look very similar.
There are many great tools available to begin identifying birds and to learn more about them. The Cornell Lab Merlin app is a free tool that I highly recommend. A good bird guide book is another excellent resource. Many are available including ones by Peterson, Sibley, Audubon, and National Geographic. As you become more involved in bird photography, you may also enjoy joining a birding and/or photography club or group. Research your area for Ornithological Societies, Camera Clubs, and Birding Social Media Groups.
Basic Behaviors
Learning basic behaviors such as what birds eat and their preferred habitats will help you draw them to your yard, know where to look for them on location, predict their behavior, and get better photos. Backyard bird feeders will attract different birds based on the types of feed and seed that you use. To attract many different birds, use a variety of seeds and use suet for woodpeckers. Consider planting trees, shrubs, and flowers to attract birds. Hummingbirds, for example, will be drawn to nectar producing flowers. While other types of birds will eat the seeds produced by flowering plants. All birds will benefit from having cover and nesting places in backyard plantings.
Hummingbird feeding on Jewelweed
Some birds will feed predominantly on insects, and you can use this knowledge to get photographs of them catching a meal in flight or delivering an insect to their young as in the image below.
Meals on Wings
Other birds that feed on berries will be found in trees and shrubs. So, looking for likely food sources can result in great photos of them eating colorful berries.
Berries for Lunch
Gear to Get Started
As you get started photographing birds, you will need some basic gear. A good pair of binoculars tops the list of recommended gear. There are many brands available. Look for good quality 8×42 binoculars. Binoculars will help you find and identify the birds that you want to photograph.
As with binoculars there are many camera brands available. Look for a digital (DSLR) camera from a respected manufacturer such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Panasonic. You will want a camera and lenses with vibration reduction (VR) and image stabilization (IS) capabilities. A good birding lens would be a 200mm or higher. Zooms are very versatile and can be used, also. Other equipment that will be handy is a tripod and a monopod with a Gimbal tripod head.
Photographing
Bird photography is fun and challenging. You are frequently photographing a moving subject that at times is quite small and in variable lighting. Below are some tips to follow as you practice photographing birds. Keep in mind that the key to progress is practice. Since birds are in nearly every environment, you can practice regularly even if it is in your backyard or a nearby city park. As you practice, the techniques become habit, and as you adventure into different settings to photograph birds your results will be better and better.
Photography Tips:
Practice looking back and forth from camera to subject with your naked eye
Practice panning (moving camera/lens the same speed as the subject) as you photograph the moving subject
Study bird habits to anticipate their movements to capture action shots
Be prepared – try to position yourself with better lighting such as sun behind you to help your images show better detail and color
Shoot flying subjects as they are coming slightly toward you (not flying away)
For static subjects shoot at lowest F Stop (f/2.8-f/5.6) and speeds equivalent to lens length (1/400-1/800)
For moving subjects shoot at a higher F Stop (f/6.3-f/8) and higher speeds (1/800-1/1600)
Use your lowest ISO possible for best results
Use single point Autofocus for static subjects
Use small group Autofocus for flying subjects
In conclusion, learning bird photography is a fun and challenging hobby that anyone can get started doing. Download a bird app such as Merlin by Cornel Lab to your phone and begin identifying the birds in your neighborhood. Improve your yard with feeders and simple plantings to encourage birds, and you will be able to easily practice your photography in your backyard. Get started with some basic camera gear and binoculars. Soon you will find yourself enjoying your bird photography as much as I do.
When visiting the Great Smoky Mountains, you’ll want to take advantage of the beautiful scenery and take some amazing photos. Here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your Smoky Mountain photography.
1. Take advantage of the golden hour
One of the best times to capture great landscape and wildlife photography is during golden hour. This is the time shortly after sunrise or shortly before sunset. The lighting is softer and warmer during golden hour, and the mountains tend to take on a beautiful, golden glow. Here are a few pointers for taking amazing photos during golden hour. Position the rising or setting sun behind you. Watch for warm tones hitting your subject. Use a tripod to ensure sharp images. Golden hour is a special time of day, so make sure to savor the moment and take in the stunning views and photographic opportunities.
Rare alpenglow in Cades Cove during golden hour.
2. Get up early to capture the morning fog
If you want to take some truly stunning photos of the Smoky Mountains, then you’ll need to get up early to catch the morning fog. After all this is how the Smoky Mountains got their name. It occurs most mornings in the valleys and rivers. Here are some tips to help you make the most of this magical time of day. First, plan your route in advance. Decide which overlooks you want to visit and map out the best route to get there. Plan on starting at higher elevation overlooks to be above the fog. Spend time and be patient as the fog changes and dissipates during the morning. After shooting from above the fog, move down to lower elevation. This is when you can look for vistas with contrasting areas of sharp detail and wispy fog.
Morning fog in the Smoky Mountains.
3. Use a tripod
Another way to take great photos is to use a tripod. This will help keep your camera steady and prevent unwanted blurriness. A tripod is a must have to capture soft water effects when photographing waterfalls and rivers in the Smokies. You will need to locate and select waterfalls with the right amount of water. You don’t want rushing water. Large amounts of rushing water result in over exposed images. Small amounts of constant water will give the best results. To create the soft, misty water effect you will use a slow shutter speed. Typically, a speed of 1/8 of a second to 1/4 of a second will work. The shutter speed will be dependent on the speed and amount of water. Using a tripod prevents the image being blurred from the slow shutter speed. Experiment with different settings and different angles to get the look that you want.
Getting in the river to get the shot.
4. Hire a guide
When visiting an area that you are not familiar with, there are many benefits to hiring a local guide who can help you get the images that you want. Local knowledge from a guide will save you a considerable amount of time researching an area. Plus, the guide will know spots and have insights from experience that you will not be able to find on the internet or in books. Lastly, a guide who specializes in photography will be able to help you with camera settings, set-up for the best compositions, and other pointers while guiding. Even though I am an experienced guide and photographer, I use guides when I visit new areas. The time savings and local knowledge are invaluable.
In conclusion, when photographing in the Smoky Mountains, get started early in the morning to capture the mountain mist at sunrise. Plan ahead so that you can take advantage of the golden hour for stunning landscapes and wildlife. Use a tripod to ensure the best results for your landscape photography. Lastly, consider hiring a guide to ensure that you get to the right spots at the right times to capture the perfect photos. And don’t forget that the more you practice the better your final results will be.
Have you ever looked at an image that grabbed your attention and held your interest as you gazed at it? Did you wonder how the artist went about creating that visual experience? There is a good chance that some basic rules of composition were used in creating the image. In addition to knowing how to use your camera, learning a few basic composition techniques will greatly improve your images. We will cover 4 quick tips to improve composition in your photography:
Rule of Thirds
Leading Lines
Color Bokeh
Natural Framing
1. Rule of Thirds
The “rule of thirds” refers to dividing an image into thirds horizontally and vertically. Placing subjects or strong lines of an image at the intersection points of the lines or along the lines themselves creates a balanced, visually pleasing composition.
Compare the two images below. In the first image, you will notice that the subject is placed according to the rule of thirds. Also, the lines of the rocks and mountains are roughly dividing the image into thirds. In the second image, the subject is more centered. The first image is more visually pleasing and has a more dramatic feel.
Image 1: Rule of ThirdsImage 2: Rule of Thirds Not Utilized
2. Leading Lines
Leading lines are lines in an image that lead the viewer’s eyes from one part of the image to another. Frequently the line or lines will lead towards the main subject or focal point of the image. Leading lines in landscape photography add depth and perspective to an image making a scene more three dimensional.
In this black and white image, notice how the leading lines of the fence and the road lead you into the field towards the mountains. The leading lines draw your eyes into the image creating a sense of depth and perspective. Also, note how the rule of thirds is utilized in the scene.
“The Road”. Example of leading lines and rule of thirds.
3. Color Bokeh
Bokeh refers to the out-of-focus areas of an image. Bokeh can be used to create a pleasing background effect for subjects. It can result in an image where the subject appears to pop off the page. The basic technique for creating bokeh is to be as close to the subject as possible with the background at a significant distance and shoot with a shallow depth of field (large aperture). It is also important to pay attention to the colors, highlights, and shadows of the background to ensure optimal placement of the subject.
Notice in this image of a ruby-throated hummingbird how the background is blurred creating a soft, complementing background to the bird. The bird and flower appear almost 3-D.
Ruby-throated hummingbird with soft color bokeh.
4. Natural Framing
Natural framing is when an element within the image such as tree branches or an architectural element frame the subject of the image. This draws the viewer’s eyes into the photo and serves to highlight the subject. Natural framing creates a strong composition emphasizing the subject.
Cantilever Barn with a walnut tree used for natural framing.
In this barn image, notice how the walnut tree in the foreground is used to frame the subject. The eyes are drawn into the center focal point of the picture.
Lastly, keep in mind when composing your photographs in the field to leave room in your image for later cropping during post processing. When reviewing your images, you often will see a way to compose an image that you did not see when shooting it. So having room in the image to crop it will be important. With a little practice these compositional techniques will become second nature when you are viewing a scene and will improve your photography.
The American Black Bear is the iconic inhabitant of the Great Smoky Mountains. No visit is complete without picking-up a bear souvenir and trying to site one while driving a scenic byway. But have you ever wondered what the bears are doing while you are looking for them? Most likely, if they are not sleeping, they are busy foraging for food. This is particularly true for female bears who are nursing their cubs.
Five bear cubs playing
So, what are they eating out there in the woods and fields of the Smokies? Black bears are omnivorous, meaning that they are opportunistic feeders who will eat a variety of things, including vegetation and meat. In the Spring when food is scarce, bears may eat grasses, inner tree bark, insects, and insect larvae.They will tear apart rotting logs and overturn rocks looking for invertebrates. Bears will also feed on carrion that they come across. They will follow the food sources that become available throughout the year such as blackberries, cherries, acorns, and walnuts.
Black Bears are the smallest North American bear, but they have the keenest noses in the park. Bears rely on their sense of smell for finding food.It is thought that they can smell a food source over two miles away! Because of this it is always important to follow proper food storage protocols when hiking and camping to help minimize human and bear interactions.
Bear cub in cherry tree
While you enjoy your visit to the Great Smoky Mountains, don’t forget to respect the wildlife and the wilderness around you. Bears and the other inhabitants of the area are wild animals and approaching them is dangerous for both humans and the animals. Photographs and videos in this article were taken with appropriate telephoto/zoom lenses while maintaining a safe distance from the subject.
Video of black bear digging up a yellow jacket nest to eat the larvae.
The Great Smoky Mountains is acclaimed for its diversity in both flora and fauna. This diversity includes over 1500 kinds of flowering plants. This is more than in any other North American national park according to the National Park Service (www.nps.gov). Flowers bloom in the park nearly year-round. The spring ephemerals start the show in the late winter.
As their name suggests, ephemerals last only a short time appearing in late winter and early spring. They become dormant come May or June. Ephemerals take advantage of the sunlight, moisture, and nutrients available to them before the deciduous trees leaf out.
A few of the spring ephemerals to look for in the Smokies include trillium, columbine, bleeding heart, fire pink, violets, lady’s slipper, jack-in-the-pulpit, bloodroot, spring beauty, trout lily, wood anemones, and dwarf iris.
Photographing wildflowers can be a challenge particularly in the Smokies; however, it is well worth the effort to enjoy this amazing diversity of nature. The first and most important consideration when wanting to photograph wildflowers is locating them. It can be very helpful to use a local guide or join a wildflower workshop. Using a guide will maximize viewing and photography time by reducing the amount of research and searching in the field that are required. For those who are interested in improving their photography skills, a workshop provides additional hands-on guidance and instruction.
Some helpful tools to consider for wildflower photography are a field guide to identify flowers, a lens that allows sufficient closeness to the subject, a tripod, and a reflector (to add light and block wind). Time of day, lighting, and weather conditions will impact wildflower photography. Too early in the morning and plants may not be open yet, but harsh lighting should be avoided. Overcast days are a good time to photograph flowers, because it provides for even lighting. For identification purposes, be sure to photograph the flower and the foliage. A good practice is to photograph the entire plant, close-ups of the blooms, and close-ups of the foliage. Working as a team or in a group is also beneficial for wildflower photography.Having an extra pair of hands to hold a reflector and extra eyes looking for an elusive subject can greatly enhance the experience.
To experience first-hand the wonders of spring ephemerals, join us this March for our Spring Wildflower Workshop . Our limited group size allows hands-on guidance and technique instruction as we capture some of the amazing flowers in the Smokies.
If you are lucky, you may one day see an animal or bird lacking pigment in fur or feathers. A loss of pigmentation caused by a genetic mutation that interferes with the production of melanin is called albinism. Melanin produced in an animal’s body is the main pigment that determines skin, fur, and eye color. A true albino animal will typically have pink eyes. Albino animals are rare in the wild. They do not survive very long due to their conspicuous color and poor eyesight. Other forms of partial pigmentation loss such as leucism occurs more frequently.
Leucism does not completely eliminate pigment and can result in a variety of patterns. Leucistic animals will have some pigment in their fur, eyes, feathers, etc.A leucistic deer can vary greatly. In some instances, they may have some white splotches. In other cases, they may be half brown and half white or nearly all white. Piebald is a term used for mixed brown and white animals. Leucism in deer is a recessive genetic trait found in about 1% of the population.
Leucistic Squirrel
White leucistic squirrels are a tourist attraction in several U.S. cities. As with other animals, fur color in squirrels varies widely, and true albinos are rare. Even though most white squirrels are leucistic, the town of Olney, Illinois has a colony of albino squirrels. Approximately 12% of Olney’s squirrels are true albinos.
Leucistic and albino turkeys are also observed in the wild.There are several different color phases of turkey, such as the smoke-phase, which is much more common than leucistic or albino. The smoke-phase has a significant lack of brown pigments, and appears more gray or smoky looking. The majority (approximately 95%) of smoke-phase turkeys are hens.
Smoke-Phase Turkey Hen
Regardless of the cause of a rare color variation in nature, it is always an exhilarating experience when one has the opportunity to photograph it.
Capturing pleasing images of waterfalls requires certain know-how and equipment including the right tools, techniques, timing, effort, and planning. Of course, your tools include a camera and lenses to record the moment in time; plus, the effort to learn techniques to correctly use those tools. It also takes effort to position yourself at the proper location to utilize your tools and technique. In this article, I will focus on two of the most overlooked elements for capturing beautiful waterfall images – timing and planning.
Like most photography, good lighting or even lighting makes achieving our goals easier. Photographers that spend a lot of time shooting waterfalls enjoy doing so on overcast or light raining days. On both occasions, the lighting is even or more consistent for the whole composition. Water that is falling (often called whitewater) can easily blowout your image if it is hit by direct sunlight. Cloudy days keep that from happening.
As much as we enjoy photographing waterfalls on cloudy or rainy days, we dislike photographing them after a heavy rain or after several days of light rain. This is due to the higher water levels in the river, the amount of water going over the falls, and the murky color of the water itself. The soft water effect created by technique looks best with cleaner water and less water volume cascading over the drop.
This leads to the planning stage of photographing Smoky Mountain waterfalls. If you live close to our waterfalls, you would watch weather predictions and choose the best conditions and timing in advance. If you have to book well in advance an entire trip because you live a great distance away, you would look at those same conditions once you arrive. If you are here for a week and waterfalls are on your list, predict which day might be better for waterfall photography. So, when planning and timing your waterfall photography, consider recent rainfall amounts, upcoming weather predictions, and select the best timing possible to capitalize on the conditions most suited for capturing pleasing images.
My favorite time of year to photograph waterfalls in the Smoky Mountains is autumn. On some occasions, the crisp fall air creates a morning fog that rises up from the water’s surface. Other times ice forms on the rocks and other surfaces especially in higher elevations where temperatures drop very low at night. I enjoy photographing waterfalls in autumn so much that I have decided to add it to my 2022 tour schedule. At the beginning of November, eight people will share this experience with me for a three-day trip through the Tennessee and North Carolina Smoky Mountains. If you would like to join me, please, follow the information link provided here: https://sprucephototours.com/tour/smoky-mountain-fall-colors-tour/
The Piping Plover population of the USA has been in trouble for a long time now. Thankfully conservation actions were started to protect the beaches along the Atlantic coast where they breed. There has been a slight boost in the population (numbers now range in the 5-10 thousand) in recent years as a result of these actions of conservation. Their breeding range is from south Newfoundland to northern South Carolina along the Atlantic coastline. There is also a small population in the midwest, south and west of the great lakes.
The Piping Plover gets its name from the bell like whistles used in its call and is often heard before it is seen. The adult is about 7 inches long and has a bright yellow beak as well as yellow legs. Despite that bright coloration, they blend in remarkably well to their beach habitat. They can stand still for long periods of time and then suddenly run for a burst 20-30 feet before stopping motionless again. They feed on small insects and vertebrae found on the beaches. Piping Plover are often found breeding on the same beaches as breeding Least Terns. I will be posting the terns in future posts.
They winter in the Caribbean and US Gulf shoreline from September-March and breed April-August along the Atlantic shoreline. They can have several broods, and the 1st one in May usually produces 3-4 chicks with subsequent broods producing less. The chicks have to forage for their own food, and they do so as early as 1 hour after birth. This chick included in the post is only days old and about 2″ long. I included the seaweed in the image to show the details of its small size at such a tender young age. The images were taken on the last day of June. I witnessed a few 3 chick families but mostly 2 chick families at this location.
Smoky Mountain Black Bears males average around 250 pounds while females are just over 100 pounds. This is an extreme difference and can sometimes be used to tell the sex of a mature bear. Some other physical appearance differences are the shape and size of the head and its parts. Adult females tend to show a more elongated face (more dog like) and longer taller ears. An adult male’s head and face has more round like features, and their ears have a more squatty appearance. Both males and females can run up to 25-30mph if they have to. They are extremely strong and able to lift 300 lbs. with a single lift of a front forearm. What is more amazing is the dexterity they have along with that strength. They are able to use their paws and claws to do the smallest and most difficult precise movements when foraging and feeding. They hear and see better than humans, but their most amazing sense is smell. They can smell 7x better than a domestic dog. Females can breed as early as 3 years old, and American Black Bears live on average to be 18 years old in the wild.
