After the Rain

Lousy weather is my idea of a fun afternoon at work.  I can't get enough of the light that follows a storm. When I was in the Smoky Mountains earlier this month, there was rain, ice, and snow.  The trip started off with rain. Soak to the bone and sporting wilderness hair I was a happy girl, even if it was 34 degrees. Before you think I lost my mind let me explain; when the showers end the magic starts. The rain naturally saturates all the colors. When conditions are right, steam will rise from the fields and roads. Because of the moisture in the air sunsets can become vivid as if the photographer went overboard with the saturation tool.  Sticking around for a rainstorm to clear is almost always worth the wait. The Smokies did not disappoint. The sun filtered through the clouds enough to dance across the raindrops clinging to the trees. The wet indian grass was a fiery amber color.  Then the steam rose from the field, completing the scene.   Don't blink or you may miss this marvelous event in nature for it dissipates as fast as it began.

After the Rain/Elle Pollard (c) 2018

Lessons from the post

The old lichen covered fence posts is as much a part of Cades Cove as the cabins and deer. Due to a snow and ice storm, no traffic was allowed in the cove. I was able to take all the time I wanted and move as I pleased. Shifting from one post to another, looking at all the angles until I settled in the perfect spot. I parked my tripod and bum in the middle of the road. I would adjust the framing by moving my gear ever so slightly.  Changing camera settings, and double checking the focus. Stopping periodically to warm my hands.  It was a slow and deliberate process I often forget to enjoy.  It took that cold day in Cades Cove to make me realize how utterly fulfilled I am out in the field, surrounded by nature and behind the camera.  This is my lesson from the old fence post; fully embrace the tasks at hand, for it is those processes that make the final image complete.

Lichen Covered Post, Cades Cove, SMNP/ Elle Pollard (c) 2018

Sunset at Ike Lequire Cemetery in Cades Cove GSMNP

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Sunset at Ike Lequire Cemetery in Cades Cove GSMNP / Elle Pollard (c) 2018