Rainbow Falls, Watkins Glen NY

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Rainbow Falls, Watkins Glen, NY/Elle Pollard (c) 2017

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

Ludlow Falls in Snow

Ludlow Falls is another of my local waterfalls.  The golden morning sun had begun to reflect around the aqua green frozen fall.  I had to try to capture the colors. Snow blanketed the rocks, but warmer temperatures had thinned the ice on the creek.  This combination made it difficult to move around the bottom of the falls. Careful considerations were taken before each step.  I perched atop one of the highest rocks, out of the way of stray tree branches. Few choices in the location where available unless I wanted to take a polar plunge in the big pool.   I set up my tripod and worked with what I had in front of me.

Ludlow Falls in Snow/Elle Pollard (c)2018

The Ice Column

From Sunday's Hike, unnamed hollow and unnamed falls in Hocking Hills.

Ice Column/Elle Pollard (c) 2018

Emboldening Boulders

Sunday I had the pleasure of taking some lesser known trail in Hocking Hills with a great group of photographers.  Typically I am out alone or with one other. I love to challenge myself when I am with a group. I want an entirely different point of view, tricky when four photographers are shooting the same waterfall at once. These are my opportunities to grow.  This time I took the back seat, watched as photographers scattered. I was on the hunt for the original and unique image. Captivated by the large lichen and moss-covered boulders in the hollow.  I decided to make them my main point of focus, letting the massive frozen waterfall be an element in the background.  It's my version of cheering for the underdog.

Emboldening Boulders/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

#WordlessWednesdays

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