My last trip along the Blue Ridge Parkway occurred in late July/ early August 2018. Unfortunately there were not many opportunities for "epic" shots early in the journey. Mostly because this trip's purpose was to perform some much needed work on my cabin in Bakersville, and days of rain and storms prohibited shooting as well. After several days of rain and having finished my work at the cabin, I began watching the weather forcast longingly. Luckily a break in the storms and rain was forcasted so I extended my stay in hopes that the skies would clear enough for me to get in at least one afternoon of shooting. The best time to find "epic" conditions is typically just before or after a storm, so I headed out onto the Parkway in the rain, watching for the clearing to occur. As I was driving, searching I noticed a bright rainbow forming over the valley in the Craggy Gardens area of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Because of all the rain, the Parkway was all but deserted...until I saw the rainbow and reached the Craggy Gardens Visitor Center, where CROWDS of vehicles appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to capture the beautiful rainbow appearing over the valley below. I literally ran to secure my spot and began shooting quickly, as the rainbow had begun to fade significantly. The next morning, I decided to hit the parkway once again, despite the lingering fog. Whiie there aren't too many opportunities to shoot in heavy fog, sometimes you round a corner and see the sun punching small holes through the haze. This always catches my eye, but rarely am in a position to stop and document it. Once again, because of the conditions, the Parkway was all but deserted on this morning and I was able to pull over and quickly shoot the rays created by the sun breaking though the heavy fog. Fall is almost upon us. This is my absolute FAVORITE time of year, not only because of the opportunities to photographically capture the beautiful color in the leaves, but also because I loathe hot weather and welcome the cooler temperatures thet Fall typically brings to the mountains of Western NC. I plan to get out and shoot again in mid October, wish me luck!!
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