PHOTO JOURNAL 2010

Hello to all! My name is Jeanne and I live in Western North Carolina. I am about 4 miles from the entrance to the beautiful Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I spend a lot of time hiking and photographing everything and anything I can in the park. I hope you will enjoy my first attempt at an actual Journal.

This Journal will be a learning journal. Starting a new year with a new camera and a lot of learning to be done. I hope that I improve along the way. Hope you will enjoy the good photos along with the bad and in the end we can look back and see progress!

Camera is a Nikon D5000 with kit lenses for the time being, the AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm, and the AF-S Nikkor 55-200mm.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my photography. I hope you will see something that appeals to you. Please feel free to leave a comment either on my page or by email.

HDR Image - This is my very first attemp at this type of program. I am very pleased with the results and will definitely study up on this program and learn to use it proficiently.
HDR First Attempt
Nov. 1 - This is the path not taken. It was so beautiful with the final colors of fall. It is along Laurel Creek Road.
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OCT 25 - This shot was taken up Middle Prong Trail. It is a short hike from the Iron Bridge but it is so worth it. This cascade is beautiful any time of year but it is the best in the fall.
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Oct 23 - What a georgous valley. This is Cataloochee Valley. This shot is taken from the overlook just coming into the valley. The color was so vibrant and beautiful this day, as were the elk.
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Oct. 18 - What would my Journal be without a shot of my favorite church on the North Carolina side of the park. This is Lufty Baptist Church and there is a revival at this church the first week of August. The mountain comes to life and it is so very inspiring.
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Oct 21 - have tried many time to catch Mingus Mill in full color with no one around and this is my best shot. The sky did not cooperate but I love the color.
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Oct. 17 - This is Soco falls and it is located on Highway 19 going up Soco Mountain. It is just a little falls but it is so beautiful.
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Oct 11 - This is at Lufty Overlook as you are going up the North Carolina side of the mountain. It is almost at the top and it is always colored so beautifully. It is indeed a page out of God's Coloring Book.
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Oct 5 - This was taken along the loop in Cade's Cove. Fall is definitely in the air. The trees are starting to color and in a couple of weeks we should witness God's Coloring Book in full.
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Oct. 3 - This shot was taken on the way down the Mountain from Newfound Gap to Cherokee. It was cold and rainy and then there was this rainbow.... It was such a beautiful welcome site.
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Sep 25 - While visiting my son in Maryland, we took a one day Lighthouse Adventure Cruise and this was one of the lighthouses we got to see up close. These lighthouses were all either out on the Patuxent River or on the Chesapeake Bay and it was a wonderful trip and got some good shots of these lighthouses. Had a wonderful time.
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Sep 17 - Went for a walk this evening on the River Trail in Cherokee that leads to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and the elk were out in the fields of the Farmstead. I did not have my tripod along and it was getting to be dusk, so I decided to try out the night mode on my camera. Not too bad.... The bull elk was beautiful and look at that rack.
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Sep 10 - This is a Sphinx Hummingbird Moth. I got this shot on our flowers on the patio just about dark. They fly like a hummingbird an feed on nectar. They are a nocturnal moth. First time seeing one of these.l
Flower Moth
Sep 3 - This is one of the Cherokee Warriors that was at the grand opening of the Harrahs Casino Events Center. Really thought he was a good subject.
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Aug 30 - These butterflies were very plentiful as we were kayaking on the Little River. They seemed to really love the Joe-Pye Weed. This is one of my better attempts at getting up close with the camera.
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Aug 24 - We spotted this guy as we were coming home from kayaking. He was on the Little River Road and created quite a jam. As we were looking up to take pictures, he was throwing acorn shells down at the gathering. A beautifgul bear.
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Aug 17 - This was my find of the day. We were kayaking and this critter was just hanging around and I found it amazing the way it spins it web. Don't know the correct name of it but to me it is a spider.....
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Jul 20 - This is my latest attempt at getting a good shot of a Hummingbird. I have indeed come a long way, but there is so much more I want to improve on.
Hummingbird
Jul 15 - Caught this beautiful butterfly on this beautiful flower while we were kayaking, while on vacation in Pennsylvania. The flower is called Wild Bergamot.
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July 6 - Turk Cap Lily. I think this is one of the most intriguing wildflowers in the mountains. I am not sure why or what but I am really drawn to this flower.
Turk cap Lily
July 6 - Need I say anymore...got a good shot of the bear's butt.
Bear's Butt
June 26 - Had a great opportunity to get a good shot of this bear. It was just standing along the creek, sniffing the air.
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June - 2010. This was taken when we were on vacation at Jason's in Maryland. It is the Drum Point Lighthouse that is now at the Calvert County Museum. It is such a beautiful Lighthouse. I loved the way it reflected in the water. It was a beautiful day.
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May 17- Ron and I went out for a little while this evening and I found these beautiful delicate Woodland Bluets. They are so tiny and so beautiful.
Woodland Bluets
May 11- I am putting two photos up of this Great Blue Herron. I was just so thrilled to be able to get a few good shots of this beautiful bird.
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May 2 - It was getting late in the evening and Ron and I decided that the falls would make a great background for a photo of us together. It is not the best shot but the waterfalls is so beautiful. Figured out how to use the timer on the camera.
Juneywhank Falls
Apr 13 - I am posting two photos from the same day, only because there is something about the Jack-in-the Pulpit that I think is so simple but so beautiful. This is the only one we saw this day.
Jack Pulpit
Mar 30 - This is Jake's Creek. It is along the Jake's Creek Trail in the Elmont area of the Smokies. It is a beautiful stream and a wonderful hike with lots of wildflowers and nice water. This is one of my favorite areas of the Park/
Jakes Creek
Mar 29 - Here is another yard shot. This fellow was right outside my window and the only way to get a shot of him was to take it throught the window. I know it is not that great but he is a pretty bird.
Pileated Woodpecker
Mar 23 - If you can't get out of the yard, practice on what is in the yard. Fortunately we have a lot of birds in the yard and I think this little Black-capped Chickadee is my best to date. Along with being a beautiful bird it taught me a lesson today...patience!
Black capped Chickadee
Feb 22- Went to Deep Creek today and got this shot of Juneywhank Falls. It was a beautiful day and got to shot this falls and Toms Branch Falls at Deep Creek today. It is a short hike to this falls but is well worth it.
Juneywhank Falls 111
Feb 21- Went out and about and got a few Waterfalls pictures. This is Dry Falls and the snow and ice prevented us from walking down behind the falls, but we are going to make a return trip. I have learned a few things that I would do differently the next time.
Dry Falls
Jan 19 - Went out late this afternoon to try to get a good shot at this waterfalls. I am taking every opportunity that I can to learn something new each time I go out.
Soco Falls
Jan 18- This is the Carter Shields Cabin in Cades Cove. It is my very favorite of all the cabins in Cades Cove, so you will probably be seeing a shot of this for each season. We hit the time of day just right for the sunlight to just filter through the trees.
The Carter Shields Winter
Jan 12 - This is a shot of an American Blue Jay. It was very cooperative with me, it just stood there and looked at me like it was posing.
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Jan 12 - This was another opportunity for me to take a shot of a cardinal. By looking at this one and looking at the previous one, I think that I have learned a little, but still have a long way to go.
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Jan 03. Another opportunity to play with the camera. This time it is a beautiful male cardinal. Still didn't quite get the shot I want but am learning.
Cardinal
Jan 2...Mama Cardinal and a winter Gold Finch sitting on the feeder outside my window. Photo taken through a window.
Camera is a Nikon D5000 with 55-200mm lens.
This is the beginning.
Mama Cardinal Gold Finch
Apr 4-Easter Sunday. It was a really beautiful day and we went out and walked a bit of Mingus Trail. The flowers are just starting to dome out and my find of the day were these beautiful Creeping Phlox. I am learning a lot about the camera but still am not where I would like to be with it. My shots are not as sharp and crisp as I want them to be. Practice, Practice, Practice!
Creeping Phlox
May 18 - This has to have been one of the most beautiful spots I have come across in a while. It is along Sam's Creek and you have to fight the brush to get to it, but it was so worth it. The sun was shining just right on the mossy rocks and it was just breath-taking
Sam's Creek
May 11- This is my first time I was able to get a decent shot of this beautiful bird. Say it along the Tremont Road and just had to stop. I have seen many better photos but for me this is my best attempt ......so far..........
Great Blue Herron
Mar 15 - This is a sad little story on this critter. My husband saw it in our Bradford Pear tree and thought the little guy was playing hide and seek with him for a little while. I got the camera out there and started taking pictures only to find that this little creature of God's was injured, we think it had a broken back because it could only use it's front paws. It had made its way as far up the tree as it could. May it rest in peace. All God's creatures big and small.
Critter
Sep 14 - This is the Henry Whitehead cabin in Cade's Cove. It is off the beaten path and not visited too much. It is a beautiful cabin in beautiful wooded setting. This was not the perfect time of day to photograph this cabin but I plan on getting back there when the maples are colored and at the right time of day.
Whitehead Cabin
May 4 - This mama and baby bear put on quite the show for all of us below. Mama would break off little branches and eat the ends off and then throw the branches below like she was throwing them at us. I had on the 18-55mm lens and should have taken the time to change it to the 55-200 mm and maybe I would have gotten a much better picture, but I am satisfied with this one for now.
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Apr 13- We were out and about today and we pulled in to one of our favorite wildflower spots and guess who was there? This is not the best shot but it is the first bear of the season and hopefully I will get better. Less excited and more concentrating on what I am doing. We saw a mama and cub just down the road a piece for this one. It was a wonderful day!
Yearling
Apr 9- Came home from work yesterday evening and the fruit trees in the orchard were starting to blossom. Could not resist getting the camera out. I love the apple blossoms.
Apple Blossoms
Apr 5 - What a beautiful day it was. A great day for being out in the mountains enjoying the fresh spring wildflowers just starting to bloom. This is a Wild Columbine. When they are in full bloom you will see them on the sides of the mountains everywhere. There is just something about this flower that intrigues me. Hope you enjoy.
Wild Columbine