Mountain Pool, Dark Hollow Falls

Photograph of a pool in a stream in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA

I love these mountain pools in Shenandoah National Park.  This one is downstream from Dark Hollow Falls but you can find scenes like this throughout the park.

Click on the image to see a larger version of the photograph.

Dark Hollow Falls, 50mm Challenge

photograph of the base of a waterfall, Dark Hollow Falls, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, USA

When my friend and I reached the bottom of Dark Hollow Falls I decide to challenge myself a little.  I switched to a 50mm prime lense, rather than the two zoom lenses I had been using all morning.  My challenge was to only shoot with the prime lense for the rest of our hike.

When we arrived at this spot I immediately found myself frustrated because I couldn’t frame the entire waterfall with a 50mm lense.  It was simply too big and we couldn’t get very far away from it.  Knowing my wide angle zoom would easily frame the scene only made the whole situation more annoying.  Sticking to my self imposed challenge I started looking for different perspectives and ended up with this.  I am absolutely certain I would not have taken this photo if I was using the lense I normally shoot with.

Sometimes forcing yourself to do things differently can lead to different ways of seeing things.

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Above

photograph of a soda bottle and bottle cap

The late afternoon sun coming through my kitchen window provided an opportunity for a different perspective on a popular, refreshing soft drink.  You might even say this brand is a piece of Americana.  The marketing behind this beverage is so incredible, you’re sure to recognize it despite the fact the label is obscured and the bottle cap is completely out of focus.

Quiet Place Among the Boulders

photograph of a cascade between boulders in Shenandoah National ParkA friend and I hiked a 6.6 mile loop in Shenandoah National Park, specifically to get photos of waterfalls.  Our hike passed three significant falls but this little cascade at the top of one of them yielded my favorite photo of the day.   It isn’t very dramatic and I think that’s what I like about it.  The image makes me think of a quiet, little, almost secret spot, you could visit to get away from the world for a little while.

Autumn Morning Fog on the James

photograph of the James River in early morning fogThis photo was taken about 30 minutes after sunrise on an early December day.  Our neighborhood was shrouded in fog and I hoped to capture it hanging over the river.  Normally fog clings heavily to the river but this day was different. I was a little disappointed but enjoyed this view from one of Richmond’s many bridges over the James River.

Jones Run Falls Panorama

panoramic photograph of the Jones Run Falls in Shenandoah National ParkI stitched together 6 separate photos to create this panoramic view of the rock wall at Jones Run Falls in Shenandoah National Park.  The water seeping over the stone edifice makes it appear very dark, nearly black.  As with all of the photos on my blog, you can click on it to see a larger, more detailed image.