Fall along the Blue Ridge Highway

Fall color along the Blue Ridge Highway, North Carolina
Fall color along the Blue Ridge Highway near the Linn Cove Viaduct on October 14, 2012. | Canon 5D Mark II and 70-200mm f/4L IS lens @ 85mm | Exposed 1/13 sec. @ f/11, ISO 100

Earlier this month we moved a scheduled trip to the mountains up by one week–changing colors in the mountains decided not to follow what we thought were the demands of our own work calendars!  For four days, Summer and I traveled south from Boone, NC and worked out way to Asheville.  The daily changes in the weather seemed to have a direct effect on the colors we were seeing.  They would intensify with each passing night…even the morning after an epic rainstorm that tested the abilities of the rain fly on my ten year old tent.  A couple drips on my head did substitute the alarm I had set on my phone!

Colors along the highway
Colors along the highway, Blue Ridge Highway near the Linn Cove Viaduct on October 14, 2012. | Canon 5D Mark II and 70-200mm f/4L IS lens @ 97mm | Exposed 1/15 sec. @ f/11, ISO 100

The two lenses I found myself using most were my 70-200mm for isolating subjects, and my 24mm TS-E for the lens movements that it enables me to make for maximum sharpness and distortion-free framing.  My only regret several days into the trip was that the majority of my panorama photography equipment had been left at home.  For the most part, my move to the 5D Mark II in 2009 changed the way I approached landscape photography; I began to make fewer panoramas as the larger mexapigel count of the camera enabled to me to make large prints from a single file.  However, the wide and short panoramic format is befitting much of the scenery in the area.  Given that my preference for the Blue Ridge Highway and the Smokies in general is car camping, the panorama rails will be sure to make the cut for the next adventure!

More to follow!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *