The Smokies got a short-lived winter snowstorm earlier this week. By lunchtime the weather turned warm and sunny, and the snow was but a memory. I was out early, hoping to get up to Newfound Gap while the scenery was still fresh, but the route over the mountains was closed. I spent an hour on…
This week we awoke to what has been a rare sight this winter: a blanket of snow! However, the forecast was for temperatures in the 50s, so I scampered out to take some Smoky Mountains photos of the winter scenery before it all disappeared. My plan was to head up to Newfound Gap, stopping at…
It’s Philosophical Friday once again. Today’s post is about making stacks of balanced stones as art and therapy. Some days you just need to go out and stack some stones. Right? Just head out along some creek and start wandering, looking for a good selection of rocks. The right color, right shape, ability to get…
This is one of those special times. The Rosy Fingers of Dawn seeping into the sky above the Smoky Mountains. The cabins coming to life, greeting the day with their own lights. You can just stand here for a while and watch the moments unfold, with the light changing by the second until finally a…
This scene is classic winter-get-away-from-it-all Gatlinburg-style. The snow-capped Smoky Mountains in the distance, snow laying on the rooftops of surrounding log cabins, and the hot-tub fired up and steaming. Ready for some serious cold weather relaxation and daydreaming! The offseason is one of the best times to visit Gatlinburg and the Smokies. Downtown is still…
We’ve added several new products here in the William Britten Gallery to showcase our Smoky Mtns photos. This has been a goal for a couple of years now and we are very excited to finally be introducing these items. In the picture above are notecards and magnets. The notecards are hand-printed right here in the…
Another Smoky Mountains history entry from the journal of Dutch Roth, recounting a long Smoky Mountains hike taken in 1931 by Dutch and his friends Harvey Broome and Luther Greene on Hughes Ridge, which is known as Pecks Corner nowdays. HUGHES RIDGE FROM GREENBRIER “This experience was not unusual in 1931. We were willing to…
Star Grass (Hypoxis hirsuta) is a common perennial herb that grows to 8 inches or so. It blooms in mid-May, and when not in bloom looks much like a clump of grass. These Smoky Mtns wildflowers are similar to Blue-eyed Grass, and in fact I found both of these blooming grasses on the same day…
Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium) is a petite, delicate Smoky Mountains wildflower. It’s a member of the Iris family, and there are four varieties of Sisyrinchium: Pale, Eastern, Stout, and Slender. To be honest, I don’t know which ones are pictured here, but I’m calling them Stout. This wildflower grows to about 8 inches tall, and…
It’s definately the winter time here folks. The excitement of the holidays is a fading memory. The Smoky Mountains are currently shrouded in a half-hearted, left-over snow. Clingman’s Dome road and the Roaring Fork are closed for the winter. The picture above was taken from the Oconaluftee Overlook …. same place as the glorious summer…
Heart of Autumn is the newest addition here at the William Britten Gallery. It was taken in late October 2011 along the back road which winds between Cosby and Cataloochee, in the northeast corner of the Smokies. Like many of my Smoky Mountains photos, this one features layers of contrast and detail, near and far….
Merry Christmas to all my family, friends and Smoky Mountain fans. Stay warm and travel safe.
What a cozy scene! Snuggled in a winter wonderland, a fire warming the cabin, family or friends gathered for the holidays. No need for White Christmas on TV! Christmas in Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains is an enchanting time of year. I hope you and your family are enjoying the season, wherever you are, whatever…
Many photography books advise you to carefully compose a scene in your mind, and then carry out that vision with your equipment. However, I don’t do it that way! When I go out looking for stunning Smoky Mountains photos and hope to find a candidate to add to my Gallery, I’m usually gathering hundreds of…
Winter Footbridge shows a cold, snowy scene in the Greenbrier section of the Smokies. This picture was taken from the bridge at the Ramsey Cascades trailhead. The scene is very evocative of the silence and solitude of wintertime deep in the Smokies. Just up the trail from this spot is the location of one of…
Place of 1000 Drips is one of my oldest and most enduring Smoky Mountains photos. This is a popular roadside waterfall along the Roaring Fork Motor Trail. Turn at stoplight #8 in Gatlinburg, bearing to the right at the top of the hill, you will enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and begin a 6-mile…
Winter Silence is my best-selling winter Smoky Mountains photos. It’s a dreamy, ethereal snow scene that was taken out in the Greenbrier area of the Smokies during a late winter storm. The technique used to capture the image is unusual. The camera was on a tripod, set to a long exposure time of about two…
Thanks to all of you who stopped in at my Gatlinburg Gallery or one of the art fairs this year. I hope this day finds you thankful for family and friends, and all that is good in your life.
Smoky Mountains photos need not always be in color, as these three vistas illustrate. The photo above is the classic shot from Mortons Overlook near the top of Newfound Gap Rd. Looking down the valley back towards Gatlinburg, with the Chimneys visible in the upper left. A nice mist rising up the hillsides. The photo…
It’s not too late to schedule a Smoky Mountain getaway, find yourself a cabin like this one, and sit back to gaze at Mt. LeConte and count your blessings for the year. The autumn leaves may have faded, but there’s plenty of blue skies and perfect temperatures to enhance your reverie. Between now and Thanksgiving…
Charlie’s Bunion is a curious geological feature along the Appalachian Trail 4 miles east of Newfound Gap. The boulder-like protrusion sits on the northern slope of the Sawteeth cliffs. From this awe-inspiring spot you can look northwest to the summit of Mt. LeConte or northeast down into the Porters Creek watershed. The area around Charlie’s…
The image above was taken from the footbridge that leads to the Ramsay Cascades trail in the Greenbrier section of the Smoky Mountains. This wide panorama was created from five vertical panels joined together with a photostitch technique. And each vertical panel was created by combining four different exposures. So, the entire image that you…
It’s the last day of October, and it has been an exceptionally busy month in my Gallery and at the October Craftsmens Fair in Gatlinburg. I want to thank everyone who stopped by to say hello, and if you bought one of my Smoky Mountains photos, thank you again and I hope it gives you…
Philosophical Friday here. Standing beside the Lynn Camp Prong, taking in the autumn splendor. It’s so quiet, so still. So many details to look at and appreciate. The way the leaves contrast with the beautiful gray of the rocks and tree trunks. The way the water makes endless currents and flows. The vine snaking down…
I live in Gatlinburg TN, on the edge of the Great Smoky Mountains. The Smokies are a very spiritual place, and I attempt to capture some of that spirit in each of my photographs.
If you are in Gatlinburg, please stop in at my gallery .
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