What a special moment this was. I had been wandering along the Lynn Camp Prong in the Tremont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was a beautiful fall day, but nothing was drawing my attention. Then I came upon this spot where some downed trees had created a dam that was reflecting the autumn canopy, and there was that small waterfall, and the creek meandering into the distance. It was a nice scene, but the light was flat and dull. So I set up the camera on a tripod and waited.
The sun was getting lower in the west, which was in the direction down the creek, so I was hoping that eventually something good might happen. I probably waited for over an hour, and finally the area was lit up with a golden glow, including a nice reflection off the water. A long exposure time of close to one second gave the water an exaggerated sense of motion and added a softness to the golden reflection. This light lasted for only 10 minutes or so.
Please stop in and visit me to see the complete display of Smoky Mountain Photography at the William Britten Gallery in Gatlinburg, TN.