Our home renovation project has taught us that the amount of glass in our house is a quality of life issue.
I’ve long imagined how amazing this sun room must have been in its heyday. This huge stretch of windows was in a historic cabin at Elkmont in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
I visited it from time to time during my Tremont photography workshops. I’d gaze through the glass into the now-decrepit haven and picture myself there. How amazing must have it have been to sit there immersed in the Smokies and enjoying the view but still have a sanctuary from weather and insects? Glass is an amazing invention that way.
By contrast, in our little shit show of a house we’re renovating, there is a distinct lack of glass. It’s a poorly designed mid-1970s house. And I do mean very fucking poorly designed. To the point of absurdity.
Sometimes I think windows were an after thought in its design. Yet it does have a striking 9-foot wide sliding door. That’s a lot of glass in one spot for this little house. Given our modest square footage it’s ridiculously disproportionate. But at the same time it’s fabulous—and one of the crucial elements that made this house worth taking on.
As for the rest of the house, we’ve enlarged and added windows to get more glass. Our efforts have dramatically increased air flow and natural light. But the basic house design presented limitations to how much we could do.
Those changes we could make though, have improved the livability and enjoyability of this long-abused and unloved little house by leaps and bounds. And it’s good enough under the circumstances.
Even though our view isn’t of the glorious forests of the Smokies, a little more glass does give us a better view of our emerging native garden—the little sanctuary we’re nurturing day by day.
Peace out!
Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Bluesky Art Show
This post is inspired by the Bluesky Art Show, a challenge to share artwork surrounding a weekly themeeach Saturday.
One of the best groups we’ve had at the workshop to date! Fabulous folks who know how to go with the flow. (Photo courtesy of the supremely talented Steve Zigler.)
Challenges
Returning to Atlanta at the moment means dealing with the insanity that is I-85 being closed in the heart of the city. Along with other catastrophic transportation issues that seemed to have come in a relentless onslaught on the heels of that event, Atlanta is not a great place to be right now—if you actually want to get anywhere.
On top of that, my arrival at Tremont coincided with massive storms—one of the reasons I opted to drive instead of ride. While a nice soft rain makes for excellent photography, flooding and torrential downpours don’t exactly make for ideal shooting conditions.
My main goal heading to the workshop this time was to stretch my boundaries by bonding with my telephoto lens, a piece of equipment I’ve always struggled to use effectively. I made some attempts while I was there but the weather simply made it the wrong tool for the job. That’s a challenge that will have to wait for another time.
I’ve been to this workshop a dozen times and this session presented a unique and unprecedented challenge with the flooding rains. We managed one decent day of shooting but only after rearranging the entire workshop schedule to accommodate the incoming storms. To have a day that we didn’t go out to shoot at all is unheard of at this workshop but it happened this time. The storms meant no early morning trip to Cades Cove which is one of the major perks of this workshop. Our Foothills Parkway morning was completely socked in. And the uncertainty of the storms meant no trip to Elkmont as a group. I pulled off a quick time lapse from Foothills Parkway on the first morning of the workshop, though.
Rewards
In spite of this year’s challenges, I still call the workshop a resounding success. We immersed ourselves in shooting along Tremont Road and the Lynn Camp Prong. For me, the conditions meant embracing my wheelhouse—macro photography. That normally means a metric ton of flower shots but this time I made a little snail friend which is about as close as I get to wildlife photography. Even keeping up with Speed Racer as I affectionately call him (her?) was quite challenging.
And we were still able to shoot the birds of prey brought in by Smoky Mountain Raptor Center. They are extraordinary to work with and are doing excellent work with these birds.
In the end, the Tremont workshop is my reunion with my photog family. While that has historically been a small core group of instructors and repeat participants, the Tremont photography family is growing as participants connect and find peace here. Of the 36 participants this time, 21 were repeat attendees. It was such a comfort to see familiar faces and share our love of Tremont. More heartening still was seeing the newcomers embrace it and want to return as well, even with the challenges thrown at them for their first experience at the workshop.
It’s a testament to the workshop and its leaders that these challenges can be absorbed and still run a successful workshop. It’s also a testament to the caliber of the participants. Everyone rolled with it. They understood weather can’t be helped and appreciated the efforts of the instructors to still deliver a valuable experience.
“Speed Racer” refused to stay in the frame. Little trickster!
The big picture
Of course, there’s a lesson, or reminder if you will, in this experience. Flexibility! Remaining flexible in travel, and life in general, means you can adjust for the unexpected without angst. That ability to dance with the circumstances means you’re likely to have better experiences because you aren’t focused on what didn’t come to pass. It means you look at the changes as new or different opportunities, not losses to be lamented.
With that in mind, here are few shots I’m pleased with from a very soggy weekend.
Snails get a bad rap for being “slimy” but the super-chill elegance with which they move is worthy of appreciation.
The textures and lines on this little guy are entrancing.
So the funny thing about the snail is that I only discovered him when I almost stepped on him in my quest to shoot this Solomon’s Seal. It was a close call.
When in doubt, or when the weather is challenging, I dive back into my safe place… macro world!
This aster was way more ready for its closeup than Speed Racer was.
This week my fellow outdoor enthusiasts and I are highlighting our favorite campgrounds in North America. While I have several favorites across the country, I wanted to bring the love down south into Camp Granola’s main stomping grounds.
To highlight our home state, I’ve got Cloudland Canyon for you. But you know I can’t help but share some Great Smoky Mountains love as well…
So many choices…
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is home to ten campgrounds within its 800+ square miles and they’re fairly uniform in their amenities in my experience. The campgrounds are equipped with toilets and sinks but no showers, electric hookups (except for ADA sites), or campsite water spigots. Water is available at the dishwashing sinks outside of the rest stations so it’s typically only a short haul to take water to your site. The sites have raised, gravel-bedded tent pads along with picnic tables and fire pits/grills.
The groovy things about the Smokies is that the mountains are rife with streams and many of the campgrounds boast creekside campsites as a result. You really can’t go wrong with any of the campground offerings in the park, creekside or not, but we’re partial to Elkmont due to it’s location right smack in the middle of the north side of the park, between Gatlinburg and Townsend. It’s a great jumping off point to the trails at Elkmont, to the Cades Cove and Tremont areas, and to Sugarlands and Hwy 441 that runs back south towards Clingman’s Dome.
And while Elkmont is the largest of the campgrounds in terms of number of campsites, the layout is such that it doesn’t feel crowded unlike other campgrounds in the park… especially compared to the chaos of the very popular Cades Cove campground or the tightly packed walk-in sites at Deep Creek. The campground also plays host to a variety of park programs throughout the year and you can stock up on basic supplies at the concessions stand without having to go into town.
If you do find you need to go into town, you’ll see that Gatlinburg is more accessible from Elkmont but be aware that it’s extremely crowded and touristy. If that’s not the experience you want out of your visit, the town of Townsend lies to the west and is a much more low-key option for the likes of stocking up on supplies and doing laundry. It is a little further away than Gatlinburg but the drive is fantastic as the road winds along the banks of the Little River.
An important reminder…
As of last summer, the Emerald Ash Borer has been officially confirmed to have been sighted in the park. This presents a serious threat to the park’s ash tree population and there is a ban on firewoodbrought from quarantined areas. Firewood is readily available at the Elkmont concession booth so please do not bring your own from outlying areas. For more information, please visit Don’t Move Firewood.
An Elkmont visual…
To get a better sense of Elkmont, here are a few more images. Also click on over to my Great Smoky Mountains Flickr set for more on the park.
Fred and George never fail to find humor in our adventures… even at a campground. They found this sign positioning at Elkmont particularly amusing.
Our campsite backyard last fall at Elkmont.
Closer view of site setup at Elkmont.
The Elkmont area is ripe with the history of the Smokies.
We’re in the thick of winter finally. It was beginning to look like we wouldn’t have to break out the heavy coats here in Georgia this season but it is here now. And just in time for me to head off to Tremont for the Winter Woody Plant ID class.
The funny thing is that I’m no longer acclimated to the South Florida weather of my youth but I’m also not acclimated to the snow either. The cold temperatures are not foreign to me having been in North Georgia for almost twenty years now but snow is a different story. We get snow infrequently and usually in such small amounts that it isn’t a way of life to deal with it here.
As ill-equipped as I am to deal with the inclement weather I’m facing this weekend in the Smokies, I’m not going to gain any experience if I don’t dive in right? So off I go, looking forward to experiencing the Smokies in a way that’s unusual for me. Of course, given my love of Tremont and the Smokies, I have no doubt I’ll have a blast.
People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they’re happy. ~Anton Chekhov
The extent of my snow experience in the Smokies is a climb up Clingman’s Dome after Hurricane Sandy moved through last October, leaving behind unexpected snow.
It’s time! Time to head back to Tremont for the Autumn Brilliance workshop. As I set forth this morning, it’s more about getting a break from the house-selling insanity than the photography but I’m hopeful by the time I get there, I’ll be in the proper mindset to focus on improving my skills and not just getting away from suburbia.
In the end what I’m hoping to channel this weekend is artistry. I’ve got to step out of blogger mode in which I’m trying to capture the essence of a trip or place through a series of images and push myself to take composition to new heights in a single image.
This idea takes me back a couple of years to a National Geographic seminar I took with one of my idols, Jim Richardson. Jim has been known to rent planes, trucks, etc. to fulfill the vision of an image he wants to capture. During the seminar he shared a dramatic image he shot from a moving truck he had to finagle in some way in order to get the shot. It’s a captivating image of course, but it seems some amateur once told him “I could have done that.” To which he replied “Yes, but did you?”
I’ve taken that anecdote to heart, knowing that you have to go to greater lengths to capture truly compelling images because there’s a world of difference between could have and did. With that in mind, what I’ll be mentally exercising this weekend is the idea of going all in to achieve true artistry.
And since it I’ll be spending the weekend with the fabulous Will Clay, I thought it would be appropriate to share one of my favorite Willism’s that is a nice companion for the Richardson anecdote…
Photograph like you mean it.
It may not look like it, but it took quite some doing to get this shot. Here’s wishing you the passion to go further in your pursuits this weekend. Whatever you do, do it like you mean it.
But I’d like to share the thoughts of Sue Milinkovich, the most seasoned of the Tremont Workshop Junkies, just to give you more than my humble opinion…
When I return to Tremont for the fall photo workshop, it will be my 19th workshop in a row – both spring and fall. People ask why I go back year after year vs. go somewhere else. First, I love the beauty of the Smokies – no matter what time of year you are there. Second, the workshop is awesome. There’s nothing like sharing your passion for nature and photography with a group of people willing to stand out in the early morning dark and cold, waiting for the first hint of sunrise on the horizon. Having four instructors gives you the opportunity to tap into all their different skills and areas of expertise. And they are so friendly and helpful and willing to share. Third, staying at Tremont is a chance to enjoy the quiet, beauty of the park and get away from the stressors of our daily lives. And, most important, coming to Tremont is like coming home for the best of all family reunions. The friendships I have developed over the years are some of the most special ones I have. I can’t imagine being anywhere else in April and October than Tremont and the photo workshops.
Instructors at the workshop are not the only source of inspiration. Watching Pat work (and work, and work…) until he finally achieved his vision on this one-inch tall mushroom hidden in the forest was invigorating. Being surrounded by people who share a love of the Smokies and photography is bound to leave you feeling renewed.
The edge…
I hope what comes through is that what you at Tremont is place. The Smoky Mountains themselves obviously hold their own allure but at Tremont the experience is elevated and it becomes a second home to many of us who visit.
So yes, you can take a workshop anywhere. You can even attend other workshops in the Smoky Mountains; there are certainly many to choose from. But as I, and others like Tom Vadnais, have mentioned before, the staff at Tremont sets the tone for a lively workshop that leaves you anticipating your return to an extended family. It’s more than a workshop, it’s a connection and there’s always something new to discover.
Get on board…
The photography workshops at Tremont are fully about photography, not amenities. The accommodations are simple and undistracting, allowing you to focus on soaking up everything you can from the fabulous instructors and students as well as your surroundings. We Tremonters know our workshop is the best and now you know too. (We’re givers that way. :D)
The good news for you is that there are still spots left for the fall workshop. So if you want to up your game and experience a truly rejuvenating retreat, go register! And tell them Val sent you. It won’t get you anything but you should tell them anyway. That way they’ll let me keep coming! 😉
And now for your moment of green…
Come discover all the Tremont Autumn Brilliance workshop has to offer!
I know you parents out there feel my pain. As rich as our kids make our lives, sometimes you need a little adult time. And when you spend as much time together as we do in our roadschooling pursuits, that becomes the understatement of the decade.
The entrance at Townsend, Tennessee, the self-proclaimed “quiet side” of the Smokies.
I’ve alluded to my July solo trip to the Smokies in recent posts about the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont and Cades Cove but I’ve yet to give you the full rundown. Basically I spent a week camping in Cades Cove followed by a week of SANCP classes at Tremont. It was certainly a much needed respite from constantly being on mommy duty but it also gave me some time to focus on my personal pursuits, spend my time on my own terms, and get rejuvenated to jump back into the fold upon my return. I certainly missed my little camping buddies but I knew they were having adventures of a different kind that only a Gramma can provide. (Thanks Gramma!)
My original plans for this trip included lots of naturalist practice and photography on the more difficult trails that Fred and George would balk at tackling. This was my prime opportunity! Only my plans took a radical turn when a quite literal run-in with a rock in Colorado back in June left me with a very, very broken big toe. I had to scrap my backcountry bliss for roadside exploration…along with the countless other visitors that flock to the Smokies in the middle of summer. Little did I realize how educational the people-watching would be but given better circumstances, I would have stuck to my original plans.
At any rate, regardless of having to change up my plans, it was still an epic trip and I’m just now figuring out the best way to share my rare solo adventure with you. Unfortunately, sometimes an experience is almost too much to put into words. Since I can’t show you in images what this adventure meant to me in terms of personal satisfaction, I’m at least going to share with you some of the things I saw and hopefully you’ll understand why the Smokies are a fitting place to find your happy. (Just remember, it’s a zoo there in July.)
So without further ado, here’s some of the lovely that is the Great Smoky Mountains.
Cades Cove…
One of the perks of a July visit is the volatile weather. The constantly changing light made it hard to know what to shoot first. This field is at the north end of Hyatt Lane in Cades Cove.
Many visitors to the Smokies seek out the modern attractions of nearby Gatlinburg,TN for excitement but for me this is the kind of roadside attraction that stops me in my tracks. I could have spent hours investigating these beauties if not for the car-dodging required along the Cades Cove loop.
A artifact of history blemished by modern hands.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a compelling mix of history and nature.
While standing on Sparks Lane shooting the fog rolling through the cove, I was reminded to always turn around and see the possibilities behind me. Of course, camera set on another subject, I resorted to Instragram iPhoneography.
Tremont Road and the Middle Prong River…
This was one of the many times I found a surprise while looking at something else. In this case, this harvestman was nestled in the bark of a tree I was inspecting for its fabulous lichen offerings. (Top of Tremont Road at the Middle Prong trailhead.)
This shattered puzzle of geologic awesome is located in one of my favorite little spots along the Middle Prong.
Another of those surprises I mentioned. I was examining this tree for entirely different reasons when this big, wet, seriously tough looking beetle startled me.
This Lilliputian mushroom may only be about an inch tall, but what a marvel of detail in its little world.
Foothills Parkway…
I spent hours on the Foothills, studying plants, shooting the landscape, and working away on this blog. It’s certainly not a burden to plug in and work when this is your office view.
Newfound Gap…
After yet another summer storm, mesmerizing fog drifted up and over Newfound Gap.
Clingman’s Dome…
I put the “cling” in Clingman’s Dome to get this shot! On a steep, slippery, rain-soaked roadside, I clung to the slick grass, trying not to further distress my already throbbing toe in order to catch this bee on a misshapen sunflower. No tripod possibilities in this situation. Pure iPhone Instagram action here.
Roaring Forks Motor Drive…
Roaring Forks was a first for me. While I eventually managed a quiet place to shoot , it was so crowded along this motor trail, the roads were nearly impassable. Very beautiful but I don’t recommend it during the busy season…it’s an exercise in frustration.
And now for your moment of green…
No matter where you decide to visit in the Smokies, you’ll find beautiful surprises.
As you know, I’ve become a bit of a Great Smoky Institute at Tremont junkie. It’s becoming a second home to me this year as I’m working toward my Southern Appalachian Naturalist Certification. I simply love my time there and it’s time to catch you up a bit on why.
Discovering a “floating” sycamore leaf in a spider web is all sorts of granola groovy.
A little background…
On my first visit to Tremont last October for the Fall Photography workshop with Will Clay, I didn’t quite know what to expect. I’d taken a couple of day-long seminars but never a workshop. I’ve always been a do-it-yourselfer in that respect (i.e. stubborn), protesting that I could pick up what I needed without having to break away for workshops and seminars.
After watching my progress stagnate, I finally attended a couple of seminars quickly that convinced me how wrong I was, or rather, that I was doing it the hard way. After hearing Will talk in Atlanta, I was rabid to soak up more of his awesome at the Tremont workshop. And it was a real eye-opener!
Exploring the textures of Elkmont’s past.
Musings on workshops…
So why am I a convert to workshops? Well for one, it greatly speeds up the learning process. To have the opportunity to listen to knowledgable instructors, go out and put that knowledge into practice, then return to get constructive feedback – all in a focused setting – is invaluable.
Essentially it’s the same experiential learning I promote as a roadschooler with Fred and George. So why in the world did I not allow myself the same rich experience before now?
It was partly not knowing how to pick a good workshop and be certain it would be worth the time and money. There are plenty of horror stories out there about bad workshops. Vetting them can be real chore and, since not all great photographers are great teachers, having an instructor that takes nice shots isn’t enough to guarantee you’ll come away with greater photographic skills and understanding.
Bill Lea is the wildlife photography guru…clearly I still have a lot to learn.
So why Tremont?
Will came to speak through our local nature photography club, the Georgia Nature Photographers Association, which is where I discovered he was doing the workshop through Tremont. Having loved his seminar, I knew I had a lot more to learn from him and that I liked his style. The unknown for me was the location, the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont, which I ended up loving instantly. So that’s how I discovered Tremont and the workshop but…
What makes this workshop all that?
Well, there’s the adage…location, location, location but it’s much more than that. Certainly being nestled in the Smoky Mountains is an advantage, but the atmosphere of the Institute itself, in combination with the assemblage of talent of both staff and instructors, is what elevates this workshop.
In the workshop setting at Tremont, you get down to the meat of the creative process. You get to see others’ techniques from initial vision to finished image and it is very enlightening. It helps you re-evaluate your processes, techniques, and dedication, opening the path to being a better photographer.
Many folks love the colors of Autumn in the Smokies, but Spring can be just as eye-catching.
Going back for more…
In spite of having an epic time at the Fall Photography Workshop, I was still uncertain about attending the Spring session because I wasn’t familiar with the lead instructor, Bill Lea. At this point you’d think I would know better than to doubt anything about Tremont’s programs yet I waffled about attending.
I can’t tell you how happy I am that I went. I didn’t imagine that anyone could match the entertainment value of Will Clay but Bill Lea is just a much fun and just as talented a photographer and instructor. The beauty of attending both workshops is that Will and Bill have such different styles and experience to offer.
Cades Cove is a main event at the Spring workshop.
What you can expect…
If you’re considering attending a Tremont photography workshop, here’s what you can expect:
Lots of field work, rain or shine, and very early in the morning,
Educational sessions in between field sessions,
Inspiration from instructors and fellow students,
Instructors who accommodate all levels of skill, from total newbies on up,
Constructive and supportive feedback on your work,
and fun! The atmosphere at Tremont is light-hearted and and the instructors are a hoot.
Oh, and you can expect a lot of good-natured ribbing if you oversleep for a morning field session. Not that I know about that from personal experience or anything…
Final thanks…
So a big thank you to Will and Bill for just being awesome and genuine. And a big thank you to the other instructors who are all equally fabulous: Todd Moore for holding my hand through post-processing and not laughing too hard at my ineptitude, Ken Thompson for his macro inspiration, and Jeff Miller for asking me the questions I should have been asking myself in the field.
A final special thanks to instructor and fellow GNPA-er Tom Vadnais. Mad photography skills aside, he’s the one who started all this for me by bringing Will to Atlanta for that fateful seminar…
And sorry fellas, you’re not done with me yet…I’m a junkie after all. See you this October!
And now for your moment of green…
My favorite shot of the Spring workshop, a macro shot of a yellow trillium bloom in the rain.
