AUGUST MEETING
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Time: Social time 6:30pm/Meeting 7:00pm
Location: Goins Auditorium, Pellissippi State Technical Community College

Our presenters this month are George Bradfield and Gail Stewart. Together, they own and operate Thru Nature's Eyes Photography. They have been photographing and teaching together for three years, and conduct workshops on Macro and Creative Abstracts, as well as other areas of creative photography.

Their program is titled “Creative Abstracts/Working With Water.” Their emphasis will be on the creative approach of looking for and photographing abstracts in water and other common items. This program will be very informative and pertinent, since our special category for the 2011 Salon is “Abstracts in Nature.”

BIOS

George lives in Marietta, GA. He ran a successful photography business for many years doing weddings and team sports. He has won many awards both locally and nationally. He has sold work at fine art galleries and has a print on permanent display in the new wing of the Shepherd Spinal Center in Atlanta. His current area of interest is in Abstract and Macro Photography. He has published works including “Images >From the Heart - A Photographic Journey.”

Gail lives in Canton, GA. She has been involved in photography for over 15 years and is a graduate of the New York Institute of Photography. She has won awards and sold work in fine art galleries. She has been published in Popular Photography and other magazines and was featured in the Georgia Outdoors Magazine Nature Photography Contest. She has photographed weddings, family, group and individual portraits. Her main interest is in Macro and Nature Photography.

 

Field trips are a great way for SANP members to share their photographic knowledge with others. If you have a location in mind and wish to share it with others as a group or would like to share your photographic secrets with with a workshop contact Brad Cottrell. Anyone can suggest or lead a workshop or field trip.

Sunset and Moonrise from Clingmans Dome
Friday, September 24, 2010

Leader:  Brad Cottrell                 Phone:  865-691-3986            E-mail:  cottrelb@bellsouth.net

Meeting place:  Parking area at the end of the Clingmans Dome Road

Leave Knoxville:  6:00 p.m.

Group size is not limited. No reservations required. 

Location description:

The sunset skies around Clingmans Dome can be quite dramatic. Purple, blue or reddish haze may cover the peaks, enfolding the mountain tops in a many-layered blanket of soft color. Late day cumulus clouds often form luminous mountain ranges of their own with unique shapes and textures that rival the rolling ridges of the Smokies. Views from the top are unpredictable, but never boring.

On this date, the sun will set at about 7:30pm. About 20 minutes later, the moon will be rising in the east. Both the sunset and the moonrise will offer opportunities for some great photographs. The tower at the top of Clingmans provides an excellent level platform from which to work. However, if you prefer not to make the climb to the tower, both the sunset and the moonrise can be viewed and photographed from the parking area.

If you want to arrive early, you may find additional photo opportunities in late-blooming wildflowers along Clingmans Dome Road.

Recommended equipment: A full range of wide angle to telephoto lenses may be useful. A long telephoto lens can produce especially dramatic sunset and moonrise photos. A split neutral density filter can be used to help balance a bright sunset sky with darker mountains in the foreground. A polarizing filter may improve photos of clouds against a blue sky. A tripod will be essential.

Walking required: The walk from the parking area to the top is about a half mile on a steep and moderately strenuous paved trail. If you want to work from the parking area, very little walking will be required.

Temperatures at Clingmans Dome will be chilly, maybe cold, so bring a warm jacket and gloves.

Driving directions: From Gatlinburg, take the Newfound Gap road (US Hwy 441) to Newfound Gap. Turn right onto Clingmans Dome Road, and drive to the parking area at the end of the road.

Workshops are a great opportunity for SANP members to learn from experts in our region. If you would like to share your photographic secrets with club members in a workshop setting, contact Brad Cottrell. Anyone can suggest or lead a workshop.