SMOKY MOUNTAINS PHOTO TOUR
TENNESSEE
APRIL 15 – 19, 2013
The Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the U.S., and for good reason. In April, it is THE place to go when seeking to photograph wildflowers and waterfalls. The park is renown for its diversity of wildflowers, if you know where to look. The species list is long and includes trillium, dwarf wild iris, violets, lady’s slipper, jack-in-the-pulpit, columbine, shooting stars, and showy orchis. Once off the main road, the park becomes your own. There have been times when we have had an entire meadow of wildflowers all to ourselves.
With the abundant rainfall in the park, the spring run-off has the rivers rushing along their course, and moving water shots are everywhere. It is the perfect time to get clear, unobstructed views of the falls before the leaves of summer appear. The moving water locations are easy to get to, and are generally a short walk from our cars. Our focus is on creating images, not marathon hiking.
All of the planned excursions are leisurely to allow ample time to photograph, be creative, and enjoy the surroundings. While this is not a wildlife tour, we may be gifted with sightings of the resident wildlife such as black bear, river otter, wild turkey, deer, and coyotes.
Our home base is a large luxurious private cabin on a mountaintop overlooking the Smokies. It is ideally located to allow us to take advantage of spectacular sunrises and sunsets just outside the door. It is located near Townsend, Tennessee in a quiet enclave away from the tourist mania. A short drive down a back road into the park allows us the maximum time to photograph while avoiding the traffic jams of town.
Here is what others have said about this trip:
“M&M’s Great Smoky Mountains Photo Workshop was, as expected, a great experience. Our hostesses know where to go to find the great images, and provide excellent advice on capturing them. In addition to some fine images, I came away with greater confidence in my sense of composition and artistic presentation. And of course, it was a lot of fun! The camaraderie of the entire group, including M&M, was fantastic.” Bob
“My Great Smoky Mountains Tour with Mollie and Mary was a truly wonderful experience. One of their great strengths is bringing two different perspectives in every situation. They were able to get me to break out of my routine way of composing and capturing a shot and try new approaches and different ways of seeing. And best of all, they made the experience fun as well as educational.” George
“I can’t believe how much I learned in such a short time. For the first time I really love some of the images I shot, thanks to both of you. And, to top it off, we got to laugh and eat some great food too. I was very impressed with how much advanced planning went into the workshop and how smoothly everything went. Most of all I do so appreciate that both of you did not accept mediocre work…Being ‘pushed’ to do my best was what I really needed.” Colleen
ITINERARY: A typical day will begin early in the morning and end in the late afternoon. We will have at least one pre-dawn excursion to be in place to photograph the quintessential Smoky Mountain sunrise. Lighting conditions will dictate the order of shooting locations. Misty, overcast, or rainy days are ideal for working the profusion of streams, waterscapes, and reflections, plus time to learn our unique and artistic “Drive Thru” techniques. The flowers can be beautifully photographed in a multitude of lighting conditions. Creative techniques will be taught and instructional assistance is provided throughout the tour. At night, we complete the instruction with a gentle, but informative image review of the images you created during the day’s session.
DATES: April 15-19, 2013
LIMIT: 10 Photographers
FEE: $1350.00
FEE INCLUDES: All instruction. Daily Image Reviews. Guide Fees
LODGING: Lodging is not included in the price of this tour. However, we arrange to share the rent of a large luxurious cabin on a mountaintop overlooking the Smokies. Each bedroom has its own private bathroom. The cabin has many amenities, including a well-appointed Theater Room where all evening critiques take place.
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