Date Taken: 07/20/2016
Location: Waterrock Knob, Milepost 451.2 on the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina

Camera: Canon EOS 6D
Lens: Canon 16-35 f/4 L
Focal Length: 35 mm
ISO: 320
Shutter: 1/6
Aperture: f/22
Filters: Singh Ray 3 Stop Reverse ND Grad
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: I found this really nice patch of Rosebay Rhododendron blooming in late July up in the higher elevations of the parkway near Waterrock Knob. I went back a couple to times for sunset, and this evening the sun poked out for just a few seconds behind the clouds to put on this beautiful show. I tried to compose the image for the fir tree to point to the sun, with the Rhododendron framing the bottom of the image.

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Date Taken: 04/19/2016
Location: James River Overlook, Milepost 68 on the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia

Camera: Canon 5D Mark II
Lens: Canon EF 17-40 L Lens
Focal Length: 40 mm
ISO: 100
Shutter: 0.6
Aperture: f/11
Filters: Singh Ray 3 Stop Reverse ND Grad Filter, Polarizer
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: Watching these beautiful clouds pass through the sky this afternoon, I knew I had to get somewhere where I could get a reflection shot and that was greened up already for Spring. After debating several locations, the James River came to mind as a great place for both! I watched the clouds pass through and close to Sunset, they filled up the sky and reflection.

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Date Taken: 10/21/2015
Location: Milepost 34 Yankee Horse Ridge
“Autumn Railway” Oct. 21, 2015

Camera: Canon EOS 5d Mk. II
Lens: Canon EF 17-40 L
Focal Length: 20mm
ISO: 500
Shutter: 0.5
Aperture: f/18
Filters: none
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: This beautiful spot on the Blue Ridge Parkway is probably only about 10 miles from my home as the bird flies. My friend Jeff Hammond has shot some beautiful images of this spot in the fog, so I thought I would run by there yesterday evening to see what it looked like before heading to work under different conditions. The colors were in full peak, so I waited until the sun was almost setting for that golden light to hit the very tops of the trees. Thanks so much and have a great day!

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Date Taken: 04/27/2015
Location: Shenandoah Valley, Milepost 90
Crepuscular rays light up the Shenandoah Valley at sunset on a spring evening from the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia.

Camera: Canon EOS 5d Mk. II
Lens: EF 50 mm
Focal Length: 50mm
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/30
Aperture: F/16
Filters: Singh Ray Reverse ND Grad 3 stop Filter
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: Seeing light rays shoot down through the clouds about an hour from sunset, I quickly headed up to the Parkway, headed toward the brightening sky. The rays burst through the clouds and I quickly shot the scene. It lasted about 2 minutes before the sun moved back behind the clouds.

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Date Taken: 01/24/2015
Location: Milepost 382 Above Montebello Virginia Spy Rock
Rime Ice and Snow Cover Spy Rock as it overlooks the Blue Ridge of Central Virginia.

Camera: Canon EOS 5d Mk. II
Lens: Canon EF 17-40 L Lens
Focal Length: 17mm
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/10
Aperture: f/20
Filters: Singh Ray Reverse ND Grad 3 stop Filter
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: As I got up to the Parkway, I noticed the beautiful ice and snow covering everything so I hit the trail up to Spy Rock. Everything was coated in ice, so the hike was very treacherous, but I came away with a spectacular image as I waited for the sun to set on the Blue Ridge.

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Date Taken: 10/27/2014
Location: Raven’s Roost, Milepost 11, Blue Ridge Parkway VA
The milky way sparkles over the iconic tree at Raven’s Roost.

Camera: Canon 5d Mk. II
Lens: Canon EF 17-40 L
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 3200
Shutter: 25 sec.
Aperture: f4.0
Filters: none
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: Amazing things happen with long exposures on cool clear evenings!

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Date Taken: 04/19/2014
Location: Blue Ridge Parkway, James River, Milepost 63
An incredible sunset reflects in the James River as it cuts through the Blue Ridge on a Spring evening.

Camera: Canon EOS 5d mk ii
Lens: Canon 17-40 L Lens
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 100
Shutter: 5.0 sec
Aperture: f/14
Filters: Singh Ray Reverse ND Grad 3 stop filter, B and W Circular Polarizer
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: After a very cloudy and dreary day, I knew that the forecast had called for gradual clearing toward nightfall, so I was hoping that there would be enough clearing from the west for the sun to poke through, and it sure did! I positioned myself in a way to maximize the beauty of the sunset and get a good reflection in the river by only turning my circ polarizer a half turn. The ND Grad helped bring up the exposure in the River.

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Location: Peaks of Otter Lodge looking toward Sharp Top Milepost 86
Beautiful evening light highlights the cascading golden fountain of maple leaves over the walkway bridge in front of peaks of Otter Lodge, Blue Ridge Parkway Milepost 86 on Friday,October 25th, 2013 at Sunset.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk ii
Lens: Canon EOS 17-40 L Lens
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/8 sec.
Aperture: f/20
Filters: none
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: After scouting this spot for years, I finally arrived in perfect conditions to nail this shot on Friday afternoon as the sun began to set. I had checked the spot out a week earlier, but saw the leaves at the tree were still very green, even though Sharp Top was at peak. So, I had to make the decision to wait and come back, realizing these foreground leaves would be much more dramatic with Sharp Top past peak, than the opposite. So, I waited. As I got there late Friday afternoon, everything came together. The bridge makes a perfect foreground, and I tried to use the leaves and tree to frame Sharp top perfectly. The light hitting the yellow leaves at the right angle made them glow. Right place, right time, patience. That’s what photography is about, catching scenes at the most dramatic time in the most dramatic light.

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Location: Raven’s Roost Milepost 11
The setting sun highlights the beautiful clouds and peak fall color on the Blue Ridge Parkway on Tuesday evening, October 23rd, 2013 at Raven’s Roost.

Camera: Canon EOS 5d mk ii
Lens: Canon EOS 17-40 L
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 100
Shutter: 0.6 sec
Aperture: f/22
Filters: Singh Ray Reverse Graduated 3 stop ND Grad Filter
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: Watching the clouds on Tuesday, i knew it would be a great sunset, so I headed up to the parkway after work. I noticed these beautiful rock formations would make a great foreground and work well with the lines in the sky formed by the clouds, so I set up close to the beautiful red colored huckleberry bush. I set my aperture for f/22 for maximum depth of field and to create the sunstar, and used live mode to determine how to hold the nd grad filter over the lens when taking the image. I waited until the sun hit the horizon half-way to minimize lens flare but still pick up all the light hitting the gorgeous trees in peak. Thanks for sharing BRP Daily!

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Location: The Priest Summit, Above Milepost 27, Tyro, Virginia
The setting sun highlights beautiful fall colors on the Summit of the Priest Mountain in central Virginia, above Milepost 27.

Camera: Canon EOS 5d mk ii
Lens: Canon 17-40mm L Lens
Focal Length: 17 mm
ISO: 100
Shutter: 4 sec.
Aperture: f22
Filters: Singh Ray 3 stop Reverse Graduated ND Filter, B and W Circular Polarizing Filter
Exposure: Manual
How I Got This Shot: I saw that the clouds were really nice on Sunday afternoon here in the Shenandoah Valley. Due to the tropical storm coming up from the south, the clouds were streaming upwards from south to north, meaning that there was a good chance that the western horizon would be clear enough for the sun to poke through at the last minute, which it did thankfully. I crossed over the parkway at Milepost 27 and drove a couple miles up to Crabtree Meadows. Then, I hiked up the Appalachian Trail to the Summit. I waited on the light and it came for just a couple of minutes as the sun set. I used an f/22 to get the sunstar, and the ND grad to hold back the light up top. It is rare to get clouds this nice in October, and I knew with the coming rain, it would be important to get out and shoot as soon as possible, and at higher elevation, the colors would already be nice on the western slopes. The hike back down in the dark was a treat as usual, and it was a wonderful evening!

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