Date Taken: 10/16/2019
Location: Cowee Overlook, Milepost 430.7 on the southern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway

Camera: Pentax 645Z
Lens: Pentax 80-160
Focal Length: 90mm
ISO: 400
Shutter: 0.3 sec.
Aperture: F/16
Filters: Circular Polarizer
Exposure: Aperture Priority
How I Got This Shot: Being one of the best locations on the Blue ridge Parkway to shoot a sunset, the Cowee Overlook always offers splendid possibilities. There weren’t many clouds in the sky which made it very difficult to “hide” the sun behind and therefore the exposure to capture the entire scene must be manipulated . I chose to shoot five exposures of this scene, with the camera mounted on a very stable tripod so there was no movement whatsoever . The exposures ranged from two stops below to two stops above (-2 to +2) on the camera meter. To capture the detail in the sky and sun plus get detail in the ground scape this method works very well. I then post process the images and blend them into a single image, via photo editing software. Following up with regular editing produces a nice final image.
I chose a focal length that would cover most of the mountain layers in the area but keep the view tight enough to keep the sun and clouds close. I use the two second self-timer so I don’t have to touch the camera during the actual shutter operation.

The post Blue Ridge Views at Cowee Overlook, Milepost 430 appeared first on Blue Ridge Parkway - Photo of the Day | Galleries.

Date Taken: 10/16/2017
Location: Overlook just west of the Asheville (Bent Creek) entrance to the Parkway.

Camera: Canon 80D
Lens: 70-200 f4 L
Focal Length: 109
ISO: 100
Shutter: 1/320
Aperture: 11
Filters: none
Exposure: manual
How I Got This Shot: Just as clouds were rolling through through the hills I was set up on one of the overlooks. Beautiful early morning on the Parkway.

The post Morning Blues at a Parkway Overlook near Asheville appeared first on Blue Ridge Parkway - Photo of the Day | Galleries.