If you look closely at nearly the center of the photo, there is an opening in the trees. That’s the Blue Ridge Parkway and the entrance to the parking area for the hike up to Humpback Rock. It’s quite a hike, 2 miles uphill the entire way. But they view at the top is worth every step. Both sunset and sunrise can be seen from the rocks.
The last couple of months I’ve visited Radnor Lake in Nashville a few times watching fall arrive. No need to write much, I’ll just show the photos 🙂
Here are a few shots I’ve collected during those visits:
Just a reminder – most of my photos can be purchased online by clicking here!
Thanks for looking!
Time for some more photos from my recent trip to Western North Carolina and East Tennessee. All of these shots were taken at Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Grandfather Mountain is home to the “Mile High Swinging Bridge”. It was cloudy and hazy the day we visited but it still offered some amazing views. Enjoy:
(my younger brother enjoying the view)
Thanks for looking!
Like what you see? Most of these photos and many others can be purchased at the MMP Store! Click to enter the storefront!
My family and I recently returned from a 3 day camping trip to Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. What an absolutely beautiful place! Beautiful scenery and tons of wildlife. We did lot’s of hiking (the kids even did a 5 mile hike!) and lot’s of scenic cruising.
Just like I did last year after visiting the park, I’ll break the posts up into 2 parts: Landscapes and Wildlife.
Don’t forget, all my prints are discounted for the entire month of June (even these shots of Cades Cove!) Head on over to my storefront to browse and order your print!
Enjoy!
Thanks for looking!
Well, here we are. The final installment of this 52 week project. I’m going for a little bit of symbolism in the lead shot as I’m watching the sun set on this project. I also started the project with a sunrise, so I wanted to end with a sunset.
Radnor Lake is actually a pretty tough place to catch a sunset. There really are no good angles. I had three chances to get a shot of one this week, starting on Monday which was a complete rain out. My second chance came on Tuesday, so I parked at the east parking lot ad tried to capture it from Otter Creek Road:
This sunset was really amazing. And while I liked how this shot turns out, it doesn’t show most of the color that was there. The sun is actually setting off camera left, behind the hills. What you see at the end of the lake is actually the edge of it.
So my next opportunity came Thursday evening. I decided this time to shoot from the trail that directly faces the sunset. I wasn’t sure how I was going to compose it with all the trees, path, fence, etc. I decided to use the fence in the composition and to put myself in the photo. The result is the lead shot.
A couple others from the final week:
And that’s it for the week and the year! Thanks to everyone who viewed, commented, liked, or supported this effort. It’s been a lot of fun and I feel like I’ve come a long way as a photographer. Have a look at the first few weeks and see if you think I’ve improved. Constantly shooting will help you do that.
If you are a photographer and are thinking about a year long project, weather a 52 or a 365, I highly recommend it. Don’t make too many rules though! It has to be fun for you, it has to be something you want to do. I had to get up at 4:45 in the morning each time I wanted to get to the lake for a sunrise or for early morning shooting. Because of my wife’s work schedule and my son’s school schedule I was able to do this only about once a week, but I actually looked forward to that day. I never once viewed this project as a chore, or wished I hadn’t committed myself by starting this blog or posting on flickr.
Don’t think for a minute that now that this is over I’ll stop going to the lake! Radnor Lake is an amazing place (really early in the morning when there aren’t too many people there 🙂 ) Abundant wildlife and beautiful views. There is ALWAYS something to shoot at Radnor. If you’ve never been, I highly recommend you check it out.
I have some other ideas in the works for other projects, Subscribe to this blog you will receive an email every time I post something new! Or, become a fan on Facebook.
All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)
Thanks!
Last Saturday I got my 6 year old son up extra early for a hike around Radnor Lake. We got there just in time for a great sunrise. I let him use my Rebel XSi (now that I’m on the 7D) and he loved it! He loved walking around with the camera strapped around his neck. I think he took more photos that I did! We saw everything I told him we might see: Barred Owl, Deer, Turkey, Ducks, Geese, Birds, Squirrel, and Chipmunks. Fun morning, something we’ll definitely do again soon…
Here he is shooting some deer:
I’ll have to post some of his photos here sometime
Here is another shot of the sunrise:
And the light on the lake:
This shot looks like something from November. The morning light coming from around the bend was great!
Here are a couple large Bucks we saw:
Here is another Buck taken another morning:
And some more Owl photos from the week:
And that’s it for the week! Next week is the finale! The weather forcast looks good, so let’s hope for something great!!
Thanks for looking!
Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE
Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!
Malcolm MacGregor Photography is on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!
All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)
48 Weeks in and I get my first hawk photos of this project (not counting the occasional fly over). I believe this is a juvenile Red Tailed Hawk. I’ve been wanting to get a shot of one of these for so long! It was very cold on Thursday but I decided to visit the lake on my lunch break anyway. My fingers nearly froze while I was watching this guy but I got some shots before having to get back to work. The top photo is in HDR, the others are not.
I thought this one was kind of cool…
And here are a couple shots from Wednesday mornings sunrise:
And that’s it for the week!
Thanks for looking!
Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE
Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!
Malcolm MacGregor Photography is on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!
All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)
More snow in middle Tennessee!? We’ve had quite the winter so far. I haven’t lived in this area for long but even I know that this much snow is pretty unusual. Tuesday night into Wednesday morning we got more snow so I headed out to Radnor Lake. I got the above shot before anyone else messed up the snow on the deck by putting footprints all over it!
Other shots from the snowy morning:
Caught these bucks in a battle to the death! OK, not really. They were more just kind of playing I guess. It never looked real intense and it certainly didn’t last very long!
I really liked the framing of the trees here and cold tones.
More random texture work
I haven’t gotten a shot of this stream at all during this project. This is downstream from the dam.
I went back to the lake on my lunch break to try to get more snowy shots:
Saw this deer about to cross the road as I leaving to go back to work. I got out and ready just in time! (I wish that sign was a “Deer Xing” sign)
I also went on Monday when I got these Deer shots:
And just to say I saw the owl again, here is a shot from Friday:
And that’s it for the week!
Thanks for looking!
Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE
Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!
Malcolm MacGregor Photography is on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!
All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)
Snow at the lake!
We got some rare snow in middle Tennessee this week so I made sure I was at the lake! It started snowing last Sunday, so I got up early Monday morning and headed to Radnor Lake State Park. When I first got there it was still a little dark so I headed down the trail to a great sunrise spot.
I was the first and only one there for quite a while. No footprints on the trail at all. After getting the above shot, I passed another person, then shortly later I met one of the park rangers on the trail. I also met another photographer, Charlie Tallent.
I’m ashamed that I don’t have more wide angle landscape shots of snow at the lake – but I do have an excuse. I spent nearly 45 minutes watching a large Red Tailed Hawk that was way up in a tree. The light and snow on the ground was perfect and it would have been an amazing chance to get a great shot of the hawk. He never did come down from the tree and I eventually had to head to work (although already pretty late!).
Here are the snow shots I was able to get:
And that’s it for the week!
Thanks for looking!
Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE
Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!
Malcolm MacGregor Photography is on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!
All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)
Cold week this week – next week will be just as cold if not colder!
I went to Radnor Lake on Monday – it was so cold, all I did was walk to this spot, take a shot, and walk back.
Does it look as cold as it felt? The wind was blowing and, since it was on my lunch break, I was considerably under-dressed.
On the way back to the car, I did stop to get this shot as well
I also noticed these ice crystals forming at the base of these plants. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this before, pretty neat looking
Wednesday I had the opportunity to visit early in the morning, so I dressed with as many layers as I could:
18 degrees outside when I got there!
But I dressed for the occasion:
and got there in time for the sunrise.
It was really not that bad when I was dressed appropriately.
And that’s it for the week!
Thanks for looking!
Check out all the previous weeks by Clicking HERE
Don’t miss a week! Subscribe to this blog and you will receive an email every time I post something new!
Malcolm MacGregor Photography is on Facebook, check it out and become a fan!
All of the “This Week at the Lake” photos are available for purchase as fine art prints and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Friends of Radnor Lake! Send me an email for more info (m_macgregor@comcast.net)
Southern Appalachian Spruce Fir – Roan Highlands, Tennessee/North CarolinaJune 13, 2017 - 8:27 pm
Blue Ridge Parkway Mile Post 19 – 20 Minute CliffJune 3, 2017 - 9:32 am
General Jackson – Charlottesville, VirginiaMay 30, 2017 - 8:40 pm
Frisco Pier – Cape Hatteras, North CarolinaMay 30, 2017 - 8:35 pm
Bodie Island Lighthouse and Milky Way – Nags Head, North CarolinaMay 30, 2017 - 8:30 pm