Rain casts a sheen along the Little Pigeon River in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina. In sharp contrast to the barren nature of Kenai is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee. This ancient botanical island is all soft angles, with mountains eroded down and rounded off over millions of years. Sunrise over the Smokies is irresistible when the mist is up and the sun is just a ball over the ridges. But I also love to be deep in the lush forest, with its streams, ferns and ancient trees.
Life is all around the trees' huge trunks.
Lie on your back and shoot upward. Follow the trunk all the way up to the leafy sky, watching for interesting lighting. To get the feel of the fern forest, zero in on a moss spore or flower, letting the rest fall out of focus. With a telephoto or a macro lens, you can isolate things. Keep looking for good angles to isolate against a dark background or a light one, depending on the mood you're shooting for.