As a landscape photographer and adventurer I love exploring new places. New trails, new waterfalls, new view, and new places far from home. This keeps me going and one of the reasons I’m so grateful to have found this art form. However, I think one of the best ways to hone the craft and get portfolio quality images is to visit the same place over and over again to find the best compositions in optimal conditions and light.
So this year I’ve decided to document one of my favorite places close to home: The Great Craggy Mountains. Just 30 minutes northwest of Asheville along the Blue Ridge Parkway, “Craggy” is a hot spot for hikers looking for big mountain views and a short hike without investing a ton of time in the car. It also happens to be one of my favorite spots to capture the sunset, especially when the rhododendron are in full bloom. The 194 sq mi area boasts a beautiful bald, hardwood forest, and lots of high elevation flora and fauna. In mid-June the area explodes with purple during the “rhodo” bloom.
The Milky way from the Blue Ridge Parkway in Craggy Gardens .
I plan on visiting Craggy often this year to attempt to capture the beauty I see through each season, all times of day and night, and all weather conditions. Hopefully by the end of 2019 I will come away with an exceptional portfolio quality image or two. If not, well, I will have learned a lot more about one of my favorite places and strengthened my connection with the beautiful mountains I call home. Perhaps I will even learn something new about myself along the way.