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DPChallenge Forums >> Out and About >> Smokey Mountains- Summer Bucket List
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 12/28/2014 12:18:47 PM · #1
This year we will be spending 3-4 days in the pigeon forge and spending tons of time in the Smokey Mountains..
I have always wanted to go there to see those waterfalls and just something I always wanted to see..

Where is a great place to stay, things to do there? What are things which are must do sees and not to miss.. I am starting to plan this now..

Also, when is the best time go to? Is there certain times of the year which is better than the others? I plan on going in July or Aug, but I will hold off if there is other times to go.

By the way!
I just purchased my first prime lenses for my upgrade camera!
I will be having these lenses and my new camera on me for when I go on vaca! I am stoked!
Right now, I have my prime 28mm 1:1 Macro/ lens, 135mm, and my 70-200... I am really looking forward to this one for another bucket list to be whopped out and completed. I brought these lenses used from a professional photographer and he was just giving away these lenses on craigslist.. I could not turn it down for $35 and $70.00? Hell yeah!...I thought it was an awesome deal! So I figured I might as well get those lenses now since I know I will getting a a newer camera anyway..

If you have pics please share!!! Would love to hear your experiences.. esp. of what not to do or do LOL

Message edited by author 2014-12-28 12:23:33.
 12/28/2014 01:03:56 PM · #2
My stepson Brad lives in Pigeon Forge. He does a lot of photography around that area and in the GSMNP.
His Fb page is under "Brad Justice Photography". He puts the names of the places he photographs with many of his photos.
Brad Justice Photo page Fb
Spruce Flat Falls, in Tremont, is absolutely spiritual. It's about a mile hike up the mountain, but unforgettable to see.

For lenses, the most useful one will most likely be your widest. In the forest, range is limited due to being down in the trees, and when you are a mountain overlook, a wide or very wide seems to work best as well.
In any case, enjoy yourself, have a good trip, and enjoy your camera gear.
Keep us posted as it goes along.

Message edited by author 2014-12-28 13:07:40.
 12/28/2014 01:39:46 PM · #3
Don't know if you're going to be in North Carolina but, if so, there is a book called "Great Waterfalls of North Carolina" by Neil Regan. It gives the following information on 65 different waterfalls based on his experience:
1. Picture
2. Beauty Rating
3. Water Flow
4. Height
5. Type
6. Property Owner
7. County
8. Trail Rating
9. Trail Length (one-way)
10. Description
11. Directions To Trail
12. Trail Directions
13. Photographic Locations
14. Mapped by County

Hope it is helpful.
12/28/2014 01:43:30 PM · #4
Originally posted by MelonMusketeer:
For lenses, the most useful one will most likely be your widest. In the forest, range is limited due to being down in the trees, and when you are a mountain overlook, a wide or very wide seems to work best as well.

Seems to me you'd also want to have your longest lens in case you have any wildlife opportunities.

You can also take more detailed panoramics by stitching images taken with a longer lens ... they're not that hard to shoot (even handheld) and there's plenty of free software to do the stitching if you haven't done it before.
 12/28/2014 02:16:24 PM · #5
We will only be staying in TN, unfortunately... our goal is to have a shorter vaca week, it is only a 7hr drive for us to there so it will be short and sweet..
because we are saving up for a camper and rather put our money on that instead of hotel rooms in the future..

Thanks for the link of pictures, I will DEF take notes of the places for sure..

I am think the 28mm will be my widest lens so that "should" be ok right?
I have never done panorama before, I know my Sony Point and shoot does pano as a setting but I never played with it. So it looks like I should take my point and shoot with me for that LOL
I do not know how to create one in the SLR.. hopefully its not hard.

Thanks for all the tips so far
 12/28/2014 02:55:07 PM · #6
To shoot handheld stitched panoramics:

1. Set camera to manual exposure mode and manual focus (probably at infinity)
2. Take a series of shots from right-to left, overlapping the scenes by 30-50%, and trying to keep the horizon at the same level in the viewfinder. I usually shoot in portrait mode to gain more vertical pixels.
3. Import the series of pictures into a stitching program -- I use the free demo version of AutoStitch at the default settings (Hugin is another good free program) -- and process. You may have to batch-convert your images into JPEG or TIFF first if you shoot in RAW (if you have card space, consider shooting RAW+JPEG).

If you have a tripod with a pan head, you can get more accurate results if you can get it truly level, but it's possible to do almost as well handheld with some practice. Just try to pivot about your "center axis" as you take the series.

Most of the panoramas in this folder are shot hand-held; a few I've left uncropped to show how the images fit together; note that focal length and distance to large objects can introduce distortion (as can a wide-angle lens):


12/28/2014 11:14:00 PM · #7
The park service website has good info about road closures and other useful things to know when planning. I was told that there will be trails and sections of the park closed for months while they are replacing older bridges, which will limit access.
The off season is the least expensive time to be there, though the place is not as pretty as it is in fall colors or spring when everything is coming out green.
If you can buy, rent, or borrow a wide angle lens, you will be glad you did. Even with a 12-24 mm on a crop frame, there were places where the 8mm fisheye was the only lens for the job when I was there in October.
The simple 18-55mm that comes as a kit lens on a lot of Nikon DSLR's is much wider than the 28.
12/28/2014 11:43:25 PM · #8
July and August are honestly one of the less pretty times to visit. It can also be hot and crowded and a generally ugly haze settles in over the hills and valleys.(This isn't why they're called the Smoky Mountains.) The first half of April can be beautiful, actually all of April is good, lots of blooming trees around here, and last half of October in the autumn. Personally I think winter is underrated, but many roads are closed because of it.

Besides a wideangle, a long telephoto lens would be nice...I use my 300mm all the time, lots of creatures around to be photographed.
 01/29/2015 04:42:05 PM · #9
Thank you Rachel for that update as well, I will have to plan it later then in the fall time for sure..

that is going to be sad with the closings, we will have to check that before we leave too, we are huge hikers and could spend days just walking and exploring... thank you for that heads up as well

I tried my first pano it was up and down though but I figured it would be the same if it was side to side...... this is about 4 frames right now I tried the tree in our front yard as a try out nothing special LOL

Not sure about the stitching but it is a bigger process than what I am used too, I think I can handle it LOL

I did not spend time editing this.. just wanted to see how this did stitching and playing

Message edited by author 2015-01-29 17:26:03.
 01/29/2015 06:30:02 PM · #10
Close enough to Pigeon Forge, consider lodging in Gatlinberg at the Lodge at Buckberry Creek. Request a mountain view room; the memory of those mountains will define your Smokies experience.

Route 441 between Cherokee, NC and Gatlinberg offers nice scenery and various access points to hiking trails.

The "Cherohala Skyway (TN Hwy 165, NC Hwy 143) is a 43-mile National Scenic Byway that connects Tellico Plains, Tennessee, with Robbinsville, North Carolina." Gatlinberg is an easy drive from Robbinsville. The vistas are breathtaking and you will have ample opportunity to shoot those shades of blue mountains. Spectacular country.

The Blue Ridge Parkway may be too far out of your geographic area but I would like to suggest you, at least, do a little research on it.

The people in that part of the country are as memorable as the scenery - friendly, conversational, knowledgeable about the history of their area, hard working.

And, I agree with Rachel - a late spring visit would be better, but, as she cautioned, closed roads could be an issue.

Have fun!
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