Varner Hogg Plantation and Historic Site

Taken a couple of weeks outside of Sweeny, TX this shot of the Varner Hogg Estate in an HDR conversion in Photomatix Pro tweaked in PS CS3 and Topaz Adjust.

Pecan orchards, magnolia trees and generations of Texas history and commerce encapsulate Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site. The home tells the story of its three owners: Austin colonist Martin Varner, sugarcane mogul Columbus Patton and Texas Gov. James S. Hogg. This property hosted sugar cane production, rum distilling and oil drilling as it transitioned through families.

Tree Top Ibis

I shot this Ibis (I think) a couple of weekends ago at the Baytown Nature Center. It's a pseudo HDR conversion in Photomatix Pro adjusted in PS CS3 and Topaz Adjust.

BNC Butterfly_062510

I headed over to the Baytown Nature Center this past Saturday morning to shoot some birds but, since that action was slow, butterflies became my center of focus.

Gatlinburg Self Portrait

This self portrait was shot on the Gatlinburg Sky Lift in Gatlinburg, TN on our trip to the Great Smoky Mountains for the first week of this month. The ride isn't that high of the ground but for me it was plenty high enough. When I wasn't shooting photos I spent the rest of the time trying to figure out how secure the TINY connection point to the cable for these lift chairs could possibly be!

Another one of the old restored buildings located on the Cade's Cove driving tour at the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.

Another feature of the Cable Mill display of Cades Cove is the preserved Cantilever barn, a design in which the upper story was larger than its base. This design allowed animals which were normally outside to stand underneath the over hang in order to get out of the sun or rain.

Fly Fishing the Smokey Mountains

This young man and his father were out one morning trying their luck in the small river that runs along side the road to Cade's Cove in the Great Smokey Mountain's National Park in Tennessee.

Grist Mill Window

This shot is from an old grist mill just inside the Great Smokey Mountains National Park near Cherokee, NC.

Old Grist Mill at Pigeon Forge, TN

Two different approaches to photographing the old grist mill located in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

In the early 1800's, a water-powered gristmill on the banks of the Little Pigeon River became one of the main hubs of activity in the small mountain community of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. In those days, the mill faithfully produced the meals and flours that were crucial for the day-to-day existence of the Smokies' early settlers. In fact, The Old Mill even furnished electricity for the town until 1935.

Cade's Cove Bears

My wife and I spotted this momma bear and three cubs on our last trip through Cade's Cove in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park a couple of weeks ago. These bears were on the back side of meadow between two and three hundred yards away. We pulled off the road and watched the group for about 45 minutes before they wandered back into the woods. A nearby park ranger said these three cubs were born somewhere around the middle of February.

I shot these images with my Oly E-3 [2:1 crop factor] and Sigma 50-500 telephoto on a monopod.

And yes, the cub in the upper left portion of the three-shot is setting on it's haunches batting the flowers from paw to paw. [awe-factor of 10+!]

Horses at Cade's Cove

A couple of the trail ride horses playing in a meadow at the entrance of Cade's Cove in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee.

Painter at Cade's Cove

Not everyone was taking pictures at Cade's Cove, this gentleman was capturing one of the scenes with paint. He must not have access to a camera! :)

Old Mill at Cade's Cove

About this Great Smoky Mountains National Park landmark:

John P. Cable’s mill was not the first in Cade's Cove. However, by 1870 or so the population was large enough to support several such businesses. As a rule millers were also farmers anyway, and John Cable was no exception. A large bell used to be mounted atop a pole beside the mill; customers rang it to call the miller in from the orchard or fields. Jim Cable, John’s son, inherited the mill and operated it well into the twentieth century.

Elk at Cherokee, NC

This elk was one of a group of about six elk we spotted along the roadside near Cherokee, NC inside the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. I was glad this one wasn't wearing one of the radio transponder collars that many of the elk have been fitted with. I do wish it would have cooperated with it's "posing" a bit more though.

Barn at Cade's Cove

One of the many historical buildings located in Cade's Cove inside the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee.

Wild Turkey

This turkey of a shot was taken last week at Cade's Cove in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee.

Gatlinburg Jellyfish

This jellyfish is from the Ripley's Aquarium in downtown Gatlinburg, TN. I took this shot last week with my 12-60MM F2.8 Oly E-3 mounted lens at F6.3, ISO 640, 1/15, and 29MM focal length with available light handheld.

Little Pigeon River

Little River Road follows the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River and leads you to Cades Cove which is the number one attraction in the most visited [Great Smokey Mountains] National Park in the US. This small fall is one of an endless amount of picture postcard vignettes along the 18 mile long road.

Laurel Falls

This shot is of Laurel Falls in the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in Tennessee. This was the only falls we hiked to on this trip because the 2.6 mile round trip was rated as one of the "easier" hikes. Not so much for us!