A Rhododendron Jungle

A Rhododendron Jungle
NCAR11D-121

May 29, 2011

Hiking through Nantahala National Forest, you go through some pretty incredible and diverse landscapes.  This was Memorial Day Weekend last year, and I was in the middle of a 3-day trek around the headwaters of the Nantahala River.  As I leveled out on the trail, I spent part of the afternoon hiking through these dense rhododendron thickets.  The tangle of trunks, and the lush canopy overhead, was amazing, and it dampened the sounds from the nearby river so that everything was hushed.  I saw less than 10 people along the trail that day, as it was far from day-hiking trails and pretty much only backpackers or AT through-hikers were present.  I like how the panoramic merge helped convey the jumble of the rhododendron thicket, adding to the chaos of the trail.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/20 @ f/4   ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Blue Ridge in Infrared

Blue Ridge in Infrared

NCAR11D-156_HDR

May 29, 2011

After taking the Ph.D. preliminary exam, I felt the need for a little relaxation and unwinding.  Four straight months of studying will do that to you.  As my reward, I spent Memorial Day weekend hiking through the Nantahala National Forest, making a loop around the headwaters of the Nantahala river, part of which was along the Appalachian Trail.  This forest was beautiful, rhododendron groves that hugged the trail,making you hike through a tunnel at times.  The second night I spend up on Standing Indian, which had views out to the west over the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Sitting up there, with this view straight from my tent, was incredible.


However, the weather wasn't quite cooperating.  The color version of the photo did not do the landscape justice, and didn't reveal the stark contrasts that I could see through my eyes.  So I resorted to a great medium, the infrared.  Highlighting the foliage of the near trees, which dance in the wind, I feel this is a much more powerful statement of this particular point in time. 

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 44 mm

Exposure: var @ f/11, ISO 400

Post-processing: HDR image stitched from 5 exposures in Photomatix, colors desaturated and infrared instituted, minor curves adjustment in PS4