For about a year now my buddy Toribio and I have been wanting to hike the Jump Off Trail. We had met Bob Carr after hiking out to Charlies Bunion, and he filled us in on the spot, we later saw his images and knew we needed to head out to this spot. We started our hike at 2:30 a.m. at Newfound Gap along the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As a big guy, I much prefer hiking early in the morning as the temperature is always much lower. This part o

After months of trying for a reflection shot along Grandfather Mountain, I finally got some alpenglow with a smooth reflection along Price Lake. This was my 7th trip here this year, I really wanted to get the shot I have been envisioning. Check out how this overcast day ended up turning into one of the most beautiful visits to Price Lake I have ever seen. If you like the video, please like it and subscribe to support the channel! Thanks for reading and watching! If you see an

It’s been a little while since I last blogged and really I just couldn’t get motivated. My Papaw passed away and that got me in a slump and like everything else, life kept happening. The timing chain in my SUV went through the engine (how that happens I don’t know), my wife and I bought our first home and we have had to do all of the paper work for that along with moving and renovating. Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining at all. I am very blessed, I have just been extre

Bays Mountain Park and Planetarium is located in Kingsport, TN and is a local favorite, people come to hike and view wildlife exhibits. Bays Mountain does have a fee of $5 to get in or you can by a yearly pass. There are many great trails at Bays Mountain, the most popular being the Lakeside Trail, it goes along the edge of the lake for a 2.3 mile loop. Other popular trails include the Fire Tower Trail and the Pretty Ridge Trail, you can even hike into Lauren Run Park from Ba

Most people who know me and my style of photography, know that I do not like shooting on a bright blue day. I just don't like shooting into the harsh light, but that didn't matter much when I decided to go on a road trip for the day. I had just dropped my kids off at school when a thought came to mind (I just don't want to go home), so I darted off and hit the road. As I was driving I began to think about where I wanted to go and I didn't really think I would take any picture

My favorite location along the Blue Ridge Parkway may not be something you would typically expect. With places like Looking Glass Rock, the Devils Courthouse, Mabry Mill and the Black Balsam area, you would be asking me how could you possibly choose? Well, for me I have to choose the spot that got me into pursuing photography in the first place and it just happens to be lowest part of the Blue Ridge Parkway. That's right, the lowest. The James River Visitors Center is where t

Looking Glass Falls is a beautiful 60 foot waterfall that resides in Western North Carolina in the Pisgah National Forest. The waterfall is very popular, more than likely because of how easy it is to get to and its size. You can view Looking Glass Falls from the parking area, but there are step and a pathway that lead you to the base. Many people like to swim here and it can get very crowded, especially in the warmer months. If you are planning to come and photograph Looking

One of the most rewarding hikes I have ever taken happened this past weekend. This hike had been planned for a couple of months with my friend Anthony Toribio. Originally we wanted to start our hike on Saturday, but due to the weather, we decided to do it at 2 a.m. Friday morning. I left my house at 11 p.m. on Thursday and arrived in the Newfound Gap parking lot at 1:30 a.m., Toribio was sleeping in his car until I arrived. Toribio noticed me when I pulled in and we got out o

Heavy rains have been hitting Western North Carolina fairly hard lately, so much so that Fontana Lake was 4 feet higher than it should of been. My buddy Nick sent me a video that Bryson City shared on there Instagram page and I knew I had to make it out there to see this first hand. I love Dams and Fontana Dam is one of my favorites. I travel all over the area visiting them and photographing them all of the time, eventually I want to do a small book about dams. I planned on l

It's hard to believe that one person could be completely alone at the most visited location, at the most visited National Park in the country, but it's true. I pulled into the parking lot at Clingmans Dome to find one other photographer, he was shooting the sunrise from the very beginning of the parking lot. He left about ten minutes after I got there and then it dawned on me, I was alone. I didn't think it would last long though, I mean every time I come up here there are hu

My wife wanted to get out of the house and I thought it would be a great day to get on the Blue Ridge Parkway, our kids were visiting friends for the night and we were itching to get on the road. The weather wasn't bad at all at our house, but we knew we may run into rain along the way. We eventually hit a small burst of rain first near Roan Mountain on our way to the Linville, NC junction to the Blue Ridge Parkway. That rain did not last long at all and once my wife and I re

The Black Balsam area of the Blue Ridge Parkway in the Pisgah National Forest is one of my favorite sections along the Blue Ridge Parkway. I had been thinking about doing a sunrise her for a couple of weeks and finally decided to go ahead and just plan on going. Before I knew it, 3 am came and I was up getting dressed and packing my gear and trying my best to not wake up my wife. I stopped by a 24 hour gas station, grabbed some gas and a cup of coffee and by 3:30 am I was wel

My friend Nick had messaged me about a week before this day trip to the Blue Ridge Parkway. He was heading down from Ohio to get lost in the mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway was calling. He wanted to know if I wanted to meet up on the Parkway on Saturday to photograph a sunset. I told him I would see if Jody and myself had any plans and would get back to him. A couple days latter I messaged him and told him Jody and myself would meet him, we were all excited to go out and

This set of 5 images have become some of my most well know images and truthfully it has came unexpectedly. I have had a lot of people ask me to go into more detail about how these were captured, so that's what I am going to do here. This is a full account of what lead to me being at the right spot at the right time. My wife Jody and I were at our nephews birthday party at the local put-put place in Kingsport, TN. The weather could of not be any nicer. Blue skies and 90 degree

Setting near Hot Springs, North Carolina, in the Pisgah National Forest is a 4,600-foot bald mountain promptly named Max Patch. It is famous the world over for its 360-degree view and a small trail you may of heard of, the Appalachian Trail. In the early 1800’s it was cleared to make room for a pasture; today, it is a highlight along the Appalachian Trail and a prime spot to come visit and have a picnic. Max Patch is a must-see, and it offers some incredible views of the area