Metaphor Project

Metaphor Project, a photo by johnmfinnerty on Flickr.

Homage to My Beginnings

Recently, I've been shooting a lot of landscapes and many of them have been photographed a million times by a million different people. It's the American landscape that first spiked my interest in photography so it's fun to revisit places I was compelled to document when I was relatively new to the art. Photography rescued me at a time when the poetry from my pen dried up but the voice inside still needed an outlet. In some ways I'm paying homage to my beginnings. I'd like to think I've improved over the years but even the nascent photos tell a story; even if the story is more about the process of getting better, not about the subject itself.

Whitewater Falls

Whitewater Falls, a photo by johnmfinnerty on Flickr.

Here's my take on an old favorite of landscape photographers. I didn't plan this stop but had a few minutes to spare on a trip from Cullowhee to Brevard. I hadn't been here in at least four years and I think it was during the winter so I was blown away by it's beauty this time around. There are two different platforms for viewing the falls and both offer great vantage points.

Sunset Under Smoke

Sunset Under Smoke, a photo by johnmfinnerty on Flickr.

I thought this made for an interesting photograph. I was leaving a local bar (I was celebrating Wednesday responsibly) and on my way out I noticed the Sun under a thick haze. My first attempts from a location a few hundred yards north didn't yield the results I was looking for and I was about to give up. But on my way out from the parking lot, to my left, this view presented itself so I threw on my hazard lights, hopped out of my car and I got this shot.

Yearning for Spring

Yearning for Spring, a photo by johnmfinnerty on Flickr.

I was just about to call it a day while photographing middle school softball and baseball games in Robbinsville this evening but I turned around to find this surreal scene. The light was perfect and revealed a bunch of crisp, early spring colors...and a tree yearning for spring.

Package Store

Package Store, a photo by johnmfinnerty on Flickr.

The sordid outskirts of the city.

Deep Creek

Deep Creek, a photo by johnmfinnerty on Flickr.

Today, I headed up to Great Smoky Mountain National Park for a quick hike and (of course) I brought my camera. Ok, I'll be honest; I went hiking because I wanted to explore and take pictures. The section of the Park I visited is the Deep Creek area just outside of Bryson City, North Carolina. This was my first trip into the Park and I really like what I saw even if I didn't see a major portion of it. People say the Bryson City entrance to the park is often forgotten because of the more well-known entrances in Cherokee and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. My initial plan was to photograph waterfalls called "Tom Branch Falls" and I did but the overhead sunlight was harsh. Consequently, I wasn't too happy with the resulting pictures. A few feet up the trail I found an opening leading down to the creek with a beautiful tree stretching out across the water. A few clouds rolled over the sun and I had my shot...