Bluets: Small Spring blooming wildflowers that carpet the high altitude roadsides in late Spring a lovely blue.  

Dutchmen's Breeches: Looks like miniature white pantaloons, somewhat inflated suspended from a slender flowering stalk.  

Great Chickweed: The five petals that make up the blossom of great chickweed are so deeply notched that it appears that there are 10 petals instead of five.  

Spring Beauty: This tiny flower has veins of dark pink which enhance the beauty of this simple flower.  

Wild Strawberry: The popular red fruits of this flower are considered superior in taste to the cultivated strawberry, and these are found throughout North America on hillsides and roadsides.

We are so happy to see Spring arrive in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We usually get the Spring weather about one month after the lower elevations, so we can look longingly over the mountainside and watch the trees become green up the hillsides. Even before green leaves appear on trees, there are pretty little wildflowers blooming in the surrounding woods. The wildflowers are pictured in the order they are described. It is a fun project with young children to have a wildflower hunt--almost as good as an Easter egg hunt, and much healthier!

^top   Photography  Detail   - Current^ - Next >  Posted: 04/21/10 ID: 1271881060 # 1

This past weekend, March 6-7, 2010, we had our first opportunity to travel to the Washington, DC area. While there, we went to Great Falls on the Potomac River. Winter can be a challenge to create images, but we were pleasantly surprised by what we saw at Great Falls. The snow and ice had cleaned the bolders and brought out the colors much more vividly. There was a rainbow-like effect on the water, which was higher than we have ever seen it.

^top   Photography  Detail   < Previous - Current^ - Next >  Posted: 03/11/10 ID: 1268345652 # 4

On February 19, 2010, we had one of the most beautiful days that we have had this season, so we decided to drive to Grayson County, VA to see how it looked there after the many snow and ice storms. We were greeted by some of the most beautiful winter scenery we have ever seen. Rime ice had formed in the Grayson Highlands area, and it had snowed recently, adding to the drama. This image was made along with others on the "Recent photos" page. They are all High Dynamic Range images.

^top   Photography  Detail   < Previous - Current^ - Next >  Posted: 02/20/10 ID: 1266703012 # 5

The Winter of 2009-2010

This winter we have experienced very harsh conditions: five major storms, very cold temperatures, and snow on the ground except for two days since December 18. We are currently under a High Wind Advisory with single digit wind chills. I have been experimenting with shooting through the window, moving from window to window in our great room to capture the ice and snow covered view.

^top   Photography  Detail   < Previous - Current^ - Next >  Posted: 02/10/10 ID: 1265831043 # 6

On Friday, December 18, 2009, we received 16" of snow in Alleghany County. It was the most snowfall I have seen here in the Blue Ridge Mountains since January 1998. Snow is a real challenge to photograph as it can fool the camera and make the snow look either too dark or too bright, so I have been working on making high dynamic range pictures. To do this, you shoot several images at different exposures and merge them in the computer. There is a big learning curve, but the challenge makes it more fun. This image was created using that technique. Enjoy!

^top   Photography  Detail   < Previous - Current^ -  Posted: 12/24/09 ID: 1261670624 # 8