Just up the road from Elkmont Campground is the “Elkmont Historic district”.  this old village that had been taken over by the National Park service.  The intent of the Government was to let these old homes deteriorate and decay and the land eventually would be restored to nature the way it was.  I returned to this area to get some photos of the old decaying buildings.  To my surprise the government has decided to restore this little mountain village as a model as to what life was about here at the turn of the  century. http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/sites/southern-region/elkmont-historic-district.html  My wife and I were so happy that this village will be restored and saved  for our children and grandchildren to see.  Any way you can see they have their job cut out for them as the homes need a lot of work.  I used my tripod to get these shots one of is this one.

Nikon D90,  2010/11/01 14:06:24
RAW (12-bit),  Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 44mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/45 sec – F/11
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 640
White Balance: Auto,  AF Mode: AF-S                                  
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: On
High ISO NR: Off

Well I got my normal seasonal cold and am trying to recuperate by staying in the house.   So I took my new Nikon D-7000  and my Nikkor 105mm F/2.8 Macro and snapped a few images of the White Poinsettia we got for holiday decoration.  I took this on my living room table with the late afternoon light coming from behind the plant.  I like the warm effect this gave to the image.  I PP in Nikon Capture NX-2  by setting my white balance and a curves adjustment. Then transfered to Elements -7  for cropping and sharpening and added a frame.  Have a Merry Christmas!

As Ron pointed out I did not explain the plants tradition with the holidays, Here is a link that explains it some.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euphorbia_pulcherrima

Exif Data:  Nikon D-7000 12/12/2010 3:50:PM,  Raw 14 bit,

Nikkor Macro 105mm F/2.8 @ f/16 and  1/1.3sec

Matrix Metering, Manual focus, ISO-160, Aperture Priority, 0 ev comp., WB- daylight

Tripod used

We had a late start this day to tour around Balsam Mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.   On the way there from Cosby campground is a 5 or 6 mile stretch of the Foothills Parkway in Cosby, Tn.  I took this image at one of the vista areas.  It was very windy and the cloudy, stormy weather  was heading in my direction.   I think it was deep cloudy sky that made me pull over.  To make a long story short by the time I got within a few miles of my destination, Balsam Mountain was totally enclosed in those thick clouds.  I could not see for more then a few feet on a steep winding mountain road so we gave up and turned around.  In a short while the rain started  and I was glad we had turned around.  It rained cats and dogs all day but I got my shot anyway.

Nikon D90,  2010/10/27 12:15:57,  RAW (12-bit)
Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 22mm
Exposure Mode: Shutter Priority
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/90 sec – F/19
Exposure Comp.: -1.5 EV
Sensitivity: ISO 250
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-S                                
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: On
High ISO NR: Off

I love the blurring of falling water.  I do not know the name of this beautiful waterfall I just know its location.  We were camping in the Smokies at Elkmont campground.  On the way to the Foothills Parkway near Townsend, Tn.  on Little River Road, in the National Park is this waterfall.   I saw some cars parked on the side of the road and looked to my left and there it was.  I had to drive up a ways before I could find a spot to turn around.  It was situated way in off the road and the only vantage point is on the road itself as there is no way down to the river bank or shoreline.   

I used my long lens and took about 10 or so shots.  This was the only vertical shot that I took.  I had to use my tripod so I could eliminate any camera movement.

Nikon D90,  2010/10/29 14:33:13,  RAW (12-bit)
Lens: VR 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 280mm
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority
Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
1/2 sec – F/32
Exposure Comp.: -1.5 EV
White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-S                      
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

This was taken on my way to Clingmans Dome for my sunset photo.  I was seeing so many photo ops that night on this trip that I almost got there late.  The actual colors of the mountain side were this blend of orange just after the peak of the change.   It was very windy and I guess the ever so slight blurring of the distant leaves adds to the effect making it look like a painting.

Nikon D90,  2010/11/02 17:44:46,  RAW (12-bit)
Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 26mm,  1/45 sec-F/16
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority,  Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
Exposure Comp.: -1.0 EV,  Sensitivity: ISO 640
White Balance: Auto,  AF Mode: AF-S                                 
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: On
High ISO NR: Off

This antique was located on private property just outside the property line of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park.  While taking the Roaring Forks Motor Tour upon exiting the park property you come to a little old concession and gift shop.  My wife went inside and I took a few shots of this old antique of a car.  I took nine  shots of this car and processed 5 of them in Photomatix Pro 4.0 to get my final HDR image. They were shot at  F/13 in one stop increments.  I kept my aperture at F/13 and varied the shutter speed 1/8 sec, 1/4 sec., 1/20 sec, 1/45 sec and 1/90 sec.

Again this image taken at “Clingmans Dome”  in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  I love this area of our country and is one of my favorites.  A great link for this treasure of a park is:http://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm  I went to this place at sunset twice and took about 20 photos each time.  This image has almost no PP done to it other then reducing noise in Topaz DeNoise 5 and I cropped the image on the top in order to get rid of a hot spot from the sun peeking out of a dark cloud. 

Nikon D90,  2010/10/24 18:42:40,  RAW (12-bit)
Lens: VR 70-300mm F/4.5-5.6 G,  Focal Length: 85mm,  1/15 sec.-F/16
Exposure Mode: Manual,  Metering Mode: Spot
Exposure Comp.: 0 EV,  Sensitivity: ISO 400
White Balance: Auto, AF Mode: Manual                                  
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

I am still posting images from my vacation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  I cannot describe how beautiful the change of colors were here in Tennessee and western North Carolina.   Gatlinburg is the main town and right on main street at light #8 is the start of the “Roaring Forks Motor Nature Trail”.  It is a beautiful six mile  one way loop that is a photographers  dream come true.  A guide  booklet can be purchased  for $1 at the park visitors centers.  The booklet said one could complete the loop in an hour or so.  My wife and I spent the whole afternoon  looking at all the scenic overviews and old early 19th century farm houses.   If you ever go to the Smoky’s don’t miss this route.

Very little PP was done to this shot in Nikon Capture NX-2. 

Nikon D90,  2010/10/26 14:35:26
RAW (12-bit),  Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G,  Focal Length: 24mm, 1/180 sec.-F/8
Exposure Mode: Aperture Priority,  Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
Exposure Comp.: -1.0 EV,  Sensitivity: ISO 200
White Balance: Auto,  AF Mode: AF-S                                  
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: On
High ISO NR: Off

This was taken on the same day as my other image I posted.   I was about a hundred feet away from the bridge ( off to the right)  and this area  is called a ” Confluence”, meaning a joining of several streams to form one river.  It was difficult to get this shot as where I am standing to take this shot I am about 15 feet above the water.  

 Nikon D90,  2010/10/25 15:31:16
RAW (12-bit),  Lens: 12-24mm F/4 G
Focal Length: 14mm @ 1/2 sec.-F/22
Exposure Mode: Manual,  Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
Exposure Comp.: -1.5 EV,  Sensitivity: ISO 200,  White Balance: Auto
AF Mode: AF-S,                                
Long Exposure NR: Off
VR Control: Off
High ISO NR: Off

Just a few miles East of Gatlinburg, Tn on Highway 321 is area called the Greenbrier Section of  Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  You can travel for around 4 miles along the Middle Prong of the Little Pigeon River all the way to the end of the road.  It is very un-crowded and offers endless opportunities for river scenes and moving water.  The water level in these small rivers was not that high so I waited until it rained and then tried to get some shots.  As you can see after a night of rain the water level was perfect for a few shots.  This was taken from a small, single lane bridge  at the end of the road.  I set my tripod up and hoped that no cars would come along and took this shot.  I did every thing possible in exposing this shot to get the longest/slowest  shutter speed as I could get.  I managed to squeeze a 2.0 second shot.  That slow speed enabled me to get the smooth, silky look of the moving water.

Nikon D90,  2010/10/25 14:50:17
RAW (12-bit),  Lens: VR 18-200mm F/3.5-5.6 G
Focal Length: 18mm, Exposure Mode: Shutter Priority,  Metering Mode: Multi-Pattern
2 sec – F/22,  Exposure Comp.: -1.5 EV
White Balance: Auto,  AF Mode: AF-S                                
VR Control: Off