Tag: Outing

Thank you for attending the outing today at the NC Arboretum. Please take a minute to upload three of your favorite photos.photos

For more information, click on button below.

Join us for a festive holiday gathering at The Light Factory Photo Arts Center. Please bring an appetizer or dessert to share, an adult beverage if that is your choice of drink, and a WRAPPED photography related white elephant gift. You ask “What is a white elephant photography themed gift?”. It’s anything photography related collecting dust around your house/studio. It could be an old camera case, a instructional book, an old lens. Really any photo item you no longer use, but may be useful to someone else. Be sure to wrap it, we want the gifts to be a surprise:)

We will provide plates, napkins, cups, and water, iced-tea and/or lemonade.
Spouses are welcome.

Please RSVP directly to me at marcymurphy007@gmail.com by Tuesday, December 5th midnight.

For registration details and posting of photos, click on button below.

Located in Vale, NC, Hart Square Village is the world’s largest collection of historic log homes.
Please visit the Website at hartsquare.com
More details to come ……

For registration details and posting of photos, click on button below.

Brevard Waterfalls and Leaf Change

Hello All,

Do you like to take photos of waterfalls and the Autumn leaf change? Then this is the trip for you. Brevard is a unique location that is close to numerous waterfalls at different elevations, some of which are next to the road and others that require substantial hikes. The varied elevations mean that we will be able to pick locations with the best colors. The hike distance means we can best accommodate the desires of the group.

We are planning a fall waterfall and leaf change outing for October 17-19. We have rooms at the Hampton Inn in Brevard for the nights of 10/16- 10/19. That is Sunday through Wednesday nights. I have 10 rooms blocked off at a rate of $149 which is a special pricing reservation but to get this rate, the reservation must be made by September 16, 2022. My current plan is to arrive on Sunday evening and have a get together that evening with pizza to clarify plans for the following days. We would then take photos on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and leave on Thursday.

I have visited this area the last couple of years and the best places to shoot will vary depending upon the progress of the color change and the weather. Brevard is close to Dupont State Forest, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and Gorges State Park, as well as numerous other waterfall locations. We will decide on the actual waterfalls by the best colors, the weather, and the hiking preferences of the attendees.

I expect to have one group dinner but have not yet determined where that might be. I am not that familiar with the restaurants in town so any suggestions are welcome. Please let me know if you have any questions. You may contact me at sgorin@comcast.net or 850-890-2315. I look forward to seeing all of you.

For registration details and posting of photos, click on button below.

Photographing the Elk Rut In Cataloochee Valley

Trip Description:
We’re heading to Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains to photograph the elk herd during their fall breeding season (the rut)!
Our trip is officially scheduled for Wednesday October 5th and Thursday October 6th, but this is a very easy trip to extend an extra day on either side if participants so choose. The elk herd are most active and visible during the early morning and late evening; during the day they head into the forest to rest and are nearly impossible to see. We’ll meet on Wednesday evening for a sunset session, and then again first thing in the morning on Thursday for a sunrise session, giving us two great opportunities to see the elk’s breeding behavior and hear their bugle!
This is a “car based” trip. There is no hiking or strenuous activity involved. We’ll drive into the valley (carpooling as we need to in order to cut down on cars) and from there, we cruise the valley road along several large fields where the elk congregate. As with any wildlife trip, we are at the mercy of wild animals, and our exact locations will be dictated by if and where the animals choose to appear. That being said, this herd is quite adapted to people being around and I’ve never been through the valley without seeing any elk.
Google Maps location of the valley:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cataloochee,+NC+28785/@35.6401171,-83.0888989,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x88596352a1251c91:0x3904b22768dd92bf!8m2!3d35.6401005!4d-83.0801441
We’ll be driving up and down the Cataloochee Entrance Rd from just past the campground back to around the Hiram Caldwell House. There are several large fields along that stretch and we simply cruise the roads until we find the herd. Then we stop and photograph the herd!

Food and Lodging:
If you’ve never been to the Cataloochee Valley before, it is quite remote and therefore will require some driving. The road into the valley is a 10-mile dirt and gravel forest service road so it requires slow travel. A 4-wheel drive is not necessary. The road is well maintained, but be aware, it is dirt and doesn’t have guardrails for most of the drive.
The nearest hotel I’ve stayed at is The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center (40 min). The prices are very reasonable and it has been a perfectly sufficient stopover for this trip in the past. (~$100 per night)
https://www.choicehotels.com/north-carolina/maggie-valley/clarion-hotels/nc055/rates?adults=2&checkInDate=2022-08-21&checkOutDate=2022-08-23&ratePlanCode=SAPR2M
If you prefer tent camping, the Cataloochee Campground does still have some availability, but I would suggest reserving as soon as possible, as this is a popular time of year because of the rut. The park service campground is BY FAR the closest option as it is actually in the valley itself (5 min).
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cataloochee-campground.htm
There are also several RV parks along Jonathan Creek Rd (the main road between the town of Maggie Valley and the valley itself). I have tent camped at Pride Resort (35 min) and found it perfectly fine!
Food is, truthfully, a bit of a challenge for this trip simply because we’ll be out in the valley so late and so early. Waynesville and Maggie Valley are the closest towns and most things close quite early. There is the normal suite of fast-food restaurants (Wendy’s, KFC, Zaxby’s, McDonalds, etc.) in Waynesville less than 10 minutes away from the Clarion Hotel. We can decide as a group on Thursday morning after our sunrise session if we’d all like to meet up and get breakfast on the way out or if everyone would like to do their own thing.

Recommended Gear:
Minimum 70-200mm lens
Recommended 400mm+, 600mm is ideal
– You can rent theses lenses (which is what I do every year) from Bigg’s Camera in Charlotte, or from https://www.lensrentals.com/
Multiple camera bodies if you have them (easier than switching lenses and missing opportunities)
Tripod, with a gimbal or ball head if you have it
On camera microphones if you like video
Polarizer filter for cutting reflected light
Snacks and water for the car

For registration details and posting of photos, click on button below.

Photographing the Elk Rut In Cataloochee Valley

Trip Description:
We’re heading to Cataloochee Valley in the Great Smoky Mountains to photograph the elk herd during their fall breeding season (the rut)!
Our trip is officially scheduled for Wednesday October 5th and Thursday October 6th, but this is a very easy trip to extend an extra day on either side if participants so choose. The elk herd are most active and visible during the early morning and late evening; during the day they head into the forest to rest and are nearly impossible to see. We’ll meet on Wednesday evening for a sunset session, and then again first thing in the morning on Thursday for a sunrise session, giving us two great opportunities to see the elk’s breeding behavior and hear their bugle!
This is a “car based” trip. There is no hiking or strenuous activity involved. We’ll drive into the valley (carpooling as we need to in order to cut down on cars) and from there, we cruise the valley road along several large fields where the elk congregate. As with any wildlife trip, we are at the mercy of wild animals, and our exact locations will be dictated by if and where the animals choose to appear. That being said, this herd is quite adapted to people being around and I’ve never been through the valley without seeing any elk.
Google Maps location of the valley:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cataloochee,+NC+28785/@35.6401171,-83.0888989,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x88596352a1251c91:0x3904b22768dd92bf!8m2!3d35.6401005!4d-83.0801441
We’ll be driving up and down the Cataloochee Entrance Rd from just past the campground back to around the Hiram Caldwell House. There are several large fields along that stretch and we simply cruise the roads until we find the herd. Then we stop and photograph the herd!

Food and Lodging:
If you’ve never been to the Cataloochee Valley before, it is quite remote and therefore will require some driving. The road into the valley is a 10-mile dirt and gravel forest service road so it requires slow travel. A 4-wheel drive is not necessary. The road is well maintained, but be aware, it is dirt and doesn’t have guardrails for most of the drive.
The nearest hotel I’ve stayed at is The Clarion Hotel & Conference Center (40 min). The prices are very reasonable and it has been a perfectly sufficient stopover for this trip in the past. (~$100 per night)
https://www.choicehotels.com/north-carolina/maggie-valley/clarion-hotels/nc055/rates?adults=2&checkInDate=2022-08-21&checkOutDate=2022-08-23&ratePlanCode=SAPR2M
If you prefer tent camping, the Cataloochee Campground does still have some availability, but I would suggest reserving as soon as possible, as this is a popular time of year because of the rut. The park service campground is BY FAR the closest option as it is actually in the valley itself (5 min).
https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cataloochee-campground.htm
There are also several RV parks along Jonathan Creek Rd (the main road between the town of Maggie Valley and the valley itself). I have tent camped at Pride Resort (35 min) and found it perfectly fine!
Food is, truthfully, a bit of a challenge for this trip simply because we’ll be out in the valley so late and so early. Waynesville and Maggie Valley are the closest towns and most things close quite early. There is the normal suite of fast-food restaurants (Wendy’s, KFC, Zaxby’s, McDonalds, etc.) in Waynesville less than 10 minutes away from the Clarion Hotel. We can decide as a group on Thursday morning after our sunrise session if we’d all like to meet up and get breakfast on the way out or if everyone would like to do their own thing.

Recommended Gear:
Minimum 70-200mm lens
Recommended 400mm+, 600mm is ideal

For registration details and posting of photos, click on button below.