Your Vacation Guide to the Smokey Mountains

If you have not been to Gatlinburg, Tennessee you need to go!  The smokey mountains are beautiful and there is so much to do! My husband and I took a short getaway recently without the kids, but there are plenty of family friendly things to do.  The cabins are always reasonably priced, and they are located with beautiful views and minutes away from downtown things to do. The drive through the park alone is worth it! There are tons of places to pull off and admire the view.  

Gatlinburg, Tennessee, Travel Photography, Landscape photography,

We went to Clingman’s dome.  The hike is a paved way to an amazing view! It is somewhat steep but very doable! There is a tower at the top and the view is beautiful.

Clingmans dome, travel photo, Gatlinburg, TN
Clingman’s dome, Travel Photography, landscape photography, Gatlinburg, TN

We stopped by Elkmont ghost town. I found it to be a photographer’s dream! Full of interesting angles and textures. I could’ve spent hours there exploring. We visited midday so the sun didn’t give the pictures the atmosphere it deserves.  Maybe this spot deserves a revisit sometime in our future, but maybe that’s just me.

We went up the Gatlinburg Skylift park, where you ride a ski lift up the mountain.  There is a suspension bridge at the top which has glass floor panels in the middle.  It is not for the faint of heart if you are afraid of heights.  I didn’t have my big camera up there, which was unfortunate.  I was terrified of dropping it!

We drove on the Tail of the Dragon! Which is 318 curves in 11 miles.  Let me tell you, I never want to do that again! I was so carsick afterwards! If you get motion sick this one is not for you. But it was a once in a lifetime experience that was worth it.  However, NEVER AGAIN!!!

Panning Car, Gatlinburg, TN Travel Photography,

On the way home we went by Cumberland falls.  This was a worthwhile stop! The falls are beautiful, and it was a good break from driving.

The weather was absolutely perfect the whole time we were there! However, on the way back we were hit hard with rain. I took pictures out the window the whole time. They turned out to be some of my favorite landscapes. The sky was rolling! I loved every minute.

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Self portrait, Columbus, Indiana Photographer

5 Must Have Photos for Summertime!

1.       Icecream!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICECREAM! This is one that just screams childhood. Homemade popsicles work great as well. Keep in mind what your child’s favorite icecream is, and then try to dress them in a color that would complement it! For instance, if you know your kid loves mint chocolate chip, dress her in pink and go with pastels! Or Red for a complimentary color.   Does your child love rainbow sprinkles? Dress him or her in bright colors to make them pop! Then hand them that cone and make sure to capture all that sticky goodness as it melts down their arms!

Summer time photo ideas Columbus Indiana family photographer

2.     Kite Flying!

As the winds change and the weather gets hotter, it’s a perfect time to capture Kite flying! Use the kites in creative ways to frame your subject. You can get a low perspective to show just how high that kite is flying.  Use a quick shutter speed and make sure not to blow any highlights if you shoot in midday. Keep the storytelling in mind as well as composition.

Callihan photography, Columbus, IN 47201 family photographer

3.       Strawberries, and other summer fruit!

Watermelon, strawberries, oranges, cherries, blueberries, and peaches! Go to your local u-pick farmers market and make sure to capture the fun!  This is the perfect time of year to think about seasonal food. If you garden- even better!! Capture all the details involved with picking, washing, eating, and drooling! Yum!

Columbus, Indiana photographer, strawberries summer photo ideas

4.       Parks!

Whether it’s national parks or just your local playground, summer is a perfect time to freeze all those moments.  Get brave and take your camera out in public!  (I’m encouraging that as much for you as I am for myself!) Slides and swings provide a nostalgic scene or childhood you will not want to forget.  Consider thoughtfully how high those monkey bars are, or how fast they jump out of the swing. There are so many great story telling opportunities.

Family photographer, Columbus, Indiana, parks and rec photo ideas

5.     Flowers!

This one is so simple, but there are flowers everywhere in the summer! My favorite are phlox and cosmos for photos. But you can use any you see fit! Put your subject against a beautiful backdrop of flowers or get a photo of your child picking those weeds.  Set up those flowers for your own still life or try your hand at some macro photography.  Whether it’s your child making a wish on a dandelion or picking a handful of those beautiful flowers you just planted this spring, you will want to remember it! Don’t let life just slip by, slow it down with photography!

Flower photography, Columbus, Indiana family photographer, child photographer, details, ideas for summer

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10 Elements of Composition for Photography

  1.      The Rule of Thirds

    This one is a simple one to employ. If you divide your frame into 9 equal squares, then you should place your subject on the lines of intersection.  Horizons should go on these lines as well and you should avoid placing them directly in the middle (in between the lines).  This will help to add interest in your image.

Rule of thirds, photography composition tutorial, Columbus, IN

2.      Symmetry

It helps a strong center composition to have perfect symmetry on either side of your subject.  If you have ever watched a Wes Anderson film, you will notice how he uses this often. See here. This is one of my favorite compositions to use.  I feel like it brings a sense of whimsy and peace to the image. Symmetry is very pleasing to the eye.

Symmetry, elements of composition, Columbus Indiana photographer

3.     Negative Space

Having a lot of negative space around your subject helps to draw attention to them in a minimalist way. There are no distractions to draw the eye away with this composition.

negative space, rules of composition, Columbus Indiana photographer

4.      The Golden Triangle

This one takes a bit of intention to pull off.  Be aware of strong diagonals going throughout the image.  Sometimes they are more implied.  Other times it is a direct line.              

Golden triangle example, Columbus Indiana photographer, rules of composition tutorial

5.     Isolate the Subject

Using a wide aperture as low as f/1.4 will help the focus to fall on your subject and the background will fade away into a blur. This will give you a shallow depth of field.  This gives a dreamier effect and is great for portraiture.

Isolate the subject example, elements of composition, Columbus, Indiana photographer

6.       Color

Using analogous colors or complimentary colors will help bring attention to your subject.  For this picture the girl’s hoodie is the same color as the lemur’s eyes. Color harmonies are also very pleasing.  I love using the primary colors!

color example, rules of composition, tutorial, Columbus, IN photographer

7.    Fill the frame

This is where you get very close to your subject so that very little if any space is seen around them. This draws the attention right to your subject.  Cropping in very tightly works well for this, just make sure to not chop limbs in an unpleasing way.  For more information on limb chops go here.

Fill the frame, composition element, Columbus, Indiana Photographer

8.      Leading lines

This is exactly how it sounds.  Look for lines or paths that will lead your eyes to the subject. You want these lines to take your eyes deeper into the frame. They do not have to be straight, sometimes a curved path can take you deeper into the image.

Leading Lines example, Columbus, IN Photographer, Tutorial

9.      Foreground and Depth

This is essentially layering.  Having a strong foreground, middle ground and background can help add visual interest. In this picture the plant is the foreground, the baby is the middle ground and the grandmother is the background.

Foreground and depth, Composition example, Columbus, Indiana Photographer

10.      Framing

This one is my favorite! I love shooting through things to frame my subject.  In this case the leaves do the job.  But you can use anything! People, nature, buildings, even light! The possibilities are endless.

Framing example, Columbus, IN photographer, composition rules

Hope this is helpful! If you’ll like, you can read more here. Thanks for reading.