The Window, Great Smoky Mountain National Park

In addition to amazing natural beauty and incredible landscapes, Great Smoky Mountain National Park also contains a rich history of culture dating back to  European settlers in the 1700’s and Cherokee Native Americans before them. More than 1,200 land-owners had to leave their land once the park was established in 1934. They left behind many farm buildings, mills, schools, and churches. Over 70 of these structures have since been preserved so that park now contains the largest collection of historic log buildings in the East.

I was struck by the haunting feeling of these buildings, as if they had many stories to tell of their former inhabitants. I wondered how many times someone entered this particular home and was drawn to the window opposite the door, just as I had been. I was tempted to use HDR, but instead thought it would be more dramatic and help convey the mysteriousness of the place if I let the shadows go to black and keel the window from blowing out the highlights. The trees seem to give the interior a refreshing feeling of life.

How does it make you feel?

There are still a few spaces left on the upcoming Smokies Workshop, check out the details here.