5 Tips for Great Photos in Cades Cove
Who goes to Cades Cove without a camera? Not me! This area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known for its beautiful scenery and its abundance of photographic opportunities. You don't have to be a professional photographer or have a fancy camera to capture stunning images in Cades Cove. These five tips will help you get the perfect shot.
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#1 - Check Your Gear
No, really. Check your gear.
- Is your battery charged?
- Do you have a spare battery? You'll probably need it.
- Do you have enough space on your camera card?
- Do you have a spare card? You may need it.
- Pack a tri-pod if you have one.
- Is your lens clean? Put a cleaning cloth in your pocket. You will likely be out of your car and away from your camera bag when you notice that spot on your lens.
- Have your extra lenses handy to switch out. I keep my camera bag open in the front seat and have my lenses easily accessible as I start through the loop. I'll tell you why in Tip # 3.
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# 2 - Plan Ahead
If you have been to Cades Cove in the past, you know that the photo ops don't start at the gate. There is plenty to capture along the drive to the Cove. Unless you have all day, you're going to have to sacrifice some photo stops.
- Depending on traffic, driving the 11 mile Cades Cove loop takes at least an hour, normally it is much longer. Plan ahead.
- Establish a few photo goals before you get to the Cove. What image would you most like to capture? Wildlife, horses, landscapes, flowers, birds, historic cabins and churches, the Mill area, Sparks Lane, Hyatt Lane?
- Morning and evening are the best times to see wildlife.
- Watch the weather. Early morning fog and dew make spectacular shots. Try to avoid the harsh direct midday sunlight. Clouds add dimension.
- Pull over at the beginning of the loop and check your camera settings. Take a few test shots to be sure your exposure is good before you start the loop.
- The loop begins with large open meadows with a backdrop of the mountains. I normally start out with my wide angle lens and I keep my zoom lens ready at all times for quick change out.
- The middle leg is typically the most abundant with wildlife, but you can see anything anywhere along the loop. Bear, deer, turkeys, birds, coyotes, foxes, otters, and many other species. I switch to the zoom for this section.
- The return side of the loop has many historical structures near the road. Cabins, barns, and other log structures are easily accessible for photographing. I prefer my wide angle for this section.
- Near the end of loop, you will enter a more wooded area. Again, I switch to my zoom lens.
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# 3 - Watch Your Surroundings
Remember back in Tip #1 when I said to have your lenses handy and ready to quickly switch out? Yep, I didn't do that. I was snapping away pictures of this tree, adjusting camera settings, snap snap snap. Some movement caught my eye and look what I missed! Don't be me - watch your surroundings and be ready.
- Wildlife could be anywhere at any time. Keep your eyes open.
- Watch for traffic! Don't be the person who stops in the middle of the road and backs up traffic behind them. Pull off to the side of the road and wait for moving traffic to pass before you get out of your vehicle.
- Do not harass the wildlife by getting too close or making noise. This could put your life in danger. Remember, you are a guest in their home.
- Be careful where you step. Snakes or slippery rocks can make your trip unpleasant. Watch for unstable logs and tree branches.
- Pay attention to natural signs from wildlife. If you're watching a doe in the field and she quickly perks up her ears, there could be a big buck or bear around.
- Watch the clouds and use the natural lighting to your advantage in your images.
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# 4 - Be Patient
- Unless you just need the practice, be patient and wait until the other Cades Cove visitors have exited your shot. You probably won't want to keep or use a photo that has unknown spectators in the background. However, sometimes that might be a winning photo...such as a sweet couple holding hands while walking alone down a dusty trail to a cabin.
- Bear Jam! Wait until after the crowd clears and you might get a great picture of that bear. Most of the time, visitors will move on as soon as the wildlife has left roadside viewing range.
- Don't plan on getting pictures of everything. There is too much to see in one trip. Quality over quantity.
- Use your tripod. If you don't have one, get a rest on a fence post or tree.
- Check your camera settings frequently. The lighting varies throughout the loop. The setting that worked at your last spot will probably not work at the next.
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# 5 - It's the Little Things
If you're too busy looking for bears, you're going to miss out on some cool photo opportunities. This salamander was playing hide and seek on the water flume at the Cable Grist Mill. He was a fast little guy (Okay, maybe it's a girl, but it's hard for me to picture a salamander as a female for some reason.) and it was hard to get him stopped long enough for a clear shot. I call this one close enough.
Look up. Look down. Is that a Bald Eagle flying over? Shhhh, that's a bear asleep in that tree. Don't miss out on the little things.
Here's a list of "little things" to photograph in Cades Cove:
- Trees, leaves and limbs. Look for something out of the ordinary, such as the hole in the tree pictured below.
- Song birds, crows, chipmunks and squirrels.
- Frost and frozen mud puddles.
- Butterflies, bees and insects.
- Flowers, nuts and berries.
- Spider webs.
- Animal tracks.
- The cemetery as seen through the historic church window.
- An old rusty lock on one of the historical buildings.
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Where is your favorite spot? If you have some suggestions for great photography opportunities or would like some additional ideas for photography spots in and around Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains, send me an email or shoot me a message on Facebook!
I hope you enjoyed the tips! I would love to hear from you and see some of your photos from the Great Smoky Mountains!
See you in the Cove,
Connie
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