Category Archives: Tremont
I received an update on the colors in the Smoky Mountains from my friend and fellow photographer George Hamzik that the colors along the rivers are looking great.
I am excited to drive down tomorrow and start shooting along the streams and valleys.

Fall in the Smoky Mountains
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Leave a comment | tags: Nik Software, Paul Christopher James, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Labs | posted in Autumn, Cades Cove, Fall Colors, Fall Smoky Mountain photo workshop, Gregg-Cable house, Lightroom, Smoky Mountains National Park, Topaz Clarity, Tremont
This Friday I will be heading to the Great Smoky Mountains for a couple of shooting days before the fall color workshop begins. It will be great visiting some of my favorite locations and checking out a few new shooting spots.

Mount LeConte-Great Smoky Mountains
I captured this image on a wet overcast day which helped to give me great saturated color. I enjoy a shooting on a beautiful sunny day and can capture great images but when it is raining I think ‘Let it Rain’ and Eric Clapton’s melodies start playing in my head. These are usually my best shooting days!
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Leave a comment | tags: Paul Christopher James, Smokey Mountain Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Labs | posted in Autumn, Cades Cove, Fall Colors, Fall Smoky Mountain workshop, Lightroom, Mount LeConte, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Smoky Mountains National Park, Topaz Clarity, Tremont
October is a magical time in the Great Smoky Mountains. The lush forests, beautiful mountain ranges and rivers will be great with an explosion of fall color. In the early morning and late afternoon when the sun is low in the sky you can often catch the glow of the sun in the water.

Suns Glow – Smoky Mountains
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Leave a comment | tags: Paul Christopher James, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop | posted in Autumn, Cades Cove, Fall Colors, Fall Smoky Mountain photo workshop, Lightroom 6, Nik Software, Paul Christopher James, Photoshop CS6, Smoky Mountains National Park, Time exposures, Topaz Clarity, Tremont
A tapestry of colors comes to mind when I capture fall images in the Smoky Mountains. My two favorite times in the Smoky Mountains are the spring and fall. In the fall a night’s frost changes the sugars in the plants which create the wonderful color patterns along the rivers and meadows. The colors are truly amazing

Smoky Mountain fall tapestry
Lightroom 5.7 and Topaz Clarity were used to process this fall river scene.
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Leave a comment | tags: Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity | posted in Charleston Photographic Workshop, Lightroom 5.7, Michigan Photo Workshop, Michigan Photo Workshop, Paul Christopher James, Rome Photgraphic Workshop, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Southwest Photographic Workshop Tour, Topaz Clarity, Tremont, Tuscan Photo Workkshop, Tuscan Photo Workshop, Venice Photographic Workshop Tour
The spring wildflowers in the Smoky Mountains bring splashes of color along the rivers, streams and meadows. The main focus for capturing images during the Smoky Mountain workshop be larger landscapes of the wonderful meadows, mountains, rivers and waterfalls but we will also spend time on the small niches that bring color and character to the landscapes.

Wildflower close up captured during the Spring Smoky Mountain Workshop
This little cluster of wildflowers made a wonderful composition for a close up along a river that we were photographing last spring. I used Topaz Clarity to make this image pop and then used a vignette to bring the attention to the center of the Composition.
Hope that you will be able to join me for the Spring Smoky Mountain Workshop!!
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Leave a comment | tags: Charleston Photographic Workshop, Digital Photographic Workshop, Nik Software, Paul Christopher James, Rome photo workshop, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Tuscany photo workshop, Venice Photo Workshop | posted in Cades Cove, Charleston Photographic Workshop, Dogwoods, Greenbrier, Gregg Cabin, Gregg-Cable house, Italian Photographic Workshop, Little River, Little River Road, Ogle Cabin, Rime Ice, River time exposure, Rome Photo Workshop, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Smoky Mountains National Park, Southwest Photographic Workshop Tour, Spring Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Tremont, Tuscan Photo Workshop, Venice Italy Photographic Workshop, White Rainbow, Wildflowers
Spending time along the small streams and rivers capturing fall colors in the Smoky Mountains was a wonderful experience. By using neutral density filters I was able to slow down the water giving the image a fluid movement and not gust stopping the movement. This is balancing act waiting for the leaves to be still enough so that there is no movement in them as the water flows past the lens for several seconds. When you view the image your eye see the movement while still seeing everything you captured as crisp and sharp.

Still Waters processed with Lightroom and Topaz Clarity
Taking time out from our busy world is one of the great joys of photography. It gives me the opportunity to sit wait and watch the leaves to be still so I can capture the moment.
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Leave a comment | tags: Charleston Photographic Workshop, Digital Photographic Workshop, Italian Photographic Workshop, Paul Christopher James, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Tuscany photo workshop | posted in Cades Cove, Charleston Photographic Workshop, Dogwoods, Fall Colors, Fall Smoky Mountain photo workshop, Fall Smoky Mountain workshop, Greenbrier, Gregg Cabin, Little River, Photoshop CS6, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Smoky Mountains National Park, Southwest Photographic Workshop Tour, Spring Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Tremont, Venice Italy Photographic Workshop
During the Smoky Mountain workshop the colors were amazing and it was hard leaving the smoky mountains with the colors in their peak. On Saturday I display at a the Christmas craft show at Divine Child in Dearborn Michigan. The last couple of years I have been in Italy teaching in November and it will be good seeing old friends at the show.

Fall colors along Little River Road in the Smoky Mountains
The unprocessed image has nice color but it does not quite have the punch that I enjoyed that morning.

Unprocessed Fall colors along Little River Road in the Smoky Mountains
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2 Comments | tags: Charleston Photographic Workshop, Digital Photographic Workshop, Paul Christopher James, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Labs | posted in Cades Cove, Dogwoods, Fall Colors, Fall Smoky Mountain workshop, Fog Bow, Greenbrier, Little River Road, Photoshop CS6, River time exposure, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Smoky Mountains National Park, Topaz Clarity, Tremont
From the 26th through the 29th of October I will be back teaching in the Smoky Mountains one of our great national parks. The image of Sparks Lane was captured this april when the dogwoods were in full bloom and I am anxious to see it in its fall color.

Sparks Lane Simplify 4 Spring 2014
Throughout the smoky Mountains there are historical landmarks of the families that lived and raised their families in this area which help us make a connection with our past and sometimes our present. Last weekend I spent a few minutes with friend who’s last name is Sparks and asked if they had any connection to the Smoky Mountains. It was not surprising to find out that their family had moved to southern Indiana from Tennessee.
In October when I am capturing images on Sparks lane in the Smokies it will be fun thinking of the Sparks family members who I have spent time with capturing images of the masked characters at Carnival in Venice and at the top of St Peters Coppola in Rome.

Sparks Lane CR2 raw image Spring 2014
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Leave a comment | tags: Nik Software, Paul Christopher James, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Southwest Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Simplify | posted in Cades Cove, Dogwoods, Fog Bow, Greenbrier, Gregg Cabin, Gregg-Cable house, Lightroom 5.6, Little River Road, Photographic Workshops, River time exposure, Smokies, Smoky Mountains Institute, Smoky Mountains National Park, Topaz Clarity, topaz simplify, Tremont, White Rainbow
The morning mist that the Smoky Mountains famous also makes it a great photographic venue. This lone tree silhouetted in the mist with the moon rising behind it in Cades Cove is a wonderful example of how the Smokies gives us unique photographic opportunities.

Moon over tree silhouetted by the morning fog
Using Topaz B&W Effects 2 in the Platinum Collection I used Platinum VI to turn this lone tree into a great B&W.

Moon over tree in Cades Cove silhouetted by morning fog Topaz B&W Effects
I used Topaz Clarity to process and pop the color which I also like but I think that the Black and White gives this image more impact.

Cades Cove tree in the morning fog

Morning fog Cades Cove processed using Topaz Clarity

Cades Cove tree – Raw CR2
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Leave a comment | tags: Charleston Spring Photo workshop, Nik Software, Paul Christopher James, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Topaz Clarity, Tuscany photo workshop, Venice Photo Workshop | posted in Cades Cove, Fog Bow, Gregg Cabin, Gregg-Cable house, Little River Road, Ogle Cabin, Paul Christopher James, Rime Ice, River time exposure, Slot Canyon Workshops, Smokies, Smoky Mountain Photo Workshop, Smoky Mountains National Park, Topaz Clarity, topaz simplify, Tremont, White Rainbow
During the Lighthouse working along the West Coast of Michigan we spent some time photographing some of Michigan’s wonderful barns.

Northern Michigan Barn Processed with Topaz Software
Barns are normally red and to have a white barn in perfect condition was fun to capture. This barn in the northern Lower Peninsula is one of the best I have ever seen and I will be visiting it with clients for every workshop I give in Northern Michigan.

Unprocessed barn image
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Leave a comment | tags: Digital Photographic Workshop, Paul Christopher James, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Labs | posted in Barns, Michigan Photo Workshop, Michigan photographic workshops, Nik software, River time exposure, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Slot Canyon Workshops, Smokies, Smoky Mountains National Park, South Haven, South Haven Lighthouse, Topaz Clarity, Topaz Simplify, Tremont