Last month our family took a vacation to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee and North Carolina. Although I had the DA15 with me, the DA21 was my go-to lens most of the trip. Between it and the DA70, I really didn't need another lens, but I did use the DA-L 35 once in a while also. This trip convinced me to sell my DA15. Not that it's a bad lens, but it's just not the focal length I see things in. The DA21 is.
Here are some of my favorites from the DA21.
Cades Cove
We were fortunate to have perfect golden-hour light when we arrived at Cades Cove. This first one is probably my favorite shot from the trip and is now hanging on my wall at home. The third one is cropped to have a panorama feel, but it is only one image -- not a composite.
Lower Grotto Falls
The hike to get here is about 1.5 hours, yet the main falls were surprisingly crowded. These lower falls, however, required a little bit of climbing through the brush, and therefore had almost no one at them. This shot was worth the entire hike!
Jim Bale's Place along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
This was another case of perfect timing. We arrived at this spot just as it began raining. After about 20 or 30 minutes of heavy rain, the sun came back out and heated up the roof of this cabin, causing steam to rise. This one is also hanging on my wall at home.
Ogle Place along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail LeConte Creek along Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail Newfound Gap