Here are a few from a hike that I took in the Smoky Mountains this past summer.

The waterfall shot was actually my first go at getting a truly silky waterfall look.

[CreationBear]

Excellent set, but I think the middle shot is my favorite--I bet our post-processing gurus on the board could give you some advice on adding to the "3-D" qualities you've already got going on.

[london.paul1]

Excellent set, but I think the middle shot is my favorite--I bet our post-processing gurus on the board could give you some advice on adding to the "3-D" qualities you've already got going on.

I appreciate it! The second photo is my favorite as well. I would love to hear some advice on adding to the 3D quality. One of the main reasons I am here is to learn!!

[paulh]

Nice series using the much-maligned kit lens! Well done.

[CreationBear]

I've had my K5 for all of three months, so I'm still on the steep side of the learning curve myself. Depending on what kind of program you're using or whether these are RAW or JPEG, I suspect you could play around with the "Curves" adjustment to make the light bark of the downed tree "pop" against the dark vegetation on the opposite bank. (Or better yet, post the pic in the "Critique" section and get some advice for somebody who knows a bit more what they're doing...)

At any rate, it's a beautiful part of the world (I'm here in Knoxville)--I'm guessing you were in the Cades Cove area, but I'm having a hard time placing the waterfall.

[london.paul1]

I've had my K5 for all of three months, so I'm still on the steep side of the learning curve myself. Depending on what kind of program you're using or whether these are RAW or JPEG, I suspect you could play around with the "Curves" adjustment to make the light bark of the downed tree "pop" against the dark vegetation on the opposite bank. (Or better yet, post the pic in the "Critique" section and get some advice for somebody who knows a bit more what they're doing...)

At any rate, it's a beautiful part of the world (I'm here in Knoxville)--I'm guessing you were in the Cades Cove area, but I'm having a hard time placing the waterfall.

Thanks for the advice! I always shoot in RAW, so I will see what I can do in Lightroom.

The three shots were actually from two different hikes on the same day. The downed tree and the cabin (which is actually an old schoolhouse) are on the Little Greenbrier School trail which is just inside the north edge of the park close to Elkmont. The waterfall is the lower section of Rainbow Falls which is close to Gatlinburg.

On that particular trip we stayed in Wears Valley.

[CreationBear]

Thanks for clearing up the mystery--the back way from Townsend to Elkmont takes me past the Walker Sisters' cabin pretty often, but I've never stopped to explore. At any rate, I hope to see some more shots in the future--no doubt you've found some from up in Bluegrass country as well.

[london.paul1]

Nice series using the much-maligned kit lens! Well done.

Thanks! The kit lens has served me well so far. I am looking to upgrade soon however. I am thinking about the Sigma 17-70 Contemporary.

[mole]

Lush green photos of this rich landscape. Interesting choices of angles and viewpoints add even more to the very good composition. I too would suggest a little work with curves in your post-processing. Also, the waterfall shot would be even better without the bit of out-of-focus rhododendrons in the foreground center. It sure is hard to get the silky water effect without having some blur in the surrounding vegetation!

[london.paul1]

Lush green photos of this rich landscape. Interesting choices of angles and viewpoints add even more to the very good composition. I too would suggest a little work with curves in your post-processing. Also, the waterfall shot would be even better without the bit of out-of-focus rhododendrons in the foreground center. It sure is hard to get the silky water effect without having some blur in the surrounding vegetation!

Thanks for the response!

I have not worked much with the curves tool yet in Lightroom, so I am going to hunt down some info online this weekend and educate myself a bit.

Totally agree about getting rid of that out of focus rhododendrons in the bottom of the frame! Going to do some cropping now. Thanks!