A few hours in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.

On the first day that the National Parks were reopened to the citizens who own them, I drove to the Smoky Mountains to have a few hours in Cades Cove – a truly remarkable location, and a visit I highly recommend.

All images are Copyright © Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.
If you wish to purchase prints please visit my website http://andrew-mcinnes.artistwebsites.com/ or send an Email to me.

 

I feel so very fortunate to see a family of American Black Bears up close and personal – sort of.

Peek-a-boo 🙂

American Black Bear_2AM-000210

American Black Bear_2AM-000210
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400MM f/4.5-5.6L lens. f5.6 for 1/400 second at ISO 800 (handheld).
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.

 

Mama bear ascends. Such amazing claws/claw strength!

American Black Bear_2AM-000214

American Black Bear_2AM-000214
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400MM f/4.5-5.6L lens. f5.6 for 1/400 second at ISO 800 (handheld).
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.

 

Unlike the assorted yahoo’s who observed the scene with me, I did not approach and stand under the tree!

American Black Bear_2AM-000371

American Black Bear_2AM-000371
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400MM f/4.5-5.6L lens. f5.6 for 1/125 second at ISO 1000 (handheld).
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.

 

The fog was very thick when I first arrived. This scene/habitat is very similar to that where I observed the bears.

Cades Cove_2AM-000546

Cades Cove_2AM-000546
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105MM f/4L lens. f22 for 1/5 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.

 

Morning light flashes the prairie through the fog.

Cades Cove_2AM-000553

Cades Cove_2AM-000553
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105MM f/4L lens. f22 for 1/8 second at ISO 200.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.

 

This is not a monochrome/black-and-white treatment. Rather, the fog and rain and mist altered the light to what you see here.

Great Smoky Mountains_2AM-000528

Great Smoky Mountains_2AM-000528
Canon 7D with Canon 100-400MM f/4.5-5.6L lens. f22 for 1/13 second at ISO 500.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.

 

The lovely winding road that leads to Cades Cove follows a stream for a good portion, and this lone tunnel is always intriguing to me. I stopped to take this image on my way out – the fall leaves are beginning to turn on  a show right now!

Great Smoky Mountains_2AM-000079

Great Smoky Mountains_2AM-000079
Canon 5D Mark III with Canon 24-105MM f/4L lens. f22 for 6 seconds at ISO 800.
© Andrew McInnes/2AM Photography. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

These images are a mere sampling of the wondrous place that is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. For more of my images of the park, swing over to some of my earlier/archived posts:

https://2amphotography.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/a-bloody-cold-shoot-in-the-mountains/
https://2amphotography.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/serenity-in-the-great-smoky-mountains-national-park/

 

Cheers,

Andrew

 

 

 

 

Perth ‘ish – September-November, 2012

An assortment of images taken around Perth (and a few from nearby Yanchep) over the Austral spring, 2012.

 

Perth by night – a view from Kings Park.

Perth 2AM-113436
Canon 7D with Canon 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Perth and the Swan River viewed from Matilda Bay.

Swan River 2AM-111873
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Perth, the Swan River, and a bevy of the river’s namesake (Black Swan) – viewed from Matilda Bay.

Swan River 2AM-111875
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

A Galah chew and rub spot on sugar gum (Eucalyptus cladocalyx). This particular tree is one of over 300 comprising a tree-lined avenue in Kings Park, planted to honour Australian service personnel who died in the two World Wars and other engagements.

Galah 2AM-29701
Canon 30D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Laughing Kookaburra perusing its surrounds for prey items in the rain.

Laughing Kookaburra 2AM-29733
Canon 30D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (female) pauses its grazing upon new shoots and flowers at the University of Western Australia.

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo 2AM-29748
Canon 30D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Another view of the Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo (male) that features the red tail feathers – at the University of Western Australia.

Red-tailed Black-Cockatoo 2AM-29763
Canon 30D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

The Red Wattlebird is a “honeyeater” – a group of birds which have highly developed brush-tipped tongues adapted for nectar feeding on numerous plants including this kangaroo paw flower (kangaroo paw plants are endemic to the south-west of Western Australia).

Red Wattlebird 2AM-29724
Canon 30D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Although primarily a “honeyeater”, the Red Wattle Bird also eats a variety of insects which are often caught mid-air, and also some fruit.

Red Wattlebird 2AM-29723
Canon 30D with Canon 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Now that I have introduced some floral aspects in the two preceding images, here is a series of images of everlasting daisies (everlastings), plus Sturt’s Desert Pea, and Mallee Eucalyptus.

Everlasting Daisies 2AM-111821
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Everlasting Daisies 2AM-111832
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Everlasting Daisies 2AM-111836
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Everlasting Daisies 2AM-111840
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Everlasting Daisies 2AM-111844
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Sturt’s Desert Pea 2AM-111851
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Mallee Eucalyptus 2AM-111843
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Up the road a little is a beautiful “terrace” beach at Yanchep, parts of which are sheltered by a reef which is delightfully overwashed. The image below shows this reef and placid waters immediately shoreward – we commented immediately that this is a wonderful spot for children to explore, enjoy, and hopefully be moved to curiosity.

Yanchep 2AM-112389
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

The numerous offshore reefs and the ragged limestone cliffs of this portion of the coast are steeped in maritime history.

Yanchep 2AM-112401
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Texture and movement as oceanic water reunites with former oceanic reefs.

Yanchep 2AM-112442
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

Dusk painted the ocean with some wondrous hues, each exquisitely ephemeral .

Yanchep 2AM-112414
Canon 7D with Canon 24-105mm f/4 lens.
© Andrew and Allison McInnes/2AM Photography. All rights reserved.

 

 

 

 

Assorted Critters (non-avian) – Australia, Belize, USA

Assorted non-avian critters from Australia, Belize, USA. Most taken with Canon 30D camera and Canon 100-400 mm lens (predominantly handheld). All of these animals (excepting the domestic dog and horses) are wild and “free”.

Bottlenose dolphin and red snapper.

 

American Alligator.

 

American Alligator and Roseate Spoonbills.

 

American Alligator - a mating behavior.

 

a very loud, and in this case fatal, chomp on a turtle.

 

American Black Bear just prior to hybernation.

 

American Black Bear (same individual as prior image).

 

Australian Shepherd and snow - not wildlife but a handsome dog nonetheless.

 

Bee (unidentified).

 

Bee and Morning Glory flower.

 

Another bee, another flower.

 

Black Iguana.

 

Green Iguana - cryptic coloration.

 

Green Iguana.

 

Coyote - "fearful and aggressive" behavior. This individual has been ravaged by sarcoptic mange, hence the lack of fur and the open flesh wounds. The temperature was 20 degrees F on the day I captured this image - surely this individual perished soon thereafter.

 

Coyote. This individual heard the camera shutter and looked "straight at me" but I was apparently sufficiently camouflaged to not "spook" it. Also, the wind was blowing strongly from right-to-left in this image so my scent was apparently not detected.

 

Eastern Chipmunk - too cute are these little fella's.

 

Eastern Grey Squirrel in winter.

 

Golden Silk Spider - large strong web.

 

Gulf Fritillary.

 

Gulf Fritillary - another look.

 

Gulf Fritillary - last look.

 

Horses and wildflowers.

 

Morelet's Crocodile.

 

Northern Bluet Damselfly.

 

Platypus - approximately 30 cm (12") in length.

 

"Bluebottle" (Portuguese man o' war) on the beach.

 

This raccoon was swimming across a rather wide lake. It made several attempts to "join us" in the boat.

 

Rustic Sphinx Caterpillar in our yard - feasting on vitex sp.

 

Unidentified caterpillar with external parasites (the white bits on the posterior 2/3).

 

Unidentified water snake.

 

Wallaby.

 

Adult and "Joey" (juvenile) wallaby.

 

Water Moccasin.

 

Water Moccasin - the "business end."

 

White-Tailed Deer juvenile.

 

White-Tailed Deer buck.