The Best Images of 2016: Golden Light Cades Cove Smoky Mountain National Park Tennessee

Here’s another image from a recent photo trek I took to the Smoky Mountains. The light in Cades Cove, where this image was created, can be utterly amazing on most mornings. Because of the lay of the land, a mist is common. If there are minimal clouds, warm, morning light will turn the mist a golden color that envelops the landscape.

The trick to getting a shot like this is arriving at the entrance to the cove before sunrise. Then, because you’re not alone and you have to share the cove with others who rise early, you have to find a good subject and wait for the magic light to happen. Here, an Autumn tree, meadow and a mountain backdrop create an awfully pretty scene. I’ll print this one for our next art fair, I’m sure.