The seven images selected for inclusion in this gallery were shot on a quick trip to the Smoky Mountains, just after the peak leaf season in November, 2010. On an early morning jaunt to the Roaring Fork Scenic Drive, these images were captured just after daybreak, before the sun had an opportunity to shine down directly into the stream. Since the light levels were low requiring long shutter speeds, all shots were taken using a tripod and remote cable shutter release. Each scene was shot using bracketed exposures of 1 to 2 stops each, resulting in at least three images. These images were shot in camera RAW format, were imported into LightRoom3, exported into HDRSoft's Photomatics, and converted into High Dynamic Range (HDR) files for processing. In addition, several of the images were also imported into PhotoShop CS5's new HDR processor. The two final HDR images were imported into PhotoShop CS5 and hand blended using layer masks to produce the image you see here.

The goal was to produce photo-realistic images that have exceptional tonal range. The result was to produce some images that seem to "glow."

The images have been prepared for print at 30 x 20 including the title/matte and are available as limited-edition prints.

Critiques and comments are greatly appreciated. Enjoy!