In June, 2006, I attended a Mentorseries Photo Trek (sponsored by Popular Photography Magazine) in the Smokey Mountains in Tennessee.


We headquartered in Gatlinburg.
Each evening and morning we were transported
into the mountains to catch the sunrise and sunset, streams,
rock formations, and leftover homes and barns scattered throughout the hills.

It was very beautiful and there were multitudes of photo opportunities throughout the weekend. Our mentors were very helpful and ever-present to give advice and encouragement to all the trekkers. The sunsets weren't as spectacular as they could have been, but still awe inspiring and well worth the wait.

One morning I spent several hours walking around Gatlinburg in a shopping area called "The Village". It's a quaint little area of small shops, cobbled sidewalks, and many nooks & crannies to explore. I arrived around 6 a.m. and had the place practically to myself for about 2 hours.

If you might be interested in purchasing any of

these prints as fine art prints, contact me at

linda@empireone.net

Welcome to my blog. I am a professional photographer residing in upstate NY. In the past I have photographed weddings, sports teams, recitals, high school graduates, anniversary parties, family reunions, etc. As you can see, my main work has been with people, but I've always been especially drawn to babies and children. Although I still get breathless when photographing these beautiful young people, I find my interest growing in the area of scenic, nature and still-life photography.

I belong to the Schenectady Photographic Society and we recently conducted a field trip to the Statue of Liberty this spring. Most of the day was beautiful and sunny and it had been many years since I visited the Statue, so I was very excited to be there with my camera and my like-minded friends.



When I made this image of the Manhattan cityscape, it was a little hazy, but I think it made for a very emotive city portrait.









After visiting the Statue of Liberty for a while, we ferried over to Ellis Island. I don't remember ever being there, and it was a very moving experience to see the place where so many people entered our great country for so many years. Not only are there artifacts from the immigrants, but the walls were lined with photographs taken during those years, photographs of families weary, ill, fearful, and at the same time elated to finally be entering a free country that offered them a hope that wasn't available in their homeland.