Sugarloaf OverlookMax Stansell Photography Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia is a must see if you live in the southeastern US.  This lovely park, perched high in the Virginian Appalachians,in the Jefferson National Forest, is home to grassy pastures and meadows, mountain peaks more than 5,000 feet high, wild ponies, and crystal clear mountain streams lined with rhododendron tunnels. Providing a variety of unique sights, trails, and boulders, there’s something here for everyone. Creek CrossingMax Stansell Photography  Activities include hiking, bouldering, primitive and RV camping, and horseback riding.  My wife and I took our Little Guy Teardrop trailer there this summer in hopes to see the wild ponies there.  We hiked up to the Appalachian Trail that travels _MSP1283Max Stansell Photography through the park to find them, but we didn't have any luck.  The park is high enough in altitude to keep the hot weather away, and it was a very pleasant temperature while we were there.  Our Teardrop trailer did exceptionally well, and we really enjoyed our trip.  My trusty Sony A6000 was my main camera, and it performed well.  I love this park and have already gone back from the time The "AT' Grayson HighlandsMax Stansell Photography we took this trip for a little fishing trip.  Caught some local brook trout and had a great time in the area. If you like camping, the outdoors, and great scenic views, this is the park for you.

_MSP2088Max Stansell Photography Yet again I have had a long break between blog posts, mostly because of my laziness, I guess.  Life gets in the way.  My wife and I have been taking trips in our Teardrop camper, work, and all sorts of things seem to get in the way.  My biggest  photoshoot of the year has been on my photography club's fall colors trip to West Virginia this year.  It was a great trip on the heels of Hurricane Matthew.  We went to places that we haven't been to before, which made it new and exciting.  Seven total of us went, with five of us staying the whole time.  We stayed in a great cabin in Davis, West Virginia, and drove every day somewhere new.  I think we logged 2000 miles for the whole trip.  The colors at our cabin seemed to be the most vibrant from all of the places we visited.  I also took a GoPro Session 4 with me to record some of the actions and have made some short YouTube videos to watch that I will link you to.

Day 1: Blackwater State Park, WV/Swallow Falls State Park, MD

The first day took us to Blackwater State Park in West Virginia, which was about a 20-minute ride from our cabin.  Actually, I would almost consider this our second day because the first day consisted of driving to West Virginia from Goldsboro, but this was our first day of shooting.   _MSP2370Max Stansell Photography The colors at Blackwater State Park were very nice, and the waterfall was great.   We were here on a Monday, and there were not too many clouds.  After the waterfall, we went to an overlook that looked into the valley and had some great views.  From here we traveled to Swallow Falls State Park in Maryland where we were greeted with some great falls and a small hiking trail.  The drive to and from Maryland was a beautiful drive with lots of farm houses.  Here is the link to the Day 1 Video.  Day 1 Fall Colors Workshop Video

Day 2: Babcock State Park, WV and New River Gorge Bridge National Park, WV.

Day two took us to Babcock State Park, home of the famous Glade Creek Grist Mill.  If you look up West Virginia, you'll see this mill.  It was a fairly long drive, but we left early and, after _MSP2491Max Stansell Photography a small detour made it to the mill.  We spent a couple of hours taking photos of the Mill and then went to lunch.  After lunch we went back to the park so Tim could fly his drone.  Then we were off to New River Gorge National Park.  I believe when it was built it was the first or second largest suspension bridge, but now I think it's third.  Regardless, it is a big bridge, and we spent the afternoon taking our time photographing this large structure.  Here is the link to the Day 2 video.Day Two Fall Colors Workshop Video

Day 3: Seneca Caverns, Seneca Rocks, Dolly Sods, WV

We started our third day underground with a tour of Seneca Caverns, which took us 150 feet underground.  We had a great tour guide and enjoyed our time underground with some interesting photos to boot. 2016-10-12-MSP-051  After the caverns we went to Seneca Rocks, which are a number of large rocks that go along the ridge of a mountain.  And then we were off to Dolly Sods.  Dolly Sods was a beautiful mountain top with great views all around, but it took about an hour long dirt road drive to get there.  Dolly Sods wasn't very far from our cabin, so it was a good place to end the day.  Here is the link to Day 3 video.Day 3 Fall Colors Workshop Video

Day 4: Harpers Ferry, Antietam National Battlefield, WV

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia is a very historic place and a lot bigger than I thought.  I had always seen it in hiking videos and it looked like a sleepy little town, and I wasn't expecting it to be connected with a national park.  We drove to Harpers Ferry and met one of our photo buddies there and enjoyed the day wandering the streets of Harpers Ferry.  We then drove over to Antietam and went on the battle field tour and really got some good photos of the surrounding area.  We then went to the National Cemetery at 2016-10-12-MSP-141 Sharpsburg and had great light to get some moving photos. Then we drove back to our cabin. Here is the link to the Day 4 video.Day 4 Fall Colors Workshop Video

Day 5: Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, WV

Day five took us to Cass Scenic Railroad State Park in West Virginia, and some of our group had been there before.  I wasn't really expecting much but was pleasantly surprised to find lots of photo ops and had a good history tour from our tour guide.   _MSP2974 We rode the train on a two-hour trip.  They have a four-hour trip also, but I recommend the two-hour instead of the longer one.   We had a great time, had lunch there in the park restaurant, and really enjoyed the whole experience. Here is the link to the Day 5 video.Day 5 Fall Colors Workshop Video

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_DSC6406 Hey Everyone!  I know it's been a while since I've posted, but as all of you know, life gets in the way of things.  A lot has gone on since we last met.  My wife and I have taken a couple of trips in our new Little Guy Trailer and are getting better at using it and learning all of the ins and outs of it.  Well, now to my new personal project. 

You have heard of 365 day photo projects that have you take or post a photo every day for a year.  As simple as that seems, if you work 40 plus hours a week and commute another 15 on top of that, you really don't have time to plan, take, and process a photo a day.  I propose in my project to print a photo for every day of the year.  In other words, print at least 365 photos a year.  In my new year's resolutions I had to print more.  This project will certainly do this.  Now you don't have to print one every day, just 365 a year so you can print in batches.   _DSC6457

One of my most favorite things to do with family is to look at old photographs of years gone by.   When my parents were young and everything was in black and white, you would look at the photo and then turn it over to see what was written on the back.  In the digital age, we don't have many times where we bring out the shoe box and look at photos, and I'm afraid that in the future this act will be lost.  So I've come up with this project.  I may even go back a few years and print those as well.  I want my grandchildren to be able to tell their  children and show them the photos that I have taken and hold them in their hands.  

IMG_4152 This is not an artwork project.  It's more of a journalistic project.  The prints don't have to be large (they can be 4x6), and they don't have to be perfect prints.  They don't have to be artsy.  They can be plain snapshots of everyday things like your house, car, everyday stuff along with your artsy stuff.  Your family wants to see photos of family along with your fancy shots, so mix them up.  

​So go find some shoe boxes and start filling them up with memories for your family. _DSC6932