ISO 100, f/10.0, 1/250 sec, Canon EOS 7D, EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM

There is a bird lookout near the Bodie Island Lighthouse on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and that's where this photo was taken. I had hoped for glass-smooth water to get a perfect reflection of the clouds, but closer to shore the water was beginning to ripple a bit.

The photo directly out of the camera looked great, but I took it into CS5 to add a bit of tone mapping via the HDR tool.

Wallpapers: iPad iPhone

ISO 100, f/7.1, 1/100sec

We were only able to visit the Smokys for two days, and on the second day it rained all day long. We did a driving tour of a part of the park called Cades Cove. It's the most visited part of the park, and we were able to visit it on the first day it opened this year.

Cades Cove was actually a community which lived in the Smokys before it was turned into a national park. Some of the historic structures from the community are still there. I hoped to get more shots of Cades Cove, but the weather was not cooperating. The drive is very pretty though, and this is the best area of the park to spot wildlife.

This shot was enhanced a little in Lightroom because the sky was grey and dreary. I know the sky is a little extreme now, but I like the look.

I geotagged my photos from the trip, and you can click here to see exactly where this photo was taken.

ISO 160, f/13, 1/100sec

While I was out taking shots with my new 7D yesterday, I stopped at a wetland preserve in Crown Point. I had never been there before, but I figured I'd have a good opportunity to maybe see some birds in flight. I didn't have any such luck, and all that really came of the 30+ photos I took was this photo.

I used a CP to get the vivid blue of the sky, and I like the way it contrasts with the tall grass I was kneeling in. I was trying to get close to the waters edge to get a shot of some ducks, but the ground was very wet and muddy, and I was up to my ankles in water. Instead, I turned around and took this shot.

The trip to the preserve was not a complete bust as I was able to try out my new Think Tank Streetwalker HardDrive bag. It was very comfortable even thought it had more gear in it than I'd ever hike with.

ISO 100, f/11, 1/320sec

I broke down last weekend and bought a Canon 7D. I was originally going to buy the new T2i, but once I had the 7D in my hand, I couldn't put it down. Once you've held a 7D, the Rebel series feels like a toy. I am going to keep my XSi as a spare body though.

I had wanted to get an SLR with HD video for an upcoming trip to the Smoky Mountains. Now that I have the 7D, I should be able to get some awesome HD video from the Smokys. I just need to get plenty of CF for the trip!

I had the day off today so I went out to get some shots. This is one of the first outdoor shots with my new 7D. This is straight out of the camera, no PP. What do you think?

ISO 200, f/5.0, 1/250sec

I remember when I was younger we would soak cattails in gasoline and then using them as torches. I did live in a very rural area, so maybe my childhood cattail memories differ from most peoples.

There is a pond in our new neighborhood, and I took this photo the day UPS delivered my new CP from B&H. The CP didn't help much in this photo, but it was still on the camera for what it's worth.

This photo is straight out of the camera.

ISO 200, f/11, 1/250sec

I took this shot after we hiked to the top of the sand dune at Jockeys Ridge. The sand was so hot on your feet that you had to keep moving or your feet would burn.

To get this shot I dug my feet into the sand to get to the cooler parts, then crouched down to get this shot. I love the 3 layers in the photo: blue sky, white puffy clouds, and smooth sand.

This was the first trip after I had gotten my new circular polarizer. I love how vivid the CP makes the sky. 

ISO 200, f/4.5, 1/200sec

Still haven't gotten a chance to get out and shoot this week, so here is an old one you'll actually find in the Photo Gallery. This was taken when I first got my Canon XSi, and I recently took it into Topaz Adjust to give it an HDR look.

Happy Easter!