Who goes to Cades Cove without a camera? Not me! I go every chance I get while we are vacationing at our Asbury Cottages in Pigeon Forge, TN.
This area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is known for its beautiful scenery and its abundance of photographic opportunities.
You don’t have to be a professional photographer or have a fancy camera to capture stunning images in Cades Cove. I use a moderately priced DSLR Canon Rebel T6. Even with a bunch of accessories, the price point is less than $500. It takes great photos and is easy to operate.
The best thing I have added to my photography equipment is the Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Lens. This lens is available for Canon and Nikon cameras. I have found that this lens is PERFECT for amateur or semi-pro photography in Cades Cove. With the one lens ability to go from 18-400mm with a twist, you won’t miss out on unexpected immediate photo ops (see below) and you don’t have to carry extra lenses into the field. It can go down to 18mm for those wide angle landscape shots, up to 400mm for telephoto closeups. I LOVE it!
These five tips will help you get the perfect shot.
#1 – Check Your Gear
No, really. Check your gear!
- Is your camera battery
charged? I’m embarrassed to say how many times I have gotten ready to take some photographs and my camera battery was dead. Ugghhh!! Plan ahead – charge up the night before.
- Do you have a spare battery? You’ll probably need it. Amazon has great prices on spare batteries.
- Do you have enough space on your camera card?
- Do you have the camera card IN YOUR CAMERA? (Face palm – yes, I’ve done this!)
- Do you have a spare camera card? You may need it.
- Pack a tri-pod if you have one. If you don’t, Amazon has some nice lightweight versions starting at about $15.
- Is your lens clean? Put a cleaning cloth in your pocket. You will likely be out of your car and away from your camera bag when you notice that smudge spot on your lens. (hand up)
- If you don’t have a convenient All-In-One Lens, be sure to have your extra lenses handy to switch out. I’ll tell you why in Tip # 3. Before I purchased the Tamron 18-400mm, I would keep my camera bag open in the front seat and have my lenses easily accessible as I started through the loop.
charged? I’m embarrassed to say how many times I have gotten ready to take some photographs and my camera battery was dead. Ugghhh!! Plan ahead – charge up the night before.# 2 – Plan Ahead
If you have been to Cades Cove in the past, you know that the photo ops don’t start at the gate. There is plenty to capture along the drive to the Cove. Unless you have all day, you’re going to have to sacrifice some photo stops.
Depending on traffic, driving the 11 mile Cades Cove loop takes at least an hour, normally it is much longer. Plan ahead.
Establish a few photo goals before you get to the Cove. What image would you most like to capture? Wildlife, horses, landscapes, flowers, birds, historic cabins and churches, the Mill area, Sparks Lane, Hyatt Lane?
Morning and evening are the best times to see wildlife.
Watch the weather. Early morning fog and dew make spectacular shots. Try to avoid the harsh direct midday sunlight. Clouds add dimension, so embrace that weather phenomenon.
Pull over at the beginning of the loop and check your camera settings. Take a few test shots to be sure your exposure is good before you start the loop.
The loop begins with large open meadows with a backdrop of the mountains. Start out with a wide angle lens and keep your zoom lens ready at all times for quick change out.
The middle leg is typically the most abundant with wildlife, but you can see anything anywhere along the loop. Bear, deer, turkeys, birds, coyotes, foxes, otters, and many other species. You might want to switch to the zoom for this section.
The return side of the loop has many historical structures near the road. Cabins, barns, and other log structures are easily accessible for photographing. A wide angle lens is best for this section.
Near the end of loop, you will enter a more wooded area. Again, switch to your zoom lens.
Are you starting to see why I recommend a versatile all-in-one wide-angle/telephoto? Switching lenses is a pain!
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# 3 – Watch Your Surroundings
Remember back in Tip #1 when I said to have your lenses handy and ready to quickly switch out? Yep, I didn’t do that. I was snapping away pictures of this tree, adjusting camera settings, snap snap snap. Some movement caught my eye and look what I missed! Don’t be me – watch your surroundings and be ready.
Wildlife could be anywhere at any time. Keep your eyes open and be ready.
Watch for traffic! Don’t be the person who stops in the middle of the road and backs up traffic behind them. Pull off to the side of the road and wait for moving traffic to pass before you get out of your vehicle.
Do not harass the wildlife by getting too close or making noise. This could put your life in danger. Remember, you are a guest in their home.
Be careful where you step. Snakes or slippery rocks can make your trip unpleasant. Watch for unstable logs and tree branches.
Pay attention to natural signs from wildlife. If you’re watching a doe in the field and she quickly perks up her ears, there could be a big buck or bear around.
Watch the clouds and use the natural lighting to your advantage in your images.
# 4 – Be Patient
Unless you just need the practice, be patient and wait until the other Cades Cove visitors have exited your shot. You probably won’t want to keep or use a photo that has unknown spectators in the background. However, sometimes that might be a winning photo…such as a sweet couple holding hands while walking down a dusty trail to a cabin.
Bear Jam! Wait until after the crowd clears and you might get a great picture of that bear. Most of the time, visitors will move on as soon as the wildlife has left roadside viewing range. Just be sure to remain a safe distance and watch your surroundings for other nearby wildlife.
Read my post *Be Bear Aware* My Personal Encounter with a Bear in GSMNP!
Don’t plan on getting pictures of everything. There is too much to see in one trip. Quality over quantity.
Use your tripod. If you don’t have one, get a rest on a fence post or tree.
Check your camera settings frequently. The lighting varies throughout the loop. The setting that worked at your last spot will probably not work at the next.
Would you like to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Check Availability and Book one of our Asbury Cottages in downtown Pigeon Forge, Tn. It’s only minutes from the GSMNP boundaries and about 40 minutes to Cades Cove. We keep our rates reasonable so families can enjoy a Smoky Mountain vacation. Rates are only $75-$120/night for 3 bedrooms/2 baths in a GREAT location!
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# 5 – It’s the Little Things
If you’re too busy looking for bears, you’re going to miss out on some cool photo opportunities. This salamander was playing hide and seek on the water flume at the Cable Grist Mill. He was a fast little guy (Okay, maybe it’s a girl, but it’s hard for me to picture a salamander as a female for some reason.) and it was hard to get him stopped long enough for a clear shot. I call this one close enough.
Look up. Look down. Is that a Bald Eagle flying over? Shhhh, that’s a bear asleep in that tree. Don’t miss out on the little things.
Additional Tips:
Here’s a list of “little things” to photograph in Cades Cove:
Trees, leaves and limbs. Look for something out of the ordinary, such as the hole in the tree pictured below.
Song birds, crows, chipmunks and squirrels.
Frost and frozen mud puddles.
Butterflies, bees and insects.
Flowers, nuts and berries.
Spider webs. Animal tracks. Barbwire.
The cemetery as seen through the historic church window.
An old rusty lock on one of the historical buildings.
I framed this picture I took at the Becky Cable farmstead in Cades Cove of a hinge made out of two horseshoes. We have it hanging in our living room at Asbury Cottage 2. It’s a neat photo, but not something you’d ordinarily photograph in Cades Cove. Think creatively.
Where is your favorite spot? If you have some suggestions for great photography opportunities or would like some additional ideas for photography spots in and around Pigeon Forge and the Great Smoky Mountains, send me an email or shoot me a message on Facebook!
I hope you enjoyed the tips! I would love to hear from you and see some of your photos from the Great Smoky Mountains!
See you in the Cove,
Connie
Here are some of my other favorite photography spots:
LeConte Center
Pigeon Forge River Walk
Henderson Chapel Baptist Church/Shiloh Cemetery
Flowers and flowering trees at Pigeon Forge businesses
Downtown Sevierville/Sevierville Courthouse/Dolly Parton statue
Read 4 Best Photography Spots in Pigeon Forge
