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Take the Exit: A new addition to my blog for those who like to wander!

@carriehanrahanphotography 3 Comments

As a travel photographer and writer, I spot so many signs along the roads I drive that lead to the most interesting places. The world is filled with crazy roadside attractions, historic sites, amazing cities and towns, incredible restaurants, an abundance of natural beauty and so much more. I try to fit in as many of these places as possible since I am always intrigued by what could be waiting for me when I get there.

I tend to be a wanderer when I travel, and have often found that the next spot I stop is more amazing than my last. I find so many interesting places as I explore while making my way to my next destination that I really am the person behind the saying, “Not all who wander are lost”. I could never be lost if my next exit takes me to something incredible.

Could you be a “Take the Exit” explorer?  I admit that the concept of just stopping at random sites on the way to your destination may sound a little crazy and not appeal to everyone, but just imagine what you might miss.  Doesn’t everyone want to see the world’s largest Strawberry, taste some incredible wine, learn amazing history or be wowed by a beautiful town or city? Today’s blog includes a random set of sites I have seen while traveling to give a taste of the types of places that I have found while just taking the exit. I’ll also include some tips and tricks to becoming a take the exit explorer.

A geologists paradise with millions of years of the earth’s history is found in the Early Castle Valley and the San Rafael Plateau and Swell in Utah!

Small Towns are the best! You never know what crazy sites you may see or the incredible history that lies behind the making of a small town.

Strawberry Point, Iowa has the world’s largest strawberry! This15 foot fiberglass sculpture sits in front of city hall for a town named after its abundance of wild strawberries in the area.

How do you like to take trips and explore? Are you a planner or do you fly by the seat of your pants? It really doesn’t matter if you like to plan your “Take the Exit” trips or if they are just random stops. You may want to see as many road side attractions or visit as many cities as you can, just be sure that you keep your childlike wonder alive and explore!

Are National Parks your thing? The National Park Service includes an amazing array of places to visit and includes historic sites, parkways, battle fields, monuments, sea shores and many others. You can search by type, by state or region or as you are driving down the highway keep an eye out for the brown National Park Service signs and just “Take the Exit”.

The incredible Blue Ridge Parkway that runs from Virginia to North Carolina has many turn-offs and overlooks to explore with the most amazing views.
Imagine enjoying a view of Looking Glass Rock from the Blue Ridge Parkway!

There are many memorials and monuments that can be found along the roads throughout the United States. Some of these have signs, some may not, but all are worth stopping at. These tend to be spur of the moment spots for me as I notice them as I pass by. I have learned so much about an area or its’ people by just stopping for a minute and exploring the site.

Blackfeet Indian Memorial outside Glacier National Park in Babb, Montana

Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C

Do you love history as much as I do? I take every exit I can that leads me to explore more about our country and the people who live here. From coast to coast there are amazing stories that we can learn by just taking the exit and discovering what our history is about.

I was stunned by the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument in St. Augustine, Florida

Has all this exploring gotten you hungry? One of my top “Take the Exit” destinations will lead you and your stomach to amazing restaurants, coffee shops, food trucks, wineries and tons of other places to satisfy your hunger.

I found some wonderful treats at Ferch’s Beachside Grille on the shores of Lake Michigan

Still wondering if you could be a “Take the Exit” explorer? Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make the most of your roadtrip travels.

  1. Don’t be in a hurry– Make the most of your side trips by giving yourself enough time to enjoy the exit you have taken. You won’t discover anything new or exciting if you feel hurried.
  2. Be curious– go into an area with an open mind and the desire to discover something new.
  3. Don’t research an area before you take the exit– Having the opportunity to see something for the first time is a gift, let yourself be wowed by the moment.
  4. Listen to the other people in your car– So the exit doesn’t sound that exciting to you, but if it has drawn the attention of someone else give it a chance.
  5. Take along a “Take the Exit” notebook– I always have a notebook in the car to write down signs that I pass that interest me. I may not be able to stop at everyplace on this trip, but I know that on a return trip I will have plenty of places to explore.

I encourage you to always “Take the Exit” for the next sign that intrigues you, because where you end up may be the most amazing place you have ever been.

Do you have a favorite “Take the Exit” location you have visited? If so, please leave details of your trip in the comments below. I look forward to seeing where your travels have taken you.

Call of the Elk in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of North Carolina

@carriehanrahanphotography 1 Comment

As fall approaches, magical things happen from the Cataloochee Valley to the Oconaluftee  Visitor’s Center in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park of North Carolina. While the warm summer days begin to have a gentle coolness and the greens of the forest change to a stunning lush red, yellow and orange, the most incredible wildlife ritual begins. If you have never experienced the Elk mating season, called rut, it is worth every effort to get up in the dark, drive a remote gravel road and venture into the Cataloochee Valley of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and then by dusk make your way through Maggie Valley to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center near Cherokee to continue viewing this amazing spectacle.

Among the incredible beauty of the 6000-foot peaks that surround the Cataloochee Valley bull elk fight for dominance and leadership of the herd. While a hazy mist settles in the early dawn light, you hear a rustling, a snort and a shadow emerges followed by a hauntingly beautiful, eerie bugle. You notice more shadows on the valley floor and become captivated by the delicate dance between the cows and the bull elk as he tries to attract a female.

He sends a mesmerizing call as he follows a cow through the deep grass, but becomes distracted as another bull enters the meadow and slowly approaches to see if he can make the heard his own. The two eye each other from a distance and then the young male charges toward the older bull to chase him off. Determined to seek dominance, the older bull stands his ground while the other snorts and charges toward him again, after a brief moment, he decides to walk away and leave fighting for the herd to another day. This pattern occurs many times during the fall months and at times can become quite intense as the elk fight antler to antler for dominance. The elk courtship continues and when the bull has eventually mated with his harem they retreat to the woods for the winter. 

The elk herd was reintroduced to the park in 2001 and live mainly in a valley that was once home to 1200 people in the 19th century. Taking the time to explore the valley floor is like stepping back in time as you walk through their homes, farms, churches and schools. There are also trails that lead through the lush forest, past creeks and to even more remote properties. Amazing history lies in the Cataloochee Valley and is worth a day of exploration.

Fall season engulfs the white Palmer Chapel in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Caldwell Place is nestled in the forest of the Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina.

If you haven’t spent the whole day in the valley or have stayed overnight, head out of the valley toward Maggie Valley and then continue for a stunning drive to the Oconaluftee Visitor’s Center, near Cherokee, NC, to arrive just before dusk to experience another herd of elk as the love affair continues. The visitors center offers a much different experience for viewing as a gateway entrance into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Many people here will stop roadside for viewing as they block off one lane for vehicles, while others will park at the visitors center to view the field nearby. The most incredible moment of my day occurred as I walked the River Trail and watched the elk as they drank and lounged on the opposite river banks.

Bull elk bugling during rut season in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park,
Brilliant fall colors surround the river that runs near the Oconaluftee Visitor Center
Making eye contact from a distance added to the magic of the day!

These majestic animals appeared so serene as they stayed just out of distance of the visitors and enjoyed their National Park. Elk viewing can be a once in a lifetime experience that shouldn’t be missed and will be remembered forever.

For more information on the Cataloochee Valley visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park website at https://www.nps.gov/grsm/planyourvisit/cataloochee.htm

For more information on the Oconaluftee Visitor’s Center area head to https://www.greatsmokies.com/oconaluftee/

For more information on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park head to https://www.nps.gov/grsm/index.htm

Are you Brave in your Photography Journey?

@carriehanrahanphotography 2 Comments

Are you brave in your photography journey? I don’t mean like jumping off a cliff into the ocean brave, but if that’s your thing by all means go for it. “Brave,” as defined by Merriam-Webster, is having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty: having or showing courage. As a photographer, you are probably brave and don’t realize it. I often find that photographers often have difficulty in one or more aspects of their photography journey. This can be anything from choosing gear to camera settings to determining when the light is right and so much more.

I have had many roadblocks over the course of my photography career. I have struggled to learn new equipment when changing from Sony to Fujifilm. Learning how new equipment works is both scary and daunting. I have had many frustrating days trying to understand why my images haven’t turned out how I wanted, and I learned that it was crucial that I take the time to dive in and really understand my camera. Every day is a new challenge, but I have faced it head on and have found the challenge to be fun.

Being brave can also mean trying something over and over again until you get the image you want. I love flower and bird photography, but admit that I struggle with getting the right focus, lighting and composition in my images. I decided to invest my time and money in a KelbyOne subscription (https://kelbyone.com/) and took courses on bird photography. I knew that without some training I would just continue to take subpar photos and be frustrated, so I decided to be brave and invest in myself and keep trying over and over again to become a better photographer. By the way, I have no affiliation with KelbyOne, but have learned so much through the website that I just needed to share it.

You can be brave in so many areas of your photography. Choosing what to shoot is always a challenge for me since I really love to take pictures of everything. My head is always spinning around when I’m hiking in nature or driving in a city. Everything to me looks like a picture that needs to be taken. Being ok with taking pictures that you love, but others may not is definitely being brave. As someone who sells their work I am always thinking about what my customer may like, but that doesn’t stop me from also taking images that speak to me. I am always hoping that there is someone out there that enjoys all the unique and quirky images that I create.

Working outside of your comfort zone or even your zip code can be a scary concept for many people. I feel brave every time I decide to travel to a new place or in a new way to create my images. I recently chose to travel to St. Kitts and it was the best experience ever. I was able to see incredible scenery, meet wonderful people and experience a part of the world that I hadn’t seen before. This has sparked a new desire to see more of what is in the United States. To embark on this journey, I have decided to take multi-week journeys to different areas while camping along the way. While this could be scary and intimidating, I chose to be brave and jump right in to explore and create incredible images along the way.

So, are you brave in your photography journey? If you have had the mental or moral strength to face danger, fear or difficulty while learning and pursuing your craft you are in fact brave. Be proud of what you do and celebrate the warrior in you! Please share your times of being brave in your photography journey and help keep us all inspired.

What’s my photography genre and do I really need one?

@carriehanrahanphotography 4 Comments

I recently had the opportunity to photograph two different genres outside of my comfort zone, a baseball game and bicycle parts. I certainly don’t believe these to be a part of my regular shooting style since I consider myself to be a landscape, travel and wildlife photographer. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed taking a chance and seeing what I was capable of with these new assignments.

I have a problem though, I really enjoy shooting all kinds of different things. Is that an issue for a photographer? It sure can be when I try to market my professional work and it covers so many genres. I struggle to niche down to just one or a few areas to sell. You can’t shoot a little bit of everything and still be a professional, right? Most people would say no, but I’m not so sure. On my journey into making photography my life, I find myself struggling over and over again with “what’s my photography genre and do I really need one?” Should I have a particular subject type that I am known to photograph and if I don’t will I get lost among all the other photographers out there?

From research I have done on this topic, I have come to believe that having a niche as a photographer is important for promoting your work. If you want to monetize photography then it helps to be known as a specialist in a certain genre of work. A hobbyist has the luxury of shooting all the things they enjoy and have a great time doing it. As a professional be sure to narrow down your niche to something that you love, not just because it will sell. If that’s the case, then you may find yourself not enjoying your work in a year or two. If you really can’t narrow it down, then start researching different avenues to sell your work. You are able to have multiple niches if you are using them in different ways.

To solve my problem I have started to stretch myself beyond fine art photography to find uses for the large variety of images that I like to create. There are a number of markets that if you are willing to put in the time and effort may be worth your while. Over the past couple of years I have been putting images on stock photography websites https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/209346323/Carrie. While these may not be big income sources, it has given me a place to market photos that I hope others can use. I supply a large variety of images to https://rvlife.com/magazine and have also started to write for www.rvdestinationsmagazine.com as a travel photographer. While writing isn’t my strong suit, I was willing to put myself out there and give it a try so that I could share pictures of the awesome places I travel to.

So I return to the question I started with, “What’s my photography genre and do I really need one? I know that I can’t stop shooting what I love, which happens to be almost everything. I will continue to photograph different subjects that push my creative mind knowing that I can find different outlets for my work. I will always be a fine art photographer first, but am thrilled to have found other ways to use my photos. I am happy with my working plan for now and can’t wait to see what the future brings.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject. Please post comments below.