A Gentle Mountain Stream in the Great Smoky Mountains

Mountain Stream

A mountain stream gently flows through the Great Smoky Mountains near the Alum Cave Bluffs Trailhead. According to the map, this stream is known as Walker Camp Prong, if you are curious.

We crossed this stream just beyond the parking area for the Alum Cave Trailhead. When we first saw it, it was a sign of the natural beauty that was ahead of us. However, in this case, it was a sign that we were almost back to our car. And to the somewhat primitive restroom that was at the trailhead, too, which was a welcome sight. Yes, I took this photo after we had hiked the trail. Of course, I had taken photos of it when we started out, too. But I liked this photo the best.

A bridge crosses the stream, and for this photo, I was standing right in the center of the bridge. So no, you don’t have to cross the stream by hopping on rocks. You can cross safely on the bridge. And the bridge gives you a nice place to take a photo of the stream without getting your feet wet, too. However, after all of the walking that we had done, putting our feet in the cool water might have felt pretty nice.

See more photos from our visit at the Great Smoky Mountains page.

Another View

As you probably know, I am not the kind of guy who can take just one photo. So here is another, similar view of the mountain stream from the same bridge. I had zoomed in a bit for this view, while the first photo is the wider angle view. For the record, I prefer the first photo. But I like this one, too, so I thought I would include it as well. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then two pictures are worth two thousand words, right? But because I do not get paid by the word, that doesn’t really matter, does it?

Bible Verse

“Peace, peace, to the far and to the near,” says the Lord, “and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.” - Isaiah 57:19-21

About the Photos

I worked with the colors a good bit in these photos. The final versions almost have a fall look to them, as the leaves have a definite yellow tint. However, these photos were taken in the middle of the summer, and the leaves were very much green. But I felt that the green color took some of the focus away from the stream, which I wanted to be the central focal point of the photo. So I adjusted the green and yellow tones just a bit to get what you see above.

I have not done one of these in a while, but here is a before-and-after comparison. The straight-out-of-the-camera version is on the left, and the processed version is on the right. This gives an idea of the color shift mentioned above.

Photo: Each photo is a single Raw exposure, processed in Luminar AI. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Sony Alpha A7 II
_Lens: _ Sony FE 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Lens
Date: July 19, 2021
Location: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee