SUNDAY MORNING ON THE SKYWAY, PART III

Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XS, Tamron 28-80 lens @ 28mm, ISO 100, 3 Exposure HDR @ f/14

  Where the Cherohala Skyway begins in Tellico Plains, TN there are several little rental cabins and homes that sit on the Tellico River.  One such group of riverside homes is Telliquah. Telliquah's entrance is this covered bridge. I love the rock foundation and red wood frame of this bridge.  Even the black iron gate is very cool.
  I took these brackets on the same Sunday morning jaunt that I took Sunday Morning On the Skyway and Sunday Morning On the Skyway Part II. The morning was beautiful because of the puffy white clouds, bright blue sky, and the 4 or 5 inches of snow still hanging around on the Skyway.
  I had photographed this bridge from almost this exact same angle back in the late summer.  The HDR image I got from it previously was very colorful but it was early in my experiences with HDR so I ended up oversaturating the sky in the shot and in tune was not inclined to post on the blog.
  My first intentions to shoot on this morning were to wade out into the river and get a full front on shot of the bridge with the water breaking over ice/snow covered rocks in the foreground. I knew exactly what I wanted.  The river was not very cooperative, however.  The depth of the river was only about knee deep but the current was incredible.  I had to use my tripod as a brace against the current to keep from falling over.  Combine that with the slick, water worn rocks that made footholds and there was no way I could get to my desired vantage point. This entrance is gated and locked to anyone but customers so unless you are renting you can't cross it to the other side on the bridge. I did get some shots from the same side in more shallow water, but it just wasn't what I wanted.
  After I gave up on getting to my desired spot I took some shots under the bridge and then moved out to the road where I gauged up the composition in the shot above. It's amazing at how much I really love the way the snow forces colors like red to pop out at you. I really like the texture of the wood grain on the facade and postings as well.
  I have a feeling that there will be more trips to this spot in the future. With the trees and foliage surrounding the bridge and river a shot in every season may be in order.