I couldn’t have asked for a better day to explore the Tremont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The sunny skies I left in Gatlinburg shortly after sunrise quickly became overcast with drizzle and showers as I entered the park.

Thanks to the tips I got from Nye Simmons excellent photography guide to the park, I wasted no time getting to the upper reaches of the road along the Middle Prong of the Little River where this beautifully shaped dogwood tree stood gracefully on the opposite side of the stream. The rain settled to a drizzle as I poked along the bank searching for a pleasing composition. Soft light from the overcast sky lit the tree just enough to make for a green glow in the water. It wasn’t long before the rain started to come down harder and I quickly returned to my Jeep. I stopped back by this tree again later in the afternoon to try a few more compositions, but this remained my favorite of the bunch.

Click on the image to view a larger version in the galleries.