“Because in the end you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb the Mountain.”
Beacon Heights (Parkway mile 305.2) 30-45 min Roundtrip hike, No restrooms
Whether you’re here for a family session, engagement session, as a graduating senior, surprise proposal, extended family, anniversary or you’d like head shots, there are several things to consider in your photography location. If you’re here on vacation to see the mountains, you’ll likely want to incorporate those in the background, but not all locations have easy access. If you live here and see the mountains every day, maybe you’d be more into a waterfall, also a more difficult access. If you’ve got 30 people to organize and at least half of them are not into the idea of shooting at all, maybe the driveway at your rental cabin will be just fine so long as everyone shows up. Whatever your situation, I’m happy to help you navigate what’s best for you.
Moses Cone Memorial Park (Parkway mile 294) No hike, Paved Sidewalks, Restrooms.
Time of day
I will forever be an advocate for Golden Hour. That can be first 90 minutes of the day after the sun rises, or the last 90 before it sets. In the best conditions on a perfect day, you cannot beat light which is flattering in every way possible. Blue hour just before/after can also add a unique light to your images. If the sky is cloudy, really any time of day will look about the same, so we can be flexible if it’s calling for rain at a certain time. That said, our schedules don’t always align to make this time possible. If that’s the case I’ll help you navigate a location in the best lighting possible. Capturing the moment is more important than the light or the location.
Rough Ridge (Parkway Mile 302.8) 45-60 min Roundtrip Hike, No restrooms
Tourists/Parking
Many of the more popular locations such as Rough Ridge above are EXTREMELY crowded in the fall, on weekends and at sunset. As such I will always advise against these locations during these times. If you’re open to a different time of year/week and open to sunrise, we can certainly try it then.
Season
Depending on the time of year the sun will rise and set at drastically different times. I will help you plan accordingly. If you’d like snow, that is definitely possible, but only about 5-10 days out of the year. You have to be on my waiting list and ready to shoot usually within 24 hours notice. Sometimes the forecast is accurate, sometimes we get rain or sleet and have to reschedule. We both have to be super flexible.
Various Locations Downtown Banner Elk.
The age/size of your crew
If this is an engagement session, the sky is the limit. If we’re talking 30 people of all generations, shapes and sizes, I will happily advise you on the locations that will accommodate you best. Moses Cone and the various town parks tend to be best if your home is not well suited. You will know your crew better than me though, if everyone is down for a hike, like Roan Mountain below, you know I am.
Roan Mountain, Carver’s Gap. Tennessee Border. As little as 5 min, as much as the entire Appalachian Trail. Restrooms.
“Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure”
Not everything will go perfectly… and that’s perfectly fine. If it rains we will adapt. If you’re running behind, don’t let it ruin your day, I'm so easy going, I’m happy to get work done on my phone while I wait. If the dress doesn’t fit perfectly, maybe send me a quick photo of what’s wrong with it before you switch outfits, chances are I can fix it in photoshop. All that to say, if you just show up, as you are, willing to have a new experience, we will have a great time and make some memories no matter the circumstances. But if you show up stressed out, with various expectations of exactly how everything will play out… chances are you will be disappointed.
Below we have 5 different surprise proposals at Grandfather Mountain (and a wedding). The winds at the wedding were so strong, her dress blew over her head three times. We all just laughed it off and kept shooting and they have a ton of fun blooper photos. Three of the summer couples made it to Calloway Peak for their wedding proposal as intended, no problems. The other two autumn/spring couples had hoped to hike the peak but got major fog, rain or ice that day and we had to stick to the bridge for safety. All turned out beautifully of course and she still said yes ;)
So let’s just agree to show up as our most authentic selves and see what kind of adventure we can have. :)
Grandfather Mountain Bridge + Ladders Trail to McRae Peak. 5min to Bridge. 45-60min each way to peak. Restrooms. $30 admission.
Below are a few other popular locations for a photoshoot in Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk and elsewhere in the High Country.
Watauga Lake. Just over the Tennessee border. Several inputs with restrooms. BYO Canoe.
Surprise Proposal at Linville Falls Winery, Banner Elk Winery and Grandfather Mountain Winery.
Flat Rock (Parkway Mile 308.3) Further south, but usually far less crowded. 30min round trip hike. No restrooms.
Otter Falls in Seven Devils. 45-60 min round trip hike, pretty steep. No restrooms.
Brown Mountain Beach Resort. Lenoir. Appointment only. Minimal hiking. Restrooms on site. (You should totally stay in one of their YURTS!)
Arborcrest Gardens. Downtown Boone. Appointment Only. As little as 5min walking, as much as 90, pending preference. Restrooms.
McRae Meadows at the base of Grandfather Mountain. No hike. No restrooms.
An unnamed field at the top of Beech Mountain Near the Pinnacle Inn. No hike. No restrooms. Parking for only 2-3 cars.
The Mill Pond in Downtown Banner Elk. No hike, just walking over these rocks. No restrooms.
The Blowing Rock. Paved sidewalks, no hike. Restrooms. $9 admission.
Mountain Magic Resort. LOTS of fun options here, but you need to rent one of their Airbnbs for the night. Totally worth it.
Hawksbill. 2-3 hour roundtrip. 4x4 needed to get to trailhead. Portapotty at trailhead. Parking for less than 10 cars.
If you’d like tips on other hikes in the High Country Area just let me know! I am familiar with most of them, just may not have captured a photoshoot there.
Compression falls in the iphone photo below, for example, is one of the most difficult short hikes in the area, requiring ropes to climb the very steep bank down, but the epic waterfall is worth it. You’d just have to change clothes and dry off all the sweat and mud after the hike before photos. So you might be better off just bringing your bathing suit and cooler and enjoying the day. Save the photoshoot for another time. (no restrooms there btw)
Counter Clockwise: Laurel Fork Falls, Tennessee. 60-90min round trip. No restrooms. Very steep. Crab Orchard Falls Valle Crucis. 45-60min round trip. No restrooms. Compression Falls 60-90min round trip. No restrooms. Very steep with ropes. 4x4 recommended for parking. No restrooms.
This local girl loves each and every location up here and I’ll be happy to guide you to any of them. (or experience them for the first time with you if you’ve found something new to me!) You can contact me here, or find me on instagram at @cynthiajviola.
