(HDR image of a vineyard and woods beyond in full fall regalia.) We arrived at Mountainrose in late morning after a beautiful, scenic ascent through Virginia coal country, through gorgeous farmland and glorious fall foliage. The trees were already at their peak and the fresh mountain wind was already beginning to denude the colorful woods. It was mostly overcast up in the hill country that day; for much of the day we had a glowering, dramatic sky (threatening, but never actually raining on us) — but every once in a while the fresh wind would rip away the cloud cover to briefly reveal a brilliant blue sky.
Oct 16, 2010 | Categories: Land & Air, thePhotoTourist, Virginia Wine In My Pocket | Tags: autumn, autumn foliage, color, colorful, colors, fall, fall colors, fall foliage, foliage, forest, hill, hills, IMP, In My Pocket, Mountainrose, Mountainrose Vineyards, tree, trees, VA, VA Wine, VA Wine In My Pocket, VAWineInMyPocket, vineyard, vineyards, Virginia, Virginia Wine, Virginia Wine In My Pocket, Virginia Winery, wine, winery, wood, Woods | Leave A Comment »
(HDR image of fence and fields at sunset, in Fincastle VA.) Yesterday evening we found ourselves in Fincastle, Virginia, rolling up near closing time at Fincastle Vineyards and Winery (also a B&B). Nancy hurried into the tasting room, hoping we weren’t too late. I had to pause. The long rays of the sunset light brought extra warmth and glow to the early fall scene, turning the white picket fence a little yellow and emphasizing the occasional fall yellow or maroon reds (not yet at full glory, but just a little more dramatic for their sudden appearance in a landscape that is still mostly green).
Oct 13, 2010 | Categories: Land & Air, thePhotoTourist, Virginia Wine In My Pocket | Tags: 2010, autumn, B&B, barn, bed and breakfast, bright, bright & sunny, countryside, daylight, evening, fall, fence, Fences, field, fields, Fincastle, Fincastle B&B, Fincastle Bed and Breakfast, Fincastle Vineyard, Fincastle Vineyard and Winery, Fincastle Vineyards, Fincastle Winery, food, forest, forested, geotagged, grape vines, grapes, guide, HDR, IMP, In My Pocket, In My Pocket Guide, landscape, pasture, shed, sun, sunny, sunshine, trees, United States, US, USA, VA, VA Wine, VA Wine In My Pocket, valley, VAWineInMyPocket, VAWineInMyPocket2010, view, views, vineyard, Virginia, Virginia Wine, Virginia Wine In My Pocket, wine, winery, wooded, Woods | 3 Comments »
(HDR image of ripening grapes on the vine) We visited Pollak Vineyards on a bright, sunny day in late July. The grapes on the vines had just turned purple. In the bright sun I had a challenge to capture the light on the grapes and bringing out their color while managing the dark shadows and very bright highs of the sunlit vines. The HDR shot turned out best, giving truly the sense of how bright and vibrant those wine grapes were.
Sep 17, 2010 | Categories: Land & Air, thePhotoTourist, Virginia Wine In My Pocket | Tags: bunch, bunch of grapes, grape bunches, grape vine, grape vines, grapes, HDR, high dynamic range, IMP, Pollak, Pollak Vineyards, purple, ripe, ripening, VA, VA Wine, VA Wine IMP, VA Wine In My Pocket, VAWineInMyPocket.com, veraison, vine, vines, vineyard, Virginia, Virginia Wine, Virginia Wine In My Pocket, wine, winery | Leave A Comment »
Photo taken on the back porch outside the second-floor tasting room at Sharp Rock Vineyards on a very hot and bright day in July. I loved the wood tones inside the porch. The empty old porch was to my eye beautiful and contrasty as it as lit by the sunlight washing in through the open side that overlooked vineyards, but the bright sunlight glare from outside made getting the right exposure a challenge.
Sep 11, 2010 | Categories: Land & Air, thePhotoTourist, Virginia Wine In My Pocket | Tags: 150 wineries in 150 days, 150 wineries tour, antique, bright, deck, furniture, HDR, high dynamic range, IMP, In My Pocket, Nikon, Photomatix, PhotoMatix Pro, Photoshop, porch, Ratcliff, shade, Sharp Rock, Sharp Rock Vineyards, Sharp Rock Winery, Sharp Rock Winery and Vineyard, Stuckincustoms, sunny, tour, Trey Ratcliff, tutorial, VA, VA Wine, VAWineInMyPocket, VAWineInMyPocket.com, view, vineyard, Virginia, Virginia Wine, Virginia Wine In My Pocket, wineries, winery, wood | Leave A Comment »
Every Fourth of July Nancy and I invite a group of friends and neighbors to cruise on a deckboat on Lake Thoreau at sunset, to watch the evening’s impromptu celebrations of Independence Day. Enormous, professional-grade starburst shells go off overhead as bottle rockets inscribe arcs over or between the boats. The whole thing is spontaneous and unplanned. Our music was a mashup of Sousa marches and patriotic country. This is America’s birthday, lake-style.
Jul 10, 2010 | Categories: Land & Air, thePhotoTourist | Tags: 2010, 4 July, 4 July 2010, 4th, 4th of July, 7-4-2010, 7/4/2010, barge, boat, Boating, boats, Celebration, Celebration Fun, countryside, deck boat, Deckboat, fireworks, Fourth of July, geotagged, HDR, Independence Day, July, July 4, July4th2010, lake, Lake Thoreau, Lakewinds, landscape, lights, national day, party, party barge, Patriotic, People, Reston, South Lakes, summer, Thoreau, United States, US, USA, VA, view, views, Virginia | Leave A Comment »
