Here are some preliminary photos from the Shenandoah photo workshop, held just over a week ago at the Iris Inn in Waynesboro, Virginia.

First up is the iconic Ravens Roost shot, just a few miles south on the Blue Ridge Parkway, featuring the “most photographed tree on the Blue Ridge Parkway” (according to a photographer friend who lives in that area). As the sun neared the line of the distant ridges, our group was joined by quite a few others who were looking for a good sunset photo, including the young couple who snagged a perch just below the rocks, and under the tree. Seemingly oblivious to the small army of photographers trying to capture an image without anyone in it, they were not about to leave so others could get the photo they wanted, I decided to embrace the opportunity, and created Lovebirds Roost.

Rotating 90 degrees to the left, (actually a few moments earlier than the above image), the sun made some great colors in the sky, and created the layers of mountain ranges the area is known for. Below is Blue Ridge Sunset.

And the next morning we were up early for sunrise, driving north in the darkness to be at Trayfoot Overlook on Skyline Drive for sunrise. Below is Trayfoot Sunrise.

On the way back to the inn after sunrise, we came around a turn on Skyline Drive to find a mother black bear shepherding her two cubs across the road. Since I was driving, I wasn’t able to get off a shot, but one of our participants, Randy Bass, was able to grab a couple of quick shots. Here is one of them: