10/14/16 Featured Arkansas Landscape Photography–Sunrise from the summit of Mt. Magazine

A view to the south from the summit of Mt Magazine, highest point in Arkansas

Taken with a Nikon D810 and 14-24 Lens, @ 24mm in 3 vertical shots, stitched together in Lightroom

The view from the summit of Mt. Magazine offers some amazing vistas, and one of the best is looking out to the due south towards Blue Mt. Lake and Blue Mountain behind it.  This shot was taken last year, in late October and I was able to catch the rising sun hitting the rock and old tree in the foreground.  Mt. Magazine is the highest place in Arkansas and has a lot to offer the visitor.  There is a wonderful lodge where you can spend the night and enjoy a great meal after hiking around on some of the trails.  The area is also a favorite for rock climbing and hang gliding.

I like to work this particular spot on Mt. Magazine year round, but the spring and fall are my favorite times.  The sun will only come into the frame during December and January, but you can still get great photographs during the rest of the year.  The play of light is amazing here.

Mt. Magazine’s summit is 2,700 feet high, and is the highest place in Arkansas.  You can see for many miles off in pretty much any direction.  The lodge offers a higher vantage point so when you visit make sure stop by.

The view from Mt. Magazine’s north side is just as impressive, so make a point of driving over to that side also.  There is a one way drive which has several pull outs for viewing.  During the fall you can expect a lot of traffic and a bit of congestion, especially during the weekends.  The lodge will be booked up a year in advance for the best dates in the fall so plan accordingly.

This image was taken with aid of a tripod, in 3 vertical segments with a Nikon D810 and 14-24 lens.  I used the 24mm focal length and F8 with the base ISO.  I did not use a polarizer since I was panning across the scene and knew that would cause problems with composition later. I used Lightroom to work on the raw files, and also to make the panorama.  The fall colors were just a few days before peak when this image was taken.