Get tips from a photographer who has spent much time capturing the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains in pictures. 
Film
When shooting transparencies or slides, my film of choice is Fuji Velvia. It has vibrant color saturation and shows no noticeable grain. However, it is a very slow film and requires use of a tripod to keep your images sharp. Kodak's Ektachrome E100VS is also an excellent film when shooting slides and gives you twice the film speed of Velvia.
When using print film, I recommend shooting Kodak's 100 or 200 speed films. Print films provide greater exposure latitude than slide films making them more ideal for general use.
Filters
Capturing bright fall colors on film can be greatly enhanced through the use of either a warming or a polarizing filter. A warming filter casts a warm hue over the entire scene, thus enhancing yellow, orange, red and brown tones in your photos. A polarizing filter will reduce unwanted glare that commonly appears on leaves and on the surface of streams, rivers, and lakes. A polarizing filter will also deepen blue skies and better define clouds.
Weather
Though sunny days usually attract more leaf-lookers, overcast days can actually result in better photographs. Cloud cover allows light to be scattered which eliminates unwanted shadows and allows for greater color saturation. Overcast and even rainy days are ideal conditions for shooting waterfalls, streams, and hiking trails in deep forest areas. Time of Day
Lighting is usually most dramatic during early morning or early evening hours. Among the most accessible places to see good light from both the rising and setting sun are Waterrock Knob on the Blue Ridge Parkway and Clingman's Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Composition
When composing your photograph try putting something of visual appeal in the foreground. A carefully placed boulder, tree, leaf, or person can add great depth to your images.
J. Scott Graham's dramatic images display a skillful observation of nature and passionate artistic vision that have earned him recognition as one of America’s premier landscape photographers.
His new book, Traveling the Blue Ridge Parkway: A Guide to America's Most Scenic Drive, along with Graham's other products are available through The Asheville Shop, or by visiting his Web site at www.jscottgraham.com.
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