Whatcha Lookin’ At?

Have you ever pulled into an overlook in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and gazed across the distance at the rippling mountain peaks and wondered, what are the names of all those mountains? How far away are they? Do they have stories to tell?

Tim Barnwell’s new book, Great Smoky Mountains Vistas: A Guide, with Mountain Peak Identifications, for What to See and Do In and Around the National Park, can help you answer those questions. Great Smoky Mountain Vistas follows on the heels of Barnwell’s best-selling Blue Ridge Parkway Vistas and is written in a similar vein. It not only names the peaks you are viewing but gives you compass headings, distance, and elevation of those peaks. It also highlights towns, roads, rivers, and other landmarks one can see from the overlook. But it does even more—this stunningly beautiful book is chockfull of in-depth articles about attractions and activities like landmarks, hiking trails, events, campsites, and more associated with the vistas, plus the area’s natural and cultural history.

Barnwell is an acclaimed photographer and author from Asheville. Besides authoring five books he has provided principal photography for a number of others and his photography has graced the pages of Time, Newsweek, House Beautiful, Sky and Telescope, Smithsonian, Mother Jones, Outdoor Photographer and a litany of others. Barnwell’s photography hangs in permanent collections at the Metropolitan Museum, New Orleans Museum of Art, High Museum of Art, Greenville County Museum of Art, Asheville Art Museum, Newark Museum, Lumiere Gallery in Atlanta and more.

Smoky Mountain Living talked with Barnwell about this newest endeavor—Great Smoky Mountains Vistas.

SML: What was the genesis for Great Smoky Mountains Vistas?

Barnwell: I originally intended to do the Smokies with the Blue Ridge vistas, but it quickly became apparent there was just too much information. I wanted to create something unique. Peak identification is certainly challenging and rewarding, but I wanted to put it into a bigger context to make it more interesting to a greater number of people. I’ve been traveling these mountains all my life creating thousands of images and collecting thousands of stories and I wanted to bring the two together.

Besides being a beautiful book, Great Smoky Mountains Vistas is full of history and things to do associated with the vistas. From an artistic/storytelling perspective how do these two facets mesh and/or enhance each other? 

The photos, because they represent factual things—the peaks—have to be literal representations and that doesn’t leave a lot of room for artistic interpretation. But I found through my astronomy photography that adding information makes the photo more interesting and appealing. A picture of the night sky might look pretty, but when you start to name the stars and constellations it immediately becomes more interesting. I think by adding information like the names of the peaks, and the history and folklore of the region, it helps bring these vistas, these photographs, alive and makes them much more interesting.

How long did the project take from start to finish?

It’s a little difficult to say because, like I said earlier, I originally intended to do both books [Blue Ridge Vistas and Great Smoky Mountains Vistas] as one project, so there is some overlap, but I would estimate that each project probably took five years to complete. These kinds of long-range vistas take near perfect weather conditions and being in the right place on the right day can be challenging. Then there are endless hours spent poring over topo maps and researching locations before I even begin writing, plus I have to earn a living while doing this, so it can get kinda drawn out.

How many peaks are in the book and how did you identify them?

I believe there are 42 pages and around 800 peaks. Identifying the peaks was a difficult and time-consuming process. After a lot of trial and error I decided on a couple of primary references—National Geographic Topo for mapping and USGS [U.S. Geological Survey] for elevation, but even then it was a painstaking process. I would start with the tallest peak and others I might know and using a 3-D component on the National Geographic software, plot the other peaks.

There is some cool aerial photography in the book. Can you talk a little about whom you partnered with for this and some of the logistics of aerial photography?

Philip Correll is a local pilot here in Asheville and we have worked together before. I have to take the lynchpin out of the passenger-side window to open it then I have to shoot back behind the plane. It takes a lot of coordination because Philip can’t see what I’m photographing. We may have to make several passes to get the right photo but we’ve become pretty good communicating with one another.

What are a couple of your favorite images from the book and why?

There are a lot of favorites, but a couple that come to mind are Mile High Overlook along Heintooga Ridge Road off the Blue Ridge Parkway and Clingmans Dome in the Smokies. I like Mile High because it offers a lot of different things to look at from some nearby mountains all the way out to Mt. Sterling and Clingmans Dome. And Mile High faces north providing good dimensional lighting in the morning and afternoon. And, of course, the 360-degree look from Clingmans Dome is really great. You can see the Blacks and Mt. Mitchell to the east and the north Georgia mountains to the south and southwest.

What would you like Smoky Mountain Living readers to know about Great Smoky Mountain Vistas?

I wanted to create a book that would motivate people to get outside and explore, to enjoy these mountains, and take more trips. I tried to create a book visitors and newcomers could use to learn about the area—its natural and cultural history—and at the same time make it detailed enough so even natives and long-time residents might gain new insights or new knowledge.

Is there another book in the works?

Yes, I am working on documenting shrimping and fishing in the Carolinas and Georgia. I am trying to document the whole process capturing the oral history plus going out and photographing from the shrimp boats. I have been up and down the coast from Fernandina Beach to the Outer Banks. And I’m also working on a book about “The Faces and Places of Cashiers Valley.”

To purchase Great Smoky Mountains Vistas, visit barnwellphoto.com.