Park tops with photo bugs

GSMNP makes
photographer’s top nine spring list

Impressive photos in America’s national parks notes Great Smoky Mountains National Park as one of nine across the U.S. that are “perfect for a springtime getaway.”
Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Everglades National Park in Florida are the only two on the list east of the Mississippi. The other seven are big-scenery parks in Arizona, California, Texas and Utah.
The book, “AAA’s National Park Photography,” is by nature photographer Tim Fitzharris, who has been capturing nature on film since 1971. He writes a monthly column in Popular Photography & Imaging Magazine.
“The scenic beauty of the Smokies always ranks among the top reasons people visit Pigeon Forge, and Fitzharris’s endorsement of visiting in springtime rings true,” said Leon Downey, executive director of the Pigeon Forge Department of Tourism. “It’s always encouraging when one of our region’s great treasures, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, receives high praise.”
In particular, Fitzharris notes that the progression of wildflowers through the spring makes the park appealing to photographers this time of year.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with more than nine million visitors a year, regularly is ranked as America’s most popular national park.
The book focuses on 21 of America’s 388 national parks.
Although Fitzharris cites springtime visits to the Smokies, the book’s cover photo is a fall foliage shot that shows a photographer on the edge of a Smoky Mountains trout stream.