jon eakins photography

lunar eclipse

2011-05-07T08:00:00.006-04:00

This is a composite of several shots of a lunar eclipse on February 20, 2008

duke chapel

2011-05-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

Duke Chapel is a gothic-style church on the campus of Duke University.

crabtree falls

2011-05-01T08:00:00.009-04:00

Located at Crabtree Meadows on the Blue Ridge Parkway (MP 339.5). Crabtree Falls is a relatively easy hike to a 70 foot waterfall. This one was taken as the leaves were starting to change in October.

silence

2011-04-27T08:00:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite things is snow and one of the reasons I like snow so much is the peacefulness and quiet when its snowing, and when you can find a place to be out in it.

big bird

2011-04-24T08:00:00.001-04:00

This is the neighborhood's big bird. I think its a sharp-shinned hawk, but I'm not sure. This photo was taken after a pretty heavy May rain last year. His wing feathers are fanned out and look kind of like a cape. I suppose he was sitting there trying to dry out. Either that or he was waiting for lunch - that is a bluebird house he's sitting on...

frosty

2011-04-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

The cold days of winter have passed and the comfortable days of spring are starting to give way to the crummy hot days of summer. I took this photo in January on a frosty morning of a plant I think is called hens-and-chicks (Sempervivum tectorum).

flocks of finches at the feeder

2011-04-17T21:00:00.034-04:00

this spring, we have had lots more gold finches at our feeder than in the past. Today I got lots of shots of the gold finches and some others that frequent the feeder.

the feeder full of finches

We also have lots of carolina wrens which are unbelievably loud for their size. This guy had collected some hair or fibers or something from the door mat on the deck. I assume he was using it to build a nest.

We have 5 species of woodpeckers that visit from time to time. This one is a red-bellied woodpecker.

The ruby throated hummingbirds are back in town and found our feeder quickly after we put it up. One of these days I'm going to get a good shot of one through the deck doors from the kitchen.

the bottom of a tulip

2011-04-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

most people don't see the bottom of a tulip - so here's your chance...

spring snowflake

2011-04-09T08:00:00.003-04:00

Spring and macro lenses go together like a hand a glove. This is the first year I've had a macro lens so I'm looking forward to finding a few good macro shots this spring.

This is the spring snowflake (Leucojum vernum) at Duke Gardens

saucer magnolia

2011-04-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Spring is springing in the Raleigh area and these saucer magnolia trees are among the first to wave goodbye to winter and say hello to spring.

autumn sunset

2011-04-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

the sun was barely providing any light at the end of the day as we watched the sky turn colors to match the trees

oakwood cemetery in the fall

2011-03-30T08:00:00.001-04:00

Historic Oakwood Cemetery was founded in Raleigh 1869 and contains a section for Confederate soldiers.

flat iron building

2011-03-26T08:00:00.002-04:00

Part of the Asheville Urban Trail, this is a very conspicuous building near the Grove Arcade.

colorado blue spruce

2011-03-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

morning dew on a colorado blue spruce at the j.c. raulston arboretum

my favorite breakfast food of all time

2011-03-19T08:00:00.002-04:00

My very favorite breakfast food of all time is the egg and cheese with bacon on rosemary-olive oil bagel from the Bruegger's Bagels in Apex. For some reason, the other Brueggers locations don't taste the same.

pepper

2011-03-16T10:15:00.015-04:00

It has been a year since we had to say goodbye to our sweet, loving kitty Pepper, who had stomach cancer. I see the places she would perch, the windows she would sit in, the sunny spots she would sleep in, one food bowl where there were two, and I realize there is a small part of us that is missing. She was loved very much and is missed very much. She was our sweet little girl.

coastal redwood

2011-03-12T08:00:00.000-05:00

More common to California than North Carolina, this Coastal Redwood fares well in the NCSU Arboretum.

live oak

2011-03-08T11:55:00.000-05:00

There are lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of live oaks in Savannah. This one is in Franklin Square taken while we were waiting to eat at Vinnie Van Go-Go's.

homemade waffles

2011-03-03T08:00:00.002-05:00

Uber-yum.

"If there is anything I learned from Saturday morning cartoons, it is that anything can be 'part of a complete breakfast'."
- author unknown

lower cascades

2011-02-28T08:00:00.003-05:00

Lower Cascades is located in Hanging Rock State Park and is the largest and probably the most scenic of the waterfalls in the park. This photo was taken the same day I found this guy wandering across the trail to the waterfall.

first baptist church

2011-02-22T08:00:00.002-05:00

First Baptist Church was founded in 1812 but did not build the building at its current location until 1859. This is one of several churches that surround the NC Capitol building and is one of two churches with the name "First Baptist Church" - the other one is located at 101 South Wilmington Street.

bee on a purple coneflower

2011-02-19T10:30:00.000-05:00

Winter is starting to show signs of leaving, so I thought I'd post this classic summer shot. Coneflowers are a common summer flower around here and bees and coneflowers are good friends. This one was hanging out in my back yard.

overlook

2011-02-16T22:24:00.002-05:00

this shot was from an overlook on the blue ridge parkway looking the wrong way - away from the peaks and valleys below and towards the rock cut necessary to build the road.

dry falls

2011-02-12T20:47:00.006-05:00

Dry Falls is located just west of Highlands, NC on US 64. US 64 in this area is a two-lane road with sharp blind turns that is as scenic as it is dangerous to drive. The road in this area travels through the Cullasaja Gorge that is home to several waterfalls.

pink flamingo

2011-02-08T15:10:00.000-05:00

pink flamingo snoozing

orange sunrise

2011-02-05T08:00:00.002-05:00

low clouds and a rising sun make for a dramatic sunrise on the Blue Ridge Parkway

dahlia

2011-02-01T08:00:00.011-05:00

You know summer is in full swing when the dahlias start blooming. This one was at the NC State Arboretum's trial plant beds.

orange sunset

2011-01-28T08:00:00.016-05:00

The Blue Ridge Parkway is one of my favorite places to go. At sunrise and sunset the views at almost every overlook are spectacular.

This photo is from the Raven Rock Overlook at MP 289.5.

turtle

2011-01-24T08:00:00.011-05:00

I came across this little guy in route to Lower Cascades in Hanging Rock State Park. He was rather shy and kept trying to avoid the camera's lens. But being a turtle, he had trouble getting away from me and I was able to get this shot of him.

japanese maple

2011-01-19T08:00:00.005-05:00

Alone with myself
The trees bend to caress me
The shade hugs my heart.
~Candy Polgar

rhododendron on the appalachian trail near carver's gap

2011-01-16T08:00:00.002-05:00

The Appalachian Trail makes its way 2,179 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahain, Maine. Along the way it passes through the Roan Highlands along the North Carolina/Tennessee border. The profusion of catawba rhododendron and flame azalea make the portion of the AT that runs from Roan Mountain to Grassy Ridge to the north a must-see destination in mid-June.

central united methodist church

2011-01-12T08:00:00.003-05:00

One of the first "photos" I took and still one of my favorites.

photo taken: October 17, 2006

map of photo location

church steeple and a half moon

2011-01-08T10:00:00.008-05:00

church steeple and a half moon

Photographers can be an odd lot, especially when gathered together in one place. The first annual Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk was no exception. The concept of a photowalk is to get a bunch of photographers together (preferably in some photogenic place, like a downtown area) to take a bunch of pictures, share stories and tips and show off your gear, and it all gets topped off with some socializing at the end of the day. While it may sound like a total geek-fest (and it can be), it is a good opportunity to get out and try to expand your photographic horizons by photographing things and places you might not normally shoot.

I attended the photowalk in Cary in 2008. The date of the photowalk happened to coincide with the Town of Cary's Lazy Daze Arts and Crafts Festival, which is actually one of the largest in the country. People filled the streets of downtown Cary and there were lots of arts and crafts and festival things around. One of my favorite images from the photowalk was this one - a simple shot of the steeple of First Baptist Church and a half moon.

photo taken: August 23, 2008
map of photo location

on frozen pond

2011-01-05T10:00:00.003-05:00

On a trip to Blowing Rock for their Winterfest event we stopped by Price Lake on the Blue Ridge Parkway and saw this scene.

photo taken: January 27, 2008

map of photo location

happy new year

2011-01-01T10:00:00.013-05:00

With a new year ahead of us all, I thought this photo of the American Tobacco Trail would be appropriate.

photo taken: January 5, 2009
map of photo location

Adventures in Highlands, NC

2010-05-20T09:54:00.005-04:00

Our first camping trip of the year was May 14 to 16 where we went to the little city of Highlands, NC, which is tucked away in the western corner of North Carolina, not too far from the border with Georgia and South Carolina.

A little hiccup with the check engine light on the car caused a slight delay getting to where we were going, but we were able to get to the van Hook Glade campground before dark. After enjoying a small campfire we settled in to the sound of some type of owl making crazy noises. Fortunately, the owl either moved on or fell asleep like I did.

After breakfast, the skies were foggy and overcast, which makes for ideal waterfall photography, so we made the short drive from the campground to Dry Falls. A new, large parking area on US 64 is used to access the short trail to Dry Falls. We arrived at about 9:00 in the morning, and we had the place to ourselves almost the whole time we were there. Even if you don't go to take pictures, it is a great place to go and hang out for awhile - it is a very peaceful and scenic setting. The conditions were ideal and I was able to get what I think were some of my best waterfall photos I've ever taken.

Dry Falls

The original plan for Saturday was to hang around Highlands in the morning and do some hiking in Panthertown Valley in the afternoon. The weather forecast for Saturday was supposed to be overcast and rainy, but the skies started to clear after we left Dry Falls, so we decided to kick around downtown Highlands, get an early lunch, and head out to Panthertown Valley.

Downtown Highlands is full of quaint shops, galleries and restaurants. We were able to wander a few of them before eating some food and trying to head out for an afternoon of hiking.

After lunch we headed towards Panthertown Valley for some hiking, but the weather had another idea. As we were heading east on US 64 the skies started becoming gray and we heard thunder in the distance. After deciding a long hike would most likely be a long, wet hike we decided to head back towards Highlands and find some waterfalls to visit. On the way back we drove through very heavy rain and some pea-sized hail making us glad we decided not to go on any long hikes.

Since the weather was still rainy we headed toward one of the many galleries in Highlands - the Tin Roof Studio. This one is a bit off the beaten track, but had some pretty cool stuff, some of which we got to do some decorating in our house.

The rain finally started to let up, so we decided to head out and try a shortish easy hike, so we made our way to Picklesimer Rock House Falls just south of Highlands. Again, the conditions were perfect for shooting a waterfall, and I got a few pretty good shots.

Picklesimer Rock House Falls

After a bunch of rain (and thunder and lightning) moved through Saturday night we headed home, but not after visiting Dry Falls again and Cullasaja Falls (we read its pronounced cool-uh-say-ja). The flows were really high because of the rain the day/night before and were especially noticeable at Dry Falls.

Cullasaja Falls