Townsend, Tennessee, is a quiet, rural community along the border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It has only a single streetlight - a testament to the fact that it's much less busy, with far less traffic, than other towns near the park. There's a grocery store, a hardware store, a post office, several churches, a few banks, and many timeworn barns and other artifacts from a history of rural life - as well as many private residences of diverse style. All of this is nestled in a very beautiful valley surrounded by the foothills of the Smokies and underlain by a hidden network of limestone caverns.
I moved to Townsend in July of 2010. Some have questioned why I would be attracted to a sleepy town with so little activity, but I think that the photos on this page should answer that question beautifully. All were taken within no more than a short drive from my home.
Any images that are available for sale (as wall prints, or on other products such as card, puzzles, etc.) are identified as such and linked to my portfolio at Pixels.com. These shots are also featured in my two Appalachian photo books, now available at Blurb.
Formerly an iconic feature in Townsend, this small barn is no longer standing;
I was fortunate to have captured it soon before it fell. This shot is one of my personal favorites from this area.
Available at pixels.com
The steeple of Tuckaleechee United Methodist Church at sunrise.
Available at pixels.com
Hayrolls in a foggy field along one of Townsend's many rural backroads.
Available at pixels.com
Cavern Road in heavy morning fog.
Available at pixels.com
A Bradford pear tree on the Laurel Valley golf course.
Available at pixels.com
A rural barn during a late afternoon thunderstorm.
Available at pixels.com
Same barn at dawn, with a full moon setting in the background.
Available at pixels.com
Low-lying fog among trees in a field along Old Tuckaleechee Highway.
Available at pixels.com
Hilltop emerging into view in a surreal dreamworld of morning fog.
Available at pixels.com
Townsend lies hidden below a seemingly limitless sea of fog.
Available at pixels.com