Framed by fall color

The Smokies earn their name honestly — even on a clear day, the ridgelines stack back into blue haze that gets softer with every layer of distance. Framing the view through a canopy of turning leaves gave the scene a foreground it wouldn’t have had from an open overlook.

Getting the shot

Positioned so the overhanging branch became a natural frame rather than an obstruction, with f/16 holding enough depth of field to keep both the near leaves and the distant ridgelines reasonably sharp.