In Farragut, TN and LaCrosse WI

[John Kasaian]

..there are some buildings I'd llke to photograph and I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions about which seasons would be best? I usually like late Autumn or Winter because of the lack of foliage concealment, but I am completely unfamiliar with these areas so I thought I'd ask here for advice :)

[Hollis]

watch out for the humidity in summer and the stark winters/bad light in winter when in TN. Tell my state I said hi when you go there...

[Bill_1856]

John, I lived near Farragut for a few months in the '60s, and am astonished there is anything of photographic interest.
The best time is probably very late Autumn around Thanksgiving. By Christmas the weather becomes quite iffy and you may get absolutely gorgous light, but you are more likely to get the start of the rain/mud season which lasts until mid-March.

[Don Sparks]

I live in Maryville, TN about 30 min. from Farragut and I would definitely make it Autumn or Winter. I don't think we have a rain/mud season any more.

[John Kasaian]

Thanks! :)

[Don Dudenbostel]

John:

I live in Farragut. Why photography here? I've lived here 57 years and there's very little in the way of interesting buildings other than a very few older private homes. There are interesting buildings around the area but not much in Farragut other than modern homes and commercial buildings.

Anyway, the light this summer has been very harsh with only a few overcast and rainy days. We aren't having the extreme high humidity like we normally do in June to August and with the exception of a couple of weeks the temperatures have been in the 80's. There have been a couple of weeks in the 90's to upper 90's and looks like this week will be in the 90's. Haze is normal for here around the summer months but so far it hasn't been too bad. In any case I would not expect to be able to shoot long tele shots and blue skies in this area. Spring is great but the light can be harsh with some years being quite rainy but cool. Our springs are generally early starting with early flowers in late Feb. and early Mar. Trees are out by mid Apr. Fall can be very nice with cooling temps and lower humidity by mid Sept staying very pretty until late October. One thing I find compared to other areas is our light is about 1/2 stop lower than other areas with clearer air. We live in a valley where three major interstates run through plus 14 million visitors to the Smokies National Park each year. The pollution stays in the valley unless there are high winds from the south east resulting in a bright day exposure for ISO 100 of 1/100 at 11-16. You can see the sunny 16 rule does not apply here. I'm a pilot and flying out of the valley at 10,000 feet the pollution layer is quite apparent at 8,000 ft. . It's easy to see how 1/2 stop of light is reflected and absorbed preventing it from reaching the valley floor.

If you're in the area look me up in the commercial photo yellow pages in the Knoxville phone book and I'll try to meet you.

If you want some fantastic old buildings go to Charleston SC or Savannah Ga.

[Darren H]

John-

I have been to LaCrosse, Wisconsin several times on business and think it is a wonderful location no mater what time of year. I always took the 4x5 and found quite a few locations. I am interested in landscape but did notice that La Crosse has a nice downtown area full of old buildings. Another nice town for old buildings is nearby Winona, Minnesota (just 35 miles up river). Both downtowns are nice but be aware most of the buildings have modern businesses in them (like say a bar, bookstore, or tattoo shop).

If you like landscape or even say farming, this is a great area. The bluffs along the Mississippi are 500' tall and the river is full of islands- it is very scenic. There are also a great number of farms, fields, barns, silos, etc. There are several state parks and wildlife refuges in the area too. Some of my favorite areas would be the Trempealeau NWR and nearby Perrot State Park, both offer neat views and good trails to walk around on.

You can see some images of those on my blog:

http://thetravelingcamera.blogspot.com/search/label/Wisconsin

Note, while I do enjoy winter, it can be harsh (as in weeks below freezing) so really fall might be a better season (mid October for peak color).

A couple of great places to eat:

LaCrosse- Fayzees in downtown

Trempealeau- Ed Sullivans or the Trempealeau Hotel

Bluff Siding-The Hillside Fish House

Have a great time!

[Michael T. Murphy]

You should (usually) get just an inch of snow here or there up to Thanksgiving in the LaCrosse area. There are exceptions of course.

Fall colors should peak by first or second week in October. Time the falling of leaves accordingly.

Beautiful area. Good luck!