Atlas Moonkitty: "I Love Not The Man Less,But Nature More"

“And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”
~Roald Dahl

A few years back a photographer friend,Meagan Hamilton Photography,came up to Blowing Rock to capture some Autumn scenery and me

I decided to go slightly forest nymph for this shoot. I threw together a corset,a skirt underneath that,a skirt, a vest as an over skirt and a belt…all in muted jewel tones. I left my hair natural and crazy haha. I rarely shoot like that.

“There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more”
~George Gordon Byron

We are shooting in Annie Cannon gardens ,a glorious little area near the Glen Burney trail head. If you didn’t know it was here…you’d miss it. I stumbled upon it because I’m nosy. There is a small outdoor stage area with bench seating that is adorable! A wonderful path, hidden behind some trees and flowers, leads you to the pond I’m sitting at. This area lined with an old broken fence and moss covered trees almost always occupied by crows. It’s very Tim Burton.

“Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop away from you like the leaves of Autumn.”
~John Muir

Next we hiked down the Glen Burney trail to capture some more nature. It’s a beautiful area. You can see old ruins and a gorgeous waterfall. We are shooting this in October and it was a bit chilly. Shooting always warms me up and so does a nice hike!

This wall is the ruins of what used to be the old sewage plant in the 1920’s.

“I felt like lying down by the side of the trail and remembering it all. The woods do that to you, they always look familiar, long lost…”

~Jack Kerouac

I am actually laying on across the rocks IN the waterfall here.

Glen Burney Falls Trail fantastic! There are three falls located along this trail. The first one is The cascades and that is where we stopped to shoot.

The moss covered trees and rocks make it dangerous to climb around BUT also makes it look like a magical woodland dream. There are some larger rocks off to the side that helped me climb,barefoot,up to lay across the falls. I don’t recommend doing this. YES in October I’m laying in mountain water.