You can support me and this website by buying prints, just click on any image to go to the gallery. 

You can also support me by using the following links to purchase any of the gear I used on this little adventure.

Sigma 15mm f/2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Lens (rent it first, they are nuts)

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM

Induro Alloy 8M Tripod AT-413

Giottos MH1000-652 Large Ball Head

Coast HP7 High Performance Focusing 251 Lumen LED Flashlight

Now to the good stuff...

Fries JunctionNew River Trail State Park

Yesterday after work, I raced home, bbq'd up a burger, and threw my bike in the back of the car and headed for Fries Junction.  The closest parking spot is on Gambetta Rd.  You could also get here from the Byllesby Dam or Fries parking areas.  From Fries, it's about 5 miles along the New River to get here.  I go to Gambetta because it's a little closer to my house and the trail along this section of Chestnut Creek is nice.  There are usually folks fishing in the calm water on the first half of the ride.  Then, once you get through the tunnel(photo below taken last year) you get to see some nice foliage and rapids.  

New River Trail State ParkImages from New River Trail State Park. An old railroad bed that had been converted into a multi-use trail. The trail runs from Pulaski until it reaches Fries Junction. From there it forks and heads to both Galax and Fries. There are many historical sites along the trail, as well as railroad trestles and campgrounds.

Here is a map with directions.  Just head out Gambetta Road and park where the road intersects with the New River Trail.

Once I got there, I strapped the tripod on the back of the bike.  My large Induro tripod is quite heavy on the back of a bike, but knowing that I was only gonna be cruising a few miles, I was good to go.  I have a much smaller Manfrotto tripod for trips where I am gonna be doing more bike riding than photography(I don't wanna be weighed down). 

I got to the trestle just before sunset.   I had really thought that the clouds were gonna be lit up all nice, but the sky sorta cleared out as the sun went down(which is ok).  After taking a few photos, I sat down and just listened to the geese, fish jumping, whippoorwills, and frogs as the sun went down. I really like how it gets louder when the sun goes down.  

Once twilight began, and I was able to get a nice exposure with the sky and light painting, I started to have a little fun.   I really like the look of the supposed oncoming train on the New River Trail(as seen above)

Plus, I had rented the Sigma 15mm 2.8 for the 'busted' meteor shower that I missed(don't ask).  It makes sweet starbursts!

New River Trail State ParkNew River Trail State Park

As the sky was turning a rich blue, a pigeon was making his way back to his nest in the trestle.  He has quite the setup here.  His nest was inside the steel beams.  When he would go in there, his noises would echo through the whole structure.

Pigeon at Fries JunctionPigeon at Fries Junction

As the sky got darker, my light painting became more prominent in the image.   It is kinda tough to light paint around a fisheye lens.  The field of view is so wide, that when the camera is pointed up it is really easy have the light hit the glass causing massive flare.

Fries JunctionNew River Trail State Park

After the sky got totally dark, I could really start to see lots of fireflies floating about.  It is a wonderful sign of summer.  In my last image, you can see where one blinked around in the top of the image. Fireflies at Fries JunctionFireflies at Fries Junction

After that, it was hand holding a flashlight while riding my bike back to the car.  Thanks for looking:)