If you've ever wondered why they're called the "Blue Ridge Mountains," here's a good answer:

Blue ridges I took this photo a few weeks ago in Shenandoah National Park. The bluish color comes from the trees, which release isoprene into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color (Wikipedia, Blue Ridge Mountains (as of Sept. 10, 2012)).

When I took the photo above, I was up in Shenandoah with my wife to shoot the sunset. The weather forecast predicted partly cloudy conditions, which should have been perfect for a spectacular sunset. Unfortunately, we never once saw the sun.

We showed up early to eat dinner at Skyland. It started raining as soon as we entered the mountains. After dinner, the rain let up as we drove to Range View Overlook, but the clouds never let the sun shine through. Fortunately, the cloudy sky made for some interesting photography.

The gathering storm