Best Places in or near Canaan to Get Insta-Worthy Pics

If you’re visiting Canaan Valley soon, don’t miss out on some of the most Instagram-worthy photo opportunities you’ll find anywhere. From panoramic lookouts to mysterious underground caverns, there are plenty of places to get gorgeous nature shots and envy-inducing selfies. Here are a few favorites.

1. For Stunning Fall Landscape: Bear Rocks in Dolly Sods
   There are many places to get dreamy Insta photos in Dolly Sods, as this breathtaking wilderness spans over 17,000 acres. If you have to pick just one, though, you should probably pick Bear Rocks. Take a selfie on the rocky outcropping overlooking thousands of acres of scenic beauty. Or recruit a friend to get a dramatic wide shot of you striking a pose atop the rocks. Fall is arguably the best time to visit, as the overlook provides a particularly stunning vantage point from which to get those amazing fall color shots.

2. For Rugged Romantics: Blackwater Falls
   Blackwater Falls is definitely a popular destination for Instagram photos, and it’s not difficult to see why. Get a snap of yourself looking adorably outdoorsy from the top of the 62-foot falls, or try a different perspective and capture the cascading falls from the bottom. During autumn, the surrounding trees create a dramatic backdrop as they display vibrant fall colors.

3. For Panoramic Views and a Bit of Trick Photography: Bald Knob
   Want to fool your friends and followers into thinking you’re the ultimate daredevil? Bald Knob isn’t just a great place to get a gorgeous landscape long shot. There’s also a rocky overhang that, when creatively cropped, can make it look like you’re dangling above a death-defying cliff. In reality, the ledge is only a few feet off the ground.

4. For Something Completely Different: Smoke Hole Caverns
   At Smoke Hole Caverns, stalagmites and stalactites form an alien landscape that provides ample opportunities for getting ridiculously cool pics. Particularly impressive is the Room of a Million Stalactites, with its nearly 300-foot ceiling (the second highest in the world). Another spot in the caverns that begs to be Instagrammed is the Crystal Cave Coral Pool, an actual underground lake filled with shimmering Golden Trout. Fab-looking pics are surprisingly easy to snag in these caverns, thanks in part to the lighting installed throughout.

Tips for Taking Good Phone Pics

Some of the most incredibly share-worthy pics on Instagram are taken with smartphones. Most newer phones have excellent cameras and, if you know a few tricks, can take pics that look just like they were taken by a pro.

• If you do one thing, get the lighting right. Lighting makes all the difference in photography. This is why professionals spend lots of money on fancy lighting. You can still get incredible pictures with a smartphone if you work with the available light sources. In general, it’s best to have your main light source shining on your subject.

• Use the rule of thirds: This is a quick trick to help you make any photo look more professional, and it’s been used by artists and photographers for hundreds of years. To use it, picture your photograph divided into thirds both horizontally and vertically by imaginary lines (so that it would be separated into 9 equal sections). Try to place subjects of interest along these lines, or at the points where they intersect.

• Do it your own way: Don’t get discouraged if lots of other people have already posted awesome Instas of your destination. Get creative and find your own unique way to take the shot. This could mean turning your camera upside down (try this one in the caverns!) to get a different perspective, or playing around with various filters and effects. If all else fails, there’s only one you; just take an epic selfie and call it a day.