Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Tag: San Luis Valley

Wolf Moon Rise, Truchas, Red Barn, Horses. 01-31-2024.

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, last week’s Wolf Moon rising over the Sangre de Cristo foothills, Truchas, the red barn, and snow horses.

As I mentioned last week, I was heading out to capture the wolf moon rising. The moon’s appearance lasted about ten minutes between the fast-moving clouds. I made several images during that time, and the scene below was fleeting as the sun came and went behind the clouds. I got lucky. I came away with three pictures where the elements came together. I’ll take what I can get from what presents itself.

Wolf moon rising, Arroyo Seco, NM
Wolf Moon rising, Arroyo Seco, NM

And a close-up of when I first spotted the moon from the highway heading home.

Wolf moon rising, Arroyo Seco, NM
A break in the clouds.

Read more about moons here.

I reworked this image for note cards and publication. Ansel Adams shot this scene in the 1950’s. A couple of months ago it was lit up with Xmas lights. You can still see some in this shat nailed to the crosses. It’s nice to its longevity at this location and longer still before Ansel made his iconic image.

Cross in Truchas New Mexico
Truchas, NM.

You know how attached I am to this location with the red barn. Every time I visit I see more dilapidation with new spaces for the wind to pass through. It’s beginning to corkscrew but I’m confident that the gaps will prevent the building from acting like a sail on the plain!

Red Barn in lack and white
Red barn in black and white.
Red Barn in in color
Red barn in color.

One more image I reworked this week for note cards, prints, and publication. This image has graced many a page in local magazines. Apples are the key to getting horses to come running.

Horses on the High Road to Taos
Horses on the High Road to Taos.

As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G

A Heart, Ute Mountain, Raptors And More. 01-10-2024

Greetings from San Cristobal and beyond. This week a tree with heart. You’ve got to love a heart wherever you find it, Ute Mountain, Raptors, and more.

We came across this tree a few years ago. Pami and I stopped here again on our first New Year drive of 2024.

I liked how the tree is isolated from the distant background, so I made another picture of it, always having to remove the two powerlines that cross directly over the tree. I think it is worth it. After all, the power company put them in my way!

Heart tree, Costilla, NM
A tree with a heart, Costilla, NM.

You might recognize this location with the road to Ute Mountain. It’s usually the last stop on the way home.

Ute Mountain road, NM
The road to Ute Mountain, NM.

The Red-tailed Hawk had no intention of leaving its perch, so we watched for a while. We moved on before it did. I enjoy watching them wherever they choose to sit. Powerpole sitting is natural to them. Any high vantage point suits them very well. I’ve often seen them drop in from a pole onto an unsuspecting vole or garter snake.

Red -tailed Hawk, Mesita Colorado
Red-tailed Hawk, Mesita, Colorado.

Two days ago I went for a drive in the clearing snowstorm and spotted a bald eagle perched on a dead cottonwood snag in Arroyo Seco, NM.

Bald Eagle, Arroyo Seco NM
Bald Eagle, Arroyo Seco NM.

Red barn, Colorado in black and white
Red barn in black and white, Colorado.

Sometimes a thing catches my eye and I have to run with it.

Baling wire Colorado
Baling wire for the fun of it, Colorado.

This snowplow was still making passes at the snow accumulations on monday around 11 am on our way to town. It was nice to wake up to a decent amount of snow for a change. Here in San Cristobal today temperature was -1º F (-18º C) at 7am. It finally warmed up to 27º F (-2.8º C) at 3pm.

Snow Plow, Highway 522 Taos, NM
Snow Plow, Highway 522 north of Taos, NM.

As always, thank you for looking. I hope you had a good week. Stay warm where you are. G

Wonderful Winter In The Neighborhood. 12-27-2023

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week winter in the neighborhood.

I’ll keep it short and sweet this week. I hope everyone got what they wanted. I didn’t want anything and got nothing, it made my day. I already have plenty. That said I am now the owner of two happy feet and have been able to drive a little. So, I drove around the neighborhood and got a few new shots to add to the archives.

Last Friday, I followed a fog bank that was building over the Rio Grande Gorge and came across this scene a little ways up the road in Cerro NM. There was just enough moisture in the fog and temperatures dropped to 26º F to cover the trees and willows in hoar frost that created this winter wonderland.

Hoar frost, winter in northern New Mexico
Hoar Frost, Cerro NM.

I was reminded of other years when the weather elements came together to create the following scenes.

Trees with in snow
Winter in Arroyo Seco, NM.

When I drove the “High Road to Taos” I felt like I was entering “Narnia”.

Winter on the High Road to Taos
On the High Road to Taos, NM.

Back to the present! This was the moon on the winter solstice last week. It stood out clearly against a beautiful blue sky revealing the detail of the craters.

Solstice moon from San Cristobal.
Solstice Moon.

The sunset on December 24, was fuzzy and warm. The outdoor temps were not!

Mountain sunset San Cristobal, NM.
Mountain Sunset San Cristobal, NM.

The view below embodied a feeling of warmth but it wasn’t. Temps dropped to 9º F last night. Of course, it was coldest before dawn so I slept in and missed the moon setting across the plateau.

December 25th Moonrise
December 25th Moonrise

As always, thank you for looking, Happy New Year, I hope it’s a good one. G

San Luis, A Beautiful Sunday Drive, 12-06-2023

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week a Sunday Drive around the San Luis Valley.

Well, I’m able to walk upright and without a scooter or crutches now! I feel good about that.

It was a beautiful sunny day last Sunday, with snow on the peaks and intermittent cloud cover, so we drove north to San Luis in Colorado and made a leisurely drive home, visiting some of the usual locations, which I’m sure you will recognize.

The shrine of the stations of the cross is situated on a mesa above the town of San Luis, reputed to be the oldest town in Colorado. The sign, made out of white-washed rocks, says so!

In this shot, I liked the juxtaposition of the cell phone and communication towers. Perhaps a direct line to the universe?

Stations of the cross shrine, and cell towers, sunday drive to San Luis Colorado
Stations of the cross shrine, and cell towers, San Luis Colorado.

The next stop on our Sunday drive route was the old homestead, photographed by me a hundred times. One day I’m sure I’ll have the last photo of this building standing before its final demise.

San Luis valley homestead
San Luis Valley Homestead.

On the road a sign proclaiming “Jesus 2024” with what appears to be the faded colors of a Ukrainian flag. I didn’t know Jesus was running in the upcoming election. May the best man win.

Jesus is running 2024 Sunday drive San Luis CO
Jesus is running in 2024.

A seasonal creek running north-south through the lower valley. If you zoom in you can just make out the 14,000+ foot peaks of the Blanca massif.

Ice, San Luis valley, Colorado
Ice on a seasonal creek, San Luis Valley, Colorado.

The crows are back congregating every morning in our mostly dead cottonwood tree. I shot this image on Saturday. I’m happy to be up and fairly mobile and getting some fresh images again.

American crows, San Cristobal cottonwood tree
American Crows.

I do love a Sunday drive with no agenda attached.

As always thanks for looking and for all the well wishes. G.

First Snow, Winter Flashbacks. 11-22-2023

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM, and a Happy Thanksgiving. This week we had the first snow on our local peaks and in the valley.

Not too much snow. It’s a late start to winter where we are this year. I see from our weather forecast that temps will drop next week. It’s all good for me as I’m in a foot brace again on my right foot this time, and with my leg elevated, I still have a lovely view out the windows and from the deck.

This was the scene from the kitchen window this week after the clouds lifted, leaving a few stragglers behind to fill in the little valleys.

First Snow San Cristobal
First Snow, San Cristobal.

With my right leg elevated, I’m revisiting the archives again. Pretty much a repeat of last February, when my left leg was elevated. This time next year I look forward to hiking up and down the hills in the first photo.

Early snow, Taos
First snow, Taos, 2011.
Great Blue Heron and Mallards, Rio Grande, Pilar
Great Blue Heron and Mallards, Rio Grande, Pilar, NM.
Red-winged Blackbirds
Red-winged Blackbirds, Arroyo Hondo, NM.
Horse, Ranchos de Taos
A horse taking shelter in Ranchos de Taos.
Vintage truck in the snow, Taos
Vintage truck in the snow, Overland Ranch, Taos.

Lastly, a picture I came across, edited on my iPhone, from last year.

Church window and adobes, Colorado
Church window and adobes, Colorado.

As always, thank you for looking. Happy Thanksgiving. G

Black And White. 11-08-2023

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week more black and white images. I had some time over the last few days to wallow in the hard drives, throw a virtual dart at the folders, and see what showed up.

I wanted to convert this color image to black and white after I posted it in color a few weeks ago. Over the years, I have created a large collection of images from the San Luis Valley. I’ll add this one to the black-and-white folder. You can download a PDF file I made on the San Luis Valley here.

Red barn, Colorado in black and white
Red Barn, San Luis Valley, Colorado.

The tree is long gone but the flat top peak, Cerro Pedernal, stands like a beacon and can be seen from multiple locations around northern, NM.

Cerro Pedernal and tree Rio Chama road, NM
Cerro Pedernal and tree Rio Chama road, NM.

Many places in the southwest US are deteriorating and ultimately wind up going back to earth. How quickly they reach their demise, depends on the materials they are made of. Adobe, wood, and tin seem to get there quicker than the plastic one sees everywhere these days. I shot the image below in November 2017.

Adobe building ruin, Villanueva, NM
Adobe ruin, Villanueva, NM.

Wandering through the files from a trip to Britain in 2013 with Pami, I came across this image shot on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, on the Northumbria Coast of northeast England. I’m guessing this boat, which wasn’t sea-worthy back then, has probably been overturned and is now used as a storage shed.

Lindisfarne, Holy Island, Northumbria, England
Lindisfarne, Holy Island, Northumbria, England.

An overturned fishing boat was reclaimed and made into a storage shed.

Overturned fishing boat, Lindisfarne, England
Beach shed and Lindisfarne Castle, England.

I always shoot a scene in color but sometimes a scene cries out for black and white. Sometimes the day and lighting inspire me to shoot for a later conversion.

I shot the picture below in color and converted it to black and white. It was taken on the Thames Embankment in November 2013.

Gulls over Westminster, London, UK
Someone was feeding the gulls.

As always thank you for all the kind words comments and compliments. Have a great week. G.

Solar Eclipse, Aspens, Autumn Continues. 10-18-2023.

Greetings from San Cristobal in northern New Mexico. This week, the solar eclipse from the deck. Our perspective at this latitude gave us 80% coverage. We could have gone to Albuquerque for totality but decided to put our feet up, play with the dog, shoot a few pictures, and save on a tank of gas. The photos below were shot using a tripod with a Sony camera and lens. I purchased a couple of pairs of eclipse glasses that worked very well. They’ll come in handy for the total eclipse next April. I hope you saw the solar eclipse where you are.

Solar eclipse, October 14, 2023, San Cristobal, NM
Solar eclipse, October 14, 2023, San Cristobal, NM.

In the image below, I opened up the exposure to get the clouds that were surrounding the event. There is some refraction from the use of two neutral density filters but you get the idea.

October 14, 2023 solar eclipse. San Cristobal, NM
October 14, 2023, solar eclipse. San Cristobal, NM.

The aspen groves continued to delight with colors at their peak in many areas. There is still a lot more peaking to come. I’ll be on a five-day photo tour during the coming week. It’s safe to say I’ll probably post more images.

Aspens sun star, New Mexico
Aspens and a sun star, Hopewell Lake, New Mexico.
Aspens near Hopewell Lake, NM
Off the beaten path near Hopewell Lake, NM.

No trip in the area is complete without a stop at the Red Barn. It was a beautiful sunny day in the San Luis Valley, however, the barn looked a little forlorn later in the day under the brooding sky. I plan to keep documenting it until…

Red Barn, San Luis Valley, Colorado
Red Barn, San Luis Valley, Colorado.

On the climb up the Cumbres Pass, the road crosses over the state line from New Mexico into Colorado. The picture below looked much more appealing in black and white during the midday sun. The type of clouds in the picture looked like this all day long. The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railway also crosses the pass. If we are lucky, we sometimes meet the train there.

Black and white near the Cumbres Pass, New Mexico
Black and white near the Cumbres Pass, New Mexico.

We visit the location below numerous times throughout the year. Fall is my favorite.

Aspen grove and sky, Colorado
Aspen grove and sky, Colorado.

As always thank you for looking. Have a great week. G

Rio Grande Gorge, Black, White, And Color. 02-08-2023

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week the Rio Grande Gorge, from its beginning to where it cuts deep into the canyon of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

If you look closely, you can see the cliffs of the Rio Grande gorge uplifting left of center. I refer to this spot as where the river meets the rift. From this point, the river travels south, never leaving the Rio Grande Gorge. At the deepest point, the river is over eight hundred feet below the canyon rim.

The Rio Grande where the gorge begins, Colorado
The Rio Grande where the gorge begins, Colorado.

Below is a view of Ute Mountain with the Rio Grande as it makes its way through the Wild and Scenic Rivers Recreation Area of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. The sky and darkness in the canyon, with only the river and Ute Mountain, highlighted, made for a dramatic image. Click here for another view.

Ute Mountain with the Rio Grande gorge in the Wild Rivers Recreation Area
Ute Mountain with the Rio Grande Gorge.

Heading home on a photo tour with Scott last week, I couldn’t resist another picture of the red barn in the San Luis Valley. The barn, accompanied by a brooding sky, called for a black-and-white photo. I know the barn won’t be standing for much longer. It’s already losing its siding and beginning to corkscrew. With the high winds making direct hits and randomly carting off planks of wood across plains, more and more light gets through the building. In the background are a large field of potato plants and a center-pivot irrigation machine.

Red Barn, San Luis Valley, Colorado
Red Barn, San Luis Valley, Colorado.

As always, thank you for looking. Have a great week. G

Jaroso, Eastdale, Colorado. 04-19-2023

Greetings from San Cristobal. Jaroso, Eastdale, and the San Luis Valley of southern Colorado.

Yesterday, my friend Tom picked me up at home and we headed north for the afternoon in southern Colorado. It was my first trip out for any length of time since my surgery. It was nice to get out in the fresh air, get windswept, and in some spots nearly swept off our feet. The Rio Grande was in full flow with the illusion that it was running upstream in the wind.

The main street of Jaroso is divided by a row of tall pines. Anderson’s occupy the south side of the street, with the Jaroso Hotel and a number of artists’ studios on the north side. It’s a step back in time and I always enjoy a trip here.

Main street Jaroso, Colorado
Main Street Jaroso, Colorado.

Harold Anderson is a friendly gentleman with a pleasant disposition. We didn’t bump into him yesterday, though it is spring and a busy time on the farm.

Minneapolis Moline tractors, Jaroso, Colorado
Anderson’s Farm tractors Jaroso, Colorado.

Harold has a collection of Minneapolis Moline-made farm vehicles.

Andersons Farm Minneapolis Moline tractor Jaroso, Colorado
Anderson’s Farm, Minneapolis Moline.
Hotel Jaroso
Hotel.

A country block away from Jaroso is the extinct town of Eastdale, Colorado. The monument in the pictures below is inscribed with words that denote the brief history of its existence.

Eastdale township historic monument marker, San Luis Valley, Colorado
Eastdale Township, historical marker, San Luis Valley, Colorado

The obelisk reads:
“Mormon pioneers settled here 1890. They built reservoirs, homes, school, and a church.
By 1900 there were 120 pop, and post office. A water dispute led to the demise of town and sale of lands to Costilla Estate Development Co. in 1909.”

Eastdale township, San Luis Valley, Colorado
Eastdale Township, historical marker, San Luis Valley, Colorado.

If you would like to see more of this area please visit my San Luis Valley tour page to sign up for a photo workshop. Don’t let the wind deter you

As always, thank you for looking. G

Horses, Favorite Photos This Week. 04-05-2023

Greetings from the San Cristobal, NM. This week some of my favorite images of horses.

It was fun to revisit the extensive folder of horse photos dating back to the first shot below, which I made on a 6-megapixel Canon Rebel in 2005.

I hope you enjoy the following gallery of horse pictures as much as I do.

Two horses
Yin Yang

As it is spring, why not include a couple of images of foals. This mare and her foal were on the road to Chaco Canyon.

Chaco horses
Chaco horses, a mare and her foal.
Foal
Foal, spring ing the Moreno Valley, NM.

Shots like the next two, fascinate me. I have quite a collection of this type of image.

Horse Back
Horse back.
Horse Back
Pinto and mountains.

I titled this image, “Old Blue Eye”. He had one blue eye. He made the cover of a local visitors guide, magazine.

Blue eye
Blue eye.

The guy smelled bad but his friend was classy looking. Too much time on his hooves roaming in the wild.

Dreadlocks
Dreadlocks and his fancy friend.

This sweet mare stood motionless in the snow storm only blinking occassionally at a snowflake.

Horse in snow
Snow horse.

These three came running as fast as you can say apple. My friend always carried apples for the horses should we find them out there.

Snow horses
In the high country.

The Ranchos Valley has some high vantage points. There are many fields with horses to photograph.

Winter willows
Winter willows in the Ranchos valley.

This image was taken on a photo workshop in the San Luis Valley. I usually post it in black and white.

Band of Wild horses
Band in the San Luis Valley.

My friend Dwain, who passed too soon was happy around horses, dogs, and kids. He was a hiker, camper, fisherman, and a fabulous sculptor.

Dwains shadow
Dwains shadow.

I posted the photo below on Facebook. It found a few homes with collectors. Click here if you are interested in a print.

Galley walls

Some fun facts about horses on Wikipedia.

I want to thank everyone for all the well wishes. I’m out of my big restrictive boot and into a comfortable pair of “Hoka” walking shoes. I had no idea how comfortable these shoes were. Lucky me.

As always thank you for looking. Have a good week. G