Month: April 2022

Fort Union, Santa Cruz, Chairs, Bone Ball, Dinosaur.

Geraint April 27, 2022 14 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, Fort Union, and beyond. The blossoms are bursting out, in perfect contrast to the dark grey clouds threatening rain. We can certainly use the rain, so no complaints from me.

This week I’m revisiting and re-editing some images. The first is from Fort Union National Monument on a trip there in 2006. I remember, unlike now, I was able to walk around the exhibits and make compositions quite freely.

There are signs now that say “stay on the footpath”, that’s where the rattlesnake in this picture was hanging out. The fort is on the last leg of the Santa Fe Trail. When the wagon trains got to Fort Union, it was still a couple of weeks of rutted roads tho Santa Fe. Don’t let the snakes put you off visiting. According to the ranger, this was the first rattlesnake he’d seen there in five years.

Mechanics Corral at Fort Union, NM — Mechanics Corral, Fort Union National Monument, NM.

The mission church at Santa Cruz resembles many of the other adobe mission churches in the area with its two towers, cruciform floorplan with large adobe buttresses. I liked the shapes in the darkness on this one. There isn’t a plumb line in the architecture, at least not in this image.

Before making this picture in 2008 I had never walked around to the “back” of the building. It’s a smaller buttress but reminiscent of the massive buttress at the San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. Re-editing this image I wanted to impart the feeling of the coolness and depth in the darkness of the shadows. Standing in the shade was a welcome relief from the hot sun that was bearing down on the southeast side of the building.

Santa Cruz Church, New Mexico — Building detail on the Santa Cruz Church, NM

In 2007 I was captivated by the placement of these chairs. I embarked on a series of images over the ensuing months of the chairs and tables in this outdoor setting. I liked the unintentional randomness I found each time I visited. Today you will find the Farmhouse Cafe at this location.

Outdoor dining table and chairs — Outdoor dining at the Overland Ranch, El Prado, NM

A found object, and if I can remember where I shot it, I will be a happy camper!

Bone ball whimsical find in New Mexico — Bone and Ball, somewhere in New Mexico.

And now for the dinosaur. Ok, this is an attempt at humor. There is so much gone but not forgotten just yet. We live in a rural area where cellphone service is spotty. We have considered getting a landline again. Who still has a landline? I shot this image in 2010 in a Santa Fe gallery. I thought at the time, “one day, this will look like a piece of art.”

Telephone with wire no longer ringing, in Santa Fe, NM

As always thank you for looking. I appreciate all the kind comments and compliments. Stay well, happy and healthy. G

Mobile Home, The Moon, The Birds, In a Window, On the Roadside

Geraint April 20, 2022 14 Comments

Greetings from northern New Mexico. A mobile home in our neighborhood (so New Mexico) with the moon rising over the San Cristobal Valley.

Mobile Home, moonrise — Mobile home full moonrise, San Cristobal, NM

And the next night from the driveway as the moon slinked over the ridge.

Full moon rise Sangre de Cristo foothills — Full moon rise over the Sangre de Cristo foothills, San Cristobal, NM

The birds I’ve seen the most this winter are always American Kestrels, and this year joining them en masse are thousands of Pinyon Jays. I have never seen so many Pinyon Jays. They are raucous and over the top loud. They devoured the birdseed in the feeders in no time at all. Usually, there is a handful. I’ve added a picture below of one individual.

I couldn’t resist the juxtaposition in a window in the photo below. Everything is for sale. I just take the photo.

Guadalupe Window — Guadalupe in a Window

Drive-by shooting on the roadside. I do this a lot. Many scenes look like this here in New Mexico. Someone deposits the sofa making it someone else’s problem. If it’s in good condition, it will probably find a home. The fate of the couch is now left up to someone else. The original owner has absolved themselves of any further responsibility and saved themselves the trash dump fee. So New Mexico!

Roadside sofa, New Mexico Style — Roadside sofa, (so) New Mexico style.

Let’s end with a tranquil scene at Williams Lake in the mountains close to where I live. Last year was the first time I didn’t hike to the lake. It is a favorite hike and will be on the hiking agenda again this year as soon as the snow melts.

Williams Lake in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico.

I made a print of Valley of the Gods.

Click here to go to the purchase print page. The print is large but I can print it smaller than the sizes shown.

As always, thank you for looking and for all the kind comments and compliments over the last few weeks. Until next week, have a great week. G

Valley of the Gods, Big Rock Impressions, Monument Valley Yucca

Geraint April 13, 2022 24 Comments

Greetings, on a cold and windy day, in San Cristobal. If you bear with me, I’m revisiting a few images from my trip to Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley two weeks ago. I have a few personal favorites that remind me of the feeling of being in this magnificent landscape. Photography is not all about the visual. It’s about the feeling that I wish to convey in the image. When I’m standing out in gorgeous light in the landscape, I’m excited to capture an image that speaks to me. It’s also about all the other elements, heat, wind, rain, sleet, and snow that land on me, burning, tingling, and drenching me that I remember the most, the tangible that makes the place I’m in come alive for me.

In the image below, I’m in Valley of the Gods, Utah, kneeling under a big rock where the air radiates the coolness of the shadowed earth onto my face and skin. It’s a perfect spot on a hot day, and there is also a discovered, surprise view framed by the rock and shadow. Naturally, one has to pay attention and keep a lookout for rattlesnakes!

Big rock Valley of the Gods — Under a big rock with one of the many gods.

On a trip in 2019, the Valley is abundant with millions of Yucca plants, not just in Monument Valley and Valley of the Gods but also across southeastern Utah. The pale yellow of the yucca flowers stands out from the red of the monuments. The plants in this image are healthy and promising for another super bloom this year. Keep in mind the native people utilized the yucca for many things. The fibers of the leaves were stripped and used for making sandals, twine for sewing, weaving into baskets, and paintbrushes to paint the intricate designs on pottery. Not the least, the roots were pounded to make a pulp used as soap and shampoo, which is reputed to be a remedy for baldness!

Monument Valley Mitten with yucca plants — West Mitten with Yucca plants, Monument Valley, Utah

Over the years, I’ve spent many nights camping on the Monument Valley rim at the original campground where the “View Hotel” now stands. I’ve stood and stared at the dark silhouettes of the monuments against the pale light of dawn and in the fading evening twilight. The monuments are dark, with an unbroken line between the rocks and the sky, a scene witnessed through time.

I’ve done this kind of shot before, double exposure on film, so I wanted to recreate it in a digital format. When you stare at a scene long enough and close your eyes, it leaves a photographic impression on the back of your eyelids. Photographing around Valley of the Gods and Monument Valley or anywhere else in this area, the images embedded in my eyes transpose to the next visual landmark that I see. It’s very trippy and is what motivated the image below.

I made the image above from two images similar to the ones below. So you get the idea, and I understand if one prefers either, I had a fun time playing with the image to create the vision I had. It’s important to me to play and make photography fun. On my photo tour/workshops, fun is one of the motivating aspects. If it isn’t fun, then it’s work!

Monument Valley Mittens silhouette — Silhouette of the Mittens in Monument Valley.

Silhouette of buttes in Monument Valley — The iconic skyline of various buttes in Monument Valley.

This week I’m ending my blog post with one last picture from Valley of the Gods. The scene presented itself as I came over the ridge before things became technical when making last week’s image.
This area has had a profound impact on me and will continue to do so. It feels like coming home every time I visit. Where I live in northern New Mexico also felt like this when I first set foot there in 1984.

I have lived in and traveled around the Southwest United States for 44 years. I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else. I’ll always enjoy trips to the old country, but my heart lives here in the great southwest.

Valley of the Gods storm clouds, Utah — Storm moving through Valley of the Gods, Utah.

I hope you enjoyed one more trip revisiting this area. I sure did, in memory, pictures, and words. As always thank you for looking. G

Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods, March 30, 2022

Geraint April 6, 2022 37 Comments

Greetings on a beautiful spring day in Monument Valley.

Last week I stated that I would post a few more images from the Monument Valley road trip with my friend David. I hope I don’t overdo it!

We went there for the “shadow event” as it is called. In last week’s photo, I told you that it had fizzled out at the prime moment, even so, the light on the landscape was magnificent. In the first two images below you can see that we were not disappointed with the second evening’s opportunity.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park shadow event.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park Shadow event. — Monument Valley, the “Mittens shadow event” at the prime moment.

Dedicating a longer length of time to one place, allowed us to explore the area more extensively. Keeping an eye on the weather (one can see the changes coming far off) we were able to make a judgment call and go to where we thought the results would pay off for a photograph.

This lineman in the next photo has the best view of any job I know of. If I were him, I wouldn’t get any work done. I’d be constantly looking around at the view, and possibly electricute myself in the process. That is why I do what I do and he does what he does.

A line man for the county — A county lineman with the best view!

The lineman’s view, notwithstanding, check out his (were he to glance over) and our view in the other direction, over my shoulder. The vista point was a short walk from a turnout on Highway 163. We passed through a stretch gate, up and over a slight rise for a view of one of my most favorite places on the planet. Over the years, I’ve made many camping trips to Valley of the Gods. My preferred campsite is way in the back of this image, where the rain is falling. There are canyons to hike that seem to go on for almost an eternity. It’s a very special place. Can you imagine the night sky from in there with no light polution?

Valley of the Gods, Utah close up of rain storm — Valley of the Gods, a close-up of a fast-moving rainstorm.

From Valley of the Gods, we drove up the Moki Dugway. If you have a phobia of heights and sheer drops better give it a miss. From the top, we went west on a well-traveled dirt road to the edge of those mesas on the left in the photograph below. The view from the edge was quite amazing. In the second photo, I’m looking down to the San Juan River as it meanders through the goosenecks of the canyon and beyond to Navajo Mountain.

Muley Point and clouds from below in color. — Muley Point with clouds from below.

Navajo Mountain from Muley Point, Utah — San Juan River Goosenecks looking to the west and Navajo Mountain.

Back to Monument Valley, the point of the whole trip.

Tree with a view in Monument Valley — Tree and a view in Monument Valley.

A spectacular view in Monument Valley — Spectacular view in Monument Valley, sans the tree.

Just because it was there, I had fun lining up this shot of the Mittens with a random chair…

West and East Mittens framed — West and East Mittens are framed by a vendor’s tent structure.

…and this one!

West Mitten Framed — West Mitten is framed by a vendor’s tent structure.

One last look at the Monument Valley scenic drive from the iconic pair of rocks at the valley vista.

"The mittens", Monument Valley — “The Mittens”, Monument Valley, scenic drive.

Then it was on to Shiprock, known to the Navajo as Tsé Bitʼaʼí – Rock with Wings, and the road home.

Shiprock "Rock with Wings" — Shiprock, Tsé Bitʼaʼí (Rock with Wings), New Mexico.

Shiprock Tsé Bitʼaʼí (Rock with Wings) New Mexico — Shiprock, New Mexico.

Incidentally, this is how our trip began in the early hours of Tuesday Morning on Highway 64 west of Taos, New Mexico.

Driving in snow and ice on Highway 64, New Mexico

I hope you enjoyed the tour. If you get a chance to head out there, I highly recommend it. If you need a tour guide let me know. Prints are available of all these images. Send me and email if you are interested.

As always, thank you for looking. G

Geraint Smith Photography

Month: April 2022

Fort Union, Santa Cruz, Chairs, Bone Ball, Dinosaur.

Mobile Home, The Moon, The Birds, In a Window, On the Roadside

Valley of the Gods, Big Rock Impressions, Monument Valley Yucca

Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods, March 30, 2022