Cottonwood Colors. Random Black and Whites. 10-25-2023.

Geraint October 24, 2023 18 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal. This week, my favorite cottonwood tree in all the state, and random black and whites on the road in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

I think the colors on this cottonwood peaked this morning. I never tire of seeing it whenever I commute to or from Taos, in all seasons.

Cottonwood tree, Arroyo Hondo, NM — Arroyo Hondo, NM.

It’s that time of year when shadows return and traverse the adobe walls of the Saint Francis Church in Ranchos de Taos.

Shadows at Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos.

And again in an alleyway in Dixon, NM.

Alleyway and shadows, Dixon, NM — Alleyway and Shadows, Dixon, NM.

Simplicity in the shadows, San Jose de Gracia, de Las Trampas, on the High Road to Taos.

The light and the darkness.

The church of San Jose de Gracia in Las Trampas is one of my favorite stops on the High Road to Taos. I’ve made many trips there over the years. Last week I watched a number tourists pull over, wind down their windows and take a glance or a quick cellphone photo and immediately drive off. Sometimes I wonder what it’s like being a tourist snap-glancing their way around the planet?

Las Trampas church, on the high road to Taos — Adobe, Las Trampas Church, on the High Road to Taos.

In the following image I cut out any distractions. Unlike this image where the moon completed the shot.

A few days ago I was on the road in another favorite location, on the state line in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

Click on the image to expand.

Abandoned homestead, Colorado. — Abandoned homestead and potatoe bunker, Colorado.

As always thank you for looking and all the comments and compliments. G

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

Geraint October 17, 2023 20 Comments

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.

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…

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.

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

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

Taos Mountain Balloon Rally. 10-11-2023

Geraint October 10, 2023 8 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week the Taos Mountain Balloon Rally. I look into the past for a glimpse at the upcoming future events on October 27, 28, and 29, 2023. Also, a little fall color from a few days ago scouting locations for this month’s photo tour/workshops.

If you are in Taos later this month, I hope to see you out and about. The Taos Mountain Balloon Rally is small, sometimes around 50/60 balloons. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is hugely attended with hundreds of colorful balloons in mass ascensions each morning. What we have here in Taos is fewer crowds and the proximity to Taos Mountain.

The images below of the balloons were shot in 2005/2006. Enjoy.

Balloon with snow capped peaks Taos Mountain Balloon Rally — Balloon with snow-capped peaks.

Balloon over mountains, Taos NM — Balloons over mountains in Taos, NM.

Moon's a Balloon — “The Moon’s a Balloon.”

Balloominaria reflections — Balloominaria (balloon luminaria) reflections.

Aspens in Red River's Aspen Valley — In Red River, NM, Aspen Valley.

Please feel free to share my website with your friends and family.

As always, thank you for looking, and have a great week where you are. G.

Crested Butte, High Country Colorado, 10-04-2023

Geraint October 3, 2023 10 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week some images from a trip to Crested Butte in the high country of Colorado.

Last week, I mentioned a trip around the block, so this week we made a trip to the area around Crested Butte, in Colorado. We went for the fall color and also wanted to take a trip with our sweet girl, Coco, our labradoodle. It was a wonderful road trip, and we observed our 13-year-old in the back seat, always in the rearview mirror, and, more importantly, enjoying the great outdoors. She was a delight to travel with, and we’ll look forward to doing it again soon.

Click on images to enlarge.

Kebler Pass, Aspens, near Crested Butte, Colorado — Aspens, Kebler Pass, Colorado.

Here’s another view of the scene above, shot in 2012.

Just before we left on our trip to Crested Butte, we heard, along with the world, that someone had cut down the famous sycamore tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. It is a sad state of affairs, and sickening that one or two people could upset so many people by killing the famous long-lived tree, over 300 years old, featured in movies, documentaries, and millions of personal photos. When I came across the tree in the pictures below, I wanted to make an homage to lone trees everywhere. I shot it from three different viewpoints and it does appear to be growing up from the center of the rock formation.

After returning from Crested Butte, I wanted more of the autumn colors, so my son Dylan and I hiked up the “Italianos Trail” from the Rio Hondo Canyon. As you know, I had foot surgery earlier this year so I wanted to check out my hiking abilities. I used hiking poles for the first time, and things went very well.
We stopped en route to take some pictures. I only brought my iPhone along, but you know what they say, “The best camera is the one you have with you”.

Here are a couple of images of the Italianos Creek.

Close up of Italianos Creek and trail — Close-up of Italianos Creek.

As always, Thank you for looking. I really appreciate all the comments and compliments. G

Geraint Smith Photography

Month: October 2023

Cottonwood Colors. Random Black and Whites. 10-25-2023.

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

Taos Mountain Balloon Rally. 10-11-2023

Crested Butte, High Country Colorado, 10-04-2023