Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Day: October 17, 2023

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