Geraint Smith Photography

Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

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Month: May 2025

Springtime, Taos Mountain. 05-28-2025

Geraint May 28, 2025 No Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, Taos Mountain and El Prado, the meadows, are in the height of spring finery, and Williams Lake, followed by the ‘print of the week’.

Taos Mountain, El Prado.
Taos Mountain, El Prado.

I made it back to Williams Lake without a slip on the ice. Conditions weren’t too bad, no need for micro-spikes this time, but I was definitely glad to have the hiking poles. I’ve had tougher trips, like back on July 4, 1995, when I had to turn around because the snow was too deep. I was carrying my 1½-year-old son on my back and kept post-holing through the drifts in the trees. Over the years, I’ve probably made close to a hundred trips to this lake, and I’m looking forward to many more, here and on the trails beyond.

Williams Lake
Williams Lake, 05-22-25

I had brunch with these two critters, a ground squirrel and a scarry looking buck toothed marmot

Ground squirrel
Ground Squirrel.
Marmot
Marmot.

While the squirrel raced around foraging, the marmot sat unmoving like a big furry glove puppet. To put it in perspective, he/she was bigger the our chihuahua, Barkley, now no longer with us. Here he is on Wheeler Peak.

This week’s featured print is a nearly full Harvest Moon beneath an almost double rainbow. Some images stay with me, and this is one of them. I remember the exact moment I captured this five-image stitched panorama. Taos Mountain is in the clouds under the rainbow. This piece found a home in Taos this week.

Print of the week, Harvest Moon Rainbow
Print of the week, Harvest Moon and Rainbow

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

Dawson, New Mexico. 05-21-2025

Geraint May 21, 2025 6 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, a photo tour with Scott to Abiquiu, Cimarron, and Dawson, NM, and all points in between.

We began the weekend at the Saint Francis Church in Ranchos de Taos and caught the moon setting over its buttress. From there, we went to Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch and had fun finding compositions around the lake and red rock formations. We spent the day out there and returned with some unique landscape images. It’s always a good day in Abiquiu, NM.

Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos
San Francisco de Asis.

The second day was spent between the Enchanted Circle drive through the Moreno Valley, the Palisades to Cimarron, and Dawson Cemetery, returning through Red River to photograph Bighorn Sheep. The whole day paid off in desired but unexpected images. I think Scott got these elk crossing the Vermejo River.

Elk on the Dawson Ranch Road
Elk on the Ranch Road.

Dawson Cemetery, NM
Dawson Cemetery, NM.

Memorial weekend is coming up, I hope everyone has a good start to summer. Here’s a favorite shot from the biker rally held this weekend every year. You may remember it.

Memorial day in Taos NM
Memorial Day in Taos, NM.

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

Williams Lake, Wheeler Traverse. 05-14-2025

Geraint May 13, 2025 2 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, I’m sharing a wide panorama from Williams Lake, a panorama shot on my iPhone. It’s a short post, but a sweeping view. I’m going back up to the lake sometime next week and follow up with another perspective.

The Wheeler Traverse extends from Wheeler Peak on the left of the frame to the peak on the extreme right and beyond down to the Taos Ski Valley. I did the traverse in 1989, again in 1990, and maybe again this year. Click on the image to expand.

Williams Lake, New Mexico
Williams Lake, New Mexico.

Williams Lake and Wheeler Peak, New Mexico, are located high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Taos, New Mexico. Williams Lake and Wheeler Peak form one of the most iconic alpine destinations in the state. Their rugged beauty, pristine wilderness, and accessibility from Taos Ski Valley make them favorites for hikers and backpackers.

Wheeler traverse
Wheeler traverse.

Wheeler Peak, elevation 13,161 feet (4,011 m), is the highest point in New Mexico. From Williams Lake, a steep, rocky spur trail continues another 2 miles and gains 2,000 feet to the summit. The views are sweeping: to the north, you see the Rio Grande Gorge; to the east, the Moreno Valley and Eagle Nest Lake; and to the west, the layered mesas of northern New Mexico. Bighorn sheep, marmots, pika, golden eagles, and the occasional black bear frequent the alpine tundra.

If you’re fit and would enjoy a guided hike to the lake for a photography tour, please message me through my contact form.

Print of the week. Click on the image to see more details.

Rio Grande Gorge Rainbow
Rio Grande Gorge Rainbow.

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

Locations In The Valley. 05-07-2025

Geraint May 7, 2025 4 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This past week brought a mix of wild weather, scenic locations, and rewarding moments during a photo tour through the San Luis Valley.

On May 1st, I led a photo tour with my client Randy. The wind created dust plumes and walls of sand moving across the landscape, adding a dramatic edge to our image-making. Despite the challenging conditions, Randy captured some striking photographs. With just a bit of light editing, he’s heading home with a collection of print-worthy keepers.

Just yesterday, May 6, we were treated to a surprise of nearly three inches of snow layered over a bed of hail. Overnight, our deck turned into a sheet of ice, much to the delight of the dogs, who raced and skidded across it like athletes.

Back in the San Luis Valley, one of our first stops was the historic Anderson Grain Elevator in Jaroso, Colorado. It’s a compelling subject with its weathered textures and quiet presence, with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains as a backdrop.

Locations in the San Luis Valley Anderson's Grain Elevator
Anderson’s Grain Elevator, Jaroso, CO.

A familiar landmark that I visit often, the iconic red barn, continues to bear the brunt of time and wind. Sadly, it’s beginning to lean and twist under pressure. The siding has started to give way, and I suspect the resulting gaps are funneling the gusts through, paradoxically easing the strain while hastening the barn’s decline. Its days are numbered.

Red Barn in the San Luis Valley

From there, we moved on to another of my favorite locations, the Lobatos Bridge, a steel span across the Rio Grande dating back to the 1890s.

Lobatos Bridge, Colorado
Lobatos Bridge, Colorado.

The view from the bridge is a photographer’s dream, with the river winding away toward the towering Blanca Peak Massif in the distance. It’s a scene that never fails to inspire.

The Rio Grande from the Lobatos Bridge, Colorado, with Blanca Peak.
Rio Grande from the Lobatos Bridge, Colorado, with Blanca Peak.

Join me at one of the many locations by signing up for a photo tour/workshop in this area.

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