Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Month: July 2025

Wildflowers Around Taos. 07-30-2025.

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM! This week, the neighborhood is bursting with wildflowers. I took an early morning hike with the dogs today. It was still quite cool, and the signs of incoming weather prompted us to keep it short, a 4.5-mile round trip on the Columbine Canyon Trail. The wildflowers are in full bloom and looking beautiful, although the dogs seemed a bit impatient, frequently giving me looks that seemed to ask, “Are we stopping again?” We turned around and started heading back down the trail, chatting and interacting with other hikers along the way. Although it’s mostly uphill and the climb is moderate, the descent is much quicker. I need to train the dogs to slow me down on the way down; their pulling was very helpful on the way up!

Columbine along the creek
Columbine along the creek.
Columbine and other plants
Columbine, Fireweed and other plants.

Mexican Hat flowers everywhere, especially along highways and meadows at 10,000 ft.

Mexican hat flowers everywhere
Mexican Hat flowers.
Mexican hat flowers everywhere
Mexican Hat flowers in our field, San Cristobal.
Shooting stars in the high country.
Shooting Stars in the high country.
Wild Columbine, Italianos trail, Hondo Canyon.
Wild Columbine, Italianos trail, Hondo Canyon.

Showy Locoweed. Details on this plant, as pretty as it is.

Showy Locoweed
Showy Locoweed.
Indian Paintbrush in the Valle Vidal
Indian Paintbrush in the Valle Vidal, Valley of Life.

I think this hummingbird is in amongst Rocky Mountain Penstemon growing wild in the Moreno Valley, NM.

Hummingbird in the Moreno Valley, NM
Hummingbird in the Moreno Valley, NM

My friend David Marks on the trail a few years ago in Taos Ski Valley. Check out his website for some superb wildlife and his journey in phoytography.

Photographing wildflowers in the creek at Taos Ski Valley
Photographing wildflowers in the creek at Taos Ski Valley.

Next month the sunflowers wildflowers of the valley will be showing up along the roadsides. I hope I get to see them this year before the road crews mow them down.

Here’s the print of the week, I call it Sunflower Shower.

Sunflower Sun Shower
Sunflower Shower.

As always, thanks for looking. I think my comments section is working again. So if you’re inclined to comment, I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great week. G

Gallery Wall – 07-23-2025

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, the gallery wall.

Repairing and painting windows, washing the dogs from all the mud brought on by the glorious rain that we’ve had in the area, and editing images for AAA Journeys Magazine brought me right up to now, with a few moments for my weekly website post. The real reason could be that I haven’t been on the road out shooting much over the last few weeks.

This image was taken in Cimarron, NM.

Enjoy!

gallery wall - "another interpretation".
Gallery Wall – “Another Interpretation”.

I found the Last Supper in this picture on a grave marker in the San Luis Valley, Colorado.

Gallery walls, Last Supper
The “Last Supper” held

I found this image of a sticker on a guardrail near a most pristine vista, the farthest removed location from a nervous breakdown.

Gallery Wall "Nervous breakdown".
Gallery Wall “Nervous breakdown”

I have two shows coming up, one in September and one next May, both at the Stables Gallery in Taos. I’ll post more on these events later.

Print of the week this week…(I missed a couple of weeks) in Cottonwood, Sunset Light.

Cottonwood Sunset Light
Cottonwood, Sunset Light.

I just received a new shipment of copies of my book. They make great gifts for those who love this area of New Mexico.

Book - Rio Grande del Norte-An Intimate Portrait
Rio Grande del Norte – An Intimate Portrait

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

Flashback Wednesday, 07-16-2025

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, a flashback with images originally posted on July 16, going back fifteen years. I’ve been on assignment this week for AAA magazine, lots of images to process, so I’m posting images here from the archive.

I hope you enjoy this flashback. You can see more images from the early years at this link:
The Photo of the Day 2005-2016

July 16, 2015.

Flashback, Cerro Pedernal Storm
Storm, Cerro Pedernal, NM

July 16, 2011.

July 16, 2014.

Flashback St. Francis Shadows
St. Francis Shadows, Ranchos de Taos.

July 16, 2016.

Columbine Williams Lake Trail
Columbine, Williams Lake Trail.

July 16, 2012

Harley Davidson Road King, Arroyo Seco, NM
Harley-Davidson Road King, Arroyo Seco, NM.

July 16, 2010.

Walking Rain across the Plateau.
Walking rain across the Plateau, west of Taos.

I could keep going, but there are limits. If you want to see more, click the link at the top of the page.

As always, thanks for looking and for all the comments, emails, and compliments. G

Pow Wow, Taos Pueblo. 07-09-2025

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM! This week, the Taos Pueblo Pow Wow is taking place, and below are some images that reflect the vibrant energy and light of the event. If you’re in Taos this coming weekend, don’t miss the chance to experience the Taos Pueblo Pow Wow. It promises to be an enthralling experience. The event runs from July 11, 2025, to July 13, 2025. Hope to see you there!

Pow Wow, Taos Pueblo, Waiting for the grand entry.
Pow Wow, Taos Pueblo, and rainbow.

Below are some images from the middle 1980’s, shot on Kodachrome slide film and scanned.

Taos Pueblo Powwow
Waiting to dance.
Dancer
Dancer.
Dancer
Dancer.

And the year before the Covid shutdown. “Chief from Saskatchewan”.

Powwow participant
Taking a stretch break.

Then a trip to the Pueblo itself is always fascinating.

As always, thanks for looking, and all the comments and compliments. Have a great week and I hope to see you out there. G

Red-Winged Blackbird, Poem. 07-02-2025.

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, my photo of a red-winged blackbird and a poem shared by a friend on Facebook. I thought I’d share this moment of beauty.

Red-winged blackbird Ranchos de Taos NM
Red-winged blackbird, Ranchos de Taos NM

The Poem:

We were riding through frozen fields in a wagon at dawn.
A red wing rose in the darkness.
And suddenly a hare ran across the road.
One of us pointed to it with his hand.
That was long ago. Today neither of them is alive,
Not the hare, nor the man who made the gesture.
O my love, where are they, where are they going
The flash of a hand, streak of movement, rustle of pebbles.
I ask not out of sorrow, but in wonder.

~ Czesław Miłosz

Read more about Czesław Miłosz.

More birds.

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