New Mexico, First Impressions. 01-28-2025

Geraint January 28, 2026 4 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico. This week, I’m continuing with images from my New Mexico, First Impressions series.

I hope you enjoy traveling back in time with me. While some things have changed, dirt roads have been paved, some buildings have been replaced with box stores, and open fields and wetlands have given way to neighborhood apartment blocks—many iconic locations remain. For that, I am grateful.

San Lorenzo Mission Church, Picuris. This original structure was replicated in the early 1990‘s.

San Lorenzo, Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico. — San Lorenzo Mission Church, Picuris.

Abiquiu Morada, Thanksgiving, 1984.

Abiquiu Morada, late summer, 1985.

Chile ristras, Chimayo, NM

A chile ristra is a string (or braid) of whole chile pods—traditionally New Mexico red chiles—tied together and hung up to dry. You’ll see them draped over doorways, portals, porch beams, or kitchen walls all across New Mexico. They’re food, folk art, and regional identity all rolled into one.

Koshare doll/artwork/sculpture in the window of a Santa Fe Art Gallery, 1984.

Koshare doll in a Santa Fe Art Gallery — Koshare doll.

Taos Pueblo snowfall, thanksgiving, 1984.

San Geronimo Church, Taos Pueblo, 1985

Taos Pueblo blowing snow, 1987

And one this week taken from the kitchen window. I love the view we have and feel very fortunate.

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

Galisteo, NM, Flashback, 1986. 01-21-2026

Geraint January 21, 2026 2 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, a flashback to the village of Galisteo shot on 4×5 film, 1986, the Rio Grande Gorge, and a quick cellphone shot of the northern lights from our village.

House and fence shot on 4×5 film, Galisteo, NM 1986.

Gateway, with bell, Galisteo, 1986.

Taos mountains and gorge rocks — Taos Mountains and Rio Grande Gorge rocks.

Taos mountain from the Rio Grande Gorge — Taos Pueblo Mountain from the Rio Grande Gorge.

The northern lights and the little chapel from our village of San Cristobal. Not as impressive a display as previous auroras, but I liked the way the ambient light illuminated La Capella, setting off against the sky.

Over the next few week’s I’ll be posting more scanned images from approximately 40 years ago, taken on multiple trips to the Land of Enchantment during the 1980s, that I call “New Mexico, First Impressions“.

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

Pueblo Peak, Buddha, Flicker, Moon. 01-14-2026.

Geraint January 14, 2026 2 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week’s photos include Taos Mountain (Pueblo Peak), before the foot of snow, Buddha in the garden after the snow, a northern Flicker in the old cottonwood, and a crescent moon.

I hope everyone had a good week. We enjoyed a weekend of snow. Now it’s back to sunny days and walks with the dogs in the snowy woods.

Our Buddha statue is always the first to melt the snow and ice in its little corner in the garden.

Garden buddha — Buddha in the garden, San Cristobal.

Here’s our other statue, one of my popular images in my print gallery.

A northern flicker was busy burying seeds and whatever it had in the cottonwood tree. When I pulled into the driveway a couple of days later, my eyes witnessed an opportunistic magpie harvesting its stashes.

Waiting until the crescent moon showed up. What a nice surprise!

Crescent Moon, Clouds — Crescent Moon, through an opening in the clouds.

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

Wolf Moon Rising, 01-07-2026

Geraint January 7, 2026 No Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. Happy New Year! The first pictures of the new year, the first full moon of the year, the Wolf Moon, which is also known as “Canada Goose Moon”, “Greetings Moon”, and a favorite of mine, “Frost Exploding Moon”.

This year, I shot the moon rising from our driveway in order to avoid the big juniper trees on the property. It was a magnificent sight to behold.

When it first appeared behind the Sangre de Cristo foothills.

Wolf moon rising over the foothills — Rising over the foothills

The sunlight on the clouds disappeared fast.

Moon rise SC — Moonrise over the foothills, San Cristobal.

Here’s a post of the wolf moon rising and setting in January 2021 on a photo shoot with my friend John W.

The Super-Wolf Moon eclipse, in the crystal clear skies, San Cristobal, New Mexico, in 2019.

And a favorite photo of mine from 2022.

sangre de cristos — Over the Rocky Mountains.

Here’s more on the moons and their names throughout the year.

I hope you saw it from where you are.

If you’re interested in joining me on a photo adventure this year, I’m booking dates now through the end of the year and beyond.

As always, thanks for looking. It’s a great pleasure for me to share my work with you, and I’m honored to have you join me.

Geraint Smith Photography

Month: January 2026

New Mexico, First Impressions. 01-28-2025

Galisteo, NM, Flashback, 1986. 01-21-2026

Pueblo Peak, Buddha, Flicker, Moon. 01-14-2026.

Wolf Moon Rising, 01-07-2026