Greetings from the San Luis Valley.
Here’s the tree I promised in last week’s post. I headed north in a dust storm. Inclement weather could be my middle name. What the dust afforded me besides spots on my sensor was a slight separation of the tree and mountain. The sky in this image of the lone tree was unexpected. The tree had lost a small limb since my previous trip. I didn’t mind. It cleaned up the composition. (Click on images to enlarge).
The dust created a nice veil of diffuse light so the poles and trees stood out. I’d not seen them so prominent before.
In the following photo, you can see the dust storm is more apparent. The trees really stood out against Ute Mountain like guardians.
Heading home a little later the wind at Sanchez Reservoir was so strong. When I stopped to shoot the ice on the shoreline I could barely open the car door. I got out and made a few so-so images then had to jump back in the car and get my legs in fast before the door slammed shut on my ankles. Did I say how cold the wind chill was? I wish I’d looked. All I can say is it was cold!!!
I knew I wanted to catch the light on the fresh snow on the peaks in the Latir Peaks Wilderness, so I headed in that direction. I’ve done this shot before almost to the day. I wasn’t disappointed this time either. The wind had subsided but the cold remained. So I parked with a view and rested the camera on the open window. With the heat on and music playing, I was comfy and waited. The last bit of light through the clouds caught Cabresto Peak just right. In the second image below, I zoomed in for a close-up.
… And a couple of my favorite images of Taos Mountain. The first shot is from the Ranchos Valley with an acequia (irrigation ditch), red willows, and snow-capped peaks of Taos Mountain.
This image of Taos Mountain was when it was bathed in the last glow of sunlight through the letterbox opening in the clouds.
Phew, we made it another year. As always thanks for looking, happy new year. G
21 thoughts on “San Luis Valley views, and Mountain Snows.”
Magical
Thank you, Alison. G
Very beautiful. Wish more of NM still was, but industrial-strength tourism and development has dimmed that beauty.
Thank you. Unfortunately, you may be right. I like to look beyond that fact and when in sought I head north. G
Hello Geraint; was just started to write a fictionalized story about my loving (needing) the tree outside my window, when I click on you site with the silhouette tree. Your photos have the wistful, lonesome, bare-bones feeling of Georgia O’Keefe paintings.
That’s really nice. I love lone trees. Thank you, Claudia. G
A beautiful black and white series of Ute Mountain with the dust storm! We’re already beginning plans for a summer visit to Taos and Santa Fe. We’ll see you then,
Happy New Year!
Thank you, Mark. Happy new year to you and Judy. I see you next year! G
Your dedication to the art is inspiring
Thank you, so much, Larry. I do my best. G
makes us want to visit Taos….
Thank you, Mary. I hope to see you and Michael here again. G
As colorful as your country-side is, I love the black and white renderings. Happy New Year.
Thank you, Bob, I appreciate that. I think B/W pairs things down to the bare bones of a scene and also takes me back to days when I predominantly shot black and white film. Cheers, Bob. G
Once again, Thanks
Thank you, Ron. G
Stunning photos
Thank you, Gaynor. Happy new year. Love you. Ger
Great work, Geraint!!! Happy New Year!! Hope to see you in the summer.
Thank you, Peter. I look forward to it Peter. And happy new year. G
Wonderful photos to say good-bye to 2021, thanks for sharing them with us all, I always look forward to getting them. Happy new year to you and your family😊