Blue sky with last leaves on one aspen tree near Hopewell Lake, NM. I love the simplicity of this composition, where the bare branches appear to be about to let go of the remaining few leaves. I’ve photographed the last leaves on many trees over the years. I feel there’s a certain melancholy to this scene, although the blue sky and golden leaves present a pretty picture. I think I’ll call this one, “Before the fall”. Thanks for looking. G
Last leaves of fall on the elm tree in San Cristobal, NM. Or perhaps I should title it “the last leaves to fall” off the elm tree. Either way, after yesterday’s blustering snow and wind, these are the only leaves left on the tree and not on the lawn. Thanks for looking. G
Last leaves to fall on the aspen tree. This was a couple of days ago here in the garden. The snow took them shortly after I made this image. The last seven leaves on a young aspen in what turned out to be one of the most beautiful autumns I’ve ever seen in the thirty five years I’ve traveled and lived here. I hope yours was as gorgeous where you live. Thanks for looking. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week falling leaves in the aspen groves around northern New Mexico.
Over the last three weeks, I’ve spent many hours in the woods on photo tours with clients from the East Coast, West Coast, Dallas, Houston, Albuquerque, and beyond.
One thing that always moves me is being overwhelmed by the golden light underneath the aspen canopy. Standing in the aspen groves with leaves falling all around is another.
In the following images, I wanted to create a feeling of standing amongst the aspens with leaves falling around me. I hope you like them.
Falling leaves and aspen trunks.
Leaves and aspen trunks.
As always thank you for looking. I hope you have a great week. G
The light, it’s all about the light. Waiting until the sunlight lit up the road and the aspens ahead didn’t take very long but it did require a few moments until the sun emerged from the clouds. The moment and the picture happen, click!!!
Fall color and light on Highway 64, northern NM.
The following three images depict a local pond, a different way the leaves turn in one particular area, and a spontaneous composition on a log in the Carson National Forest a few days ago.
Aspen leaves on a mountain pond, in the Sangre de Cristos.
Aspen leaves in the high country of northern New Mexico.
Aspen leaves on a log in the Carson National Forest.
One fallen aspen tree leads the eye through the standing trees to the copse beyond.
Aspen tree Hopewell Lake, New Mexico.
A nice hillside of aspens in various stages of fall. There are still a number of weeks of turning colors to come. Join me on a photo tour and I’ll share some of my favorite locations with you.
Aspens on the flanks of the Brazos Cliffs, New Mexico.
I frequently enjoy visiting this pond in the mountains between Taos and Angel Fire and this week we hit it with precision timing. The leaves were falling like rain on and around us. Here’s a video I shared on Facebook. Turn up the sound if you watch!
Autumn pond in Valle Escondido, NM.
And… last but not least, spending as much time on the road as I do, the opportunities abound. In this case a Porcupine trucking across the road. I had to move fast. The porcupine was fast, but I was slightly faster and that’s how I got this picture of a sweet little creature.
Greetings from a blustery evening in San Cristobal, NM, followed by heavy rain, the loudest thunder and huge lightning on the ridge behind the house.
After my trip to Colorado last week, I spent this week making prints in my digital darkroom, my well-lit office! Last year I collected many oak leaves from the surrounding mountains, which in itself was a gorgeous time spent in the outdoors. I pressed the leaves collected in a heavy book of Andrew Wyeth prints. When flattened just enough to take out a little of the curl, I set up outdoors on the patio with a dark background and backlight from the sun. I used a roach clip to pin the leaves at eye level and started shooting. I got the idea from viewing the leaves on the trees in the field that were backlit. The wind was a little too much to contend with shooting in the mountains. It was much easier to control on the patio. Here are the results.
Last year’s oak leaves, collected on Lama Mountain.
Individual oak leaf print.
Matted, framed and signed archival prints.
This image was taken a couple of weeks ago and printed on cotton rag archival paper. I wanted to convey how sheltered and secluded it feels standing in the aspens. There’s always a way out.
Aspen Grove signed prints.
The brand new tipi standing in El Prado (the meadows) begged for a different view rather than a full-on standard, here’s the tipi shot. This is the image I came up with for a different angle. I processed it in an app called “Formulas”.
Taos Tipi
Taos Tipi signed prints.
If you are interested in any of the oak leaf prints, please message me here. They look great in groups. The aspen grove print is available here, and the tipi print is available here.
I’m continually reviewing images from previous weeks and months. The following images are from the last couple of weeks. Some from the front field and some from trips out in the greater field. I’ve also included an image of my daughter pulled from way back in 2004 that I’ve re-worked for printing. And lastly, a little something from 2005 for this weekend’s happy hearts day.
I begin with the most recent from yesterday morning with this month’s waning moon rising over Taos Mountain.
Crescent moon with earth shine rising over Taos Mountain from the field at our home in San Cristobal.
Crescent moon rising over Taos Mountain with a few crows in San Cristobal.
The following are a couple of images from a drive Pami and I did into the San Luis Valley the last time it snowed.
Snow filled field furrows with the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, taken near Jaroso, Colorado.
San Antonio Mountain clouds and snowy road in the San Luis Valley, Colorado.
Last week Chris Ferguson and I drove south to Carson, NM for a photoshoot on the Rio Grande Gorge Rim. We had some beautiful winter sunlight in the late afternoon to create another set of old west inspired images. Stay tuned for a few more from the last couple of these commercial shoots I’ve collaborated on with Chris, at Tres Estrellas.
Chris from Tres Estrellas. Photo shoot on the Rio Grande Gorge Rim, Carson New Mexico.
A rather dense sunset last week on the way home from the Cellar, our local bottle shop. Not the color of fine red wine as is often the case with the Sangre de Cristos. Despite the heaviness, this sunset got a lot of attention from locals judging by the number of posts on Facebook.
Sunset, Vallecito Mountain, in the Sangre de Cristos.
My daughter, taken back in fall 2004 in Taos, New Mexico. If she could get into or under anything she would. I reworked this image in order to make a print I’ve wanted to hang.
“Leaf Girl” my daughter under a pile of leaves, fall 2004, Taos, NM.
And lastly, something appropriate for this weekend. Fly me to the moon in a valentine balloon.
Cold and frosty morning, leaves in the driveway preceding a walk through the pasture. The frost is getting thicker and more steadfast. The last ash tree dropped it’s final leaves today. In this picture the elm leaves turn shades of blues under the hard frost and make for a pretty still life. Thanks for looking. G
Greetings from San Cristobal. This week some images from northern New Mexico, Scotland, and England.
I shot the dramatic image of sunset clouds from a friend’s land near the village of Tres Piedras, just off US Highway 64, the other mother road. I took the moonset out of the bedroom window. I shot it ten years ago, but this is how it looked when the full moon set last Saturday morning. We have spectacular views where we live across the volcanic plateau to the west. The clouds at sunset appear to roll over the landscape and beyond over the mountains.
Sunset clouds from Tres Piedras, NM.
Moon set from San Cristobal, NM.
I threw a virtual dart at one of my hard drives again, and this image of a bighorn sheep ram popped up. I don’t know much about their nature, but, I do know, they own the canyons and rocks.
Bighorn sheep ram, Rio Grande Gorge, NM.
An early morning shot on a photo tour at the iconic Saint Francis Church.
Shadows at the Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, NM.
I came across this image when scanning slides a couple of weeks ago. I collaborated with a writer in 1989 on a story on the churches on the high road to Taos. The story was not published, but we had a good time, made many images, and learned a lot about the history, people, and culture of northern New Mexico.
Padre José Lopez, Cordova, NM, Kodachrome 1989.
Rock stackers are everywhere. I shot this image in Scotland a few years ago. It doesn’t work for me in wilderness areas. Besides, cairns make less obvious trails on the mountains and moors and are essential to finding one’s way. What you see in this photo, is a place just beyond the road where bus tours and cars stop to admire the view. What do you think?
Stacked rocks, somewhere in Scotland.
I love that nature will thrive wherever and however, it will. This tenacious tree seems to be doing quite well.
Hillside Tree, Yorkshire, England.
I’m up and fully mobile again. I’m walking up to 2+ miles a day. Some days less, some days more. Thank you so much to all my friends and family who checked in on me. Immeasurably thanks and gratitude to my lovely wife, Pami, for taking care and putting up with me!
What started with a picture of sunset clouds took me, once again, down the hard drive rabbit hole.
I look forward to seeing you in New Mexico if it’s on your travel plans this year.
