Three black and whites from a photo tour this week. In the first image, at Placita on the High Road to Taos, I happened to look up and there was the last quarter moon with the deep shadow from the church roofline running through the scene. The second image was taken at the church of the Sacred Heart in Rainsville, NM. I was drawn to the shapes and patterns of the shadows and light interacting with the white-trimmed window. The third image is east of the church in Rainsville looking toward the plains. We waited for the clouds to roll through with a little rain thrown in for good measure.
Placita, Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion chapel and moon, High Road to Taos
Rainsville, Church of the Sacred Heart, New Mexico.
Tree with a backdrop of storm clouds Rainsville, NM.
The moon was nearly full when it rose over the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I’m a proponent of as little travel as possible when the presentation is before me. Dewitt Jones said, “The banquet is spread constantly, with no thought of whether anyone will attend. If I were receptive enough, perhaps I would see it in everything. But I’m not, so photography is one of the tools I use to help me concentrate, to help me see deeply, to block out all that is extraneous and see that which is essential.” I shot the moon rise last night and the following two images looking out from our deck early this morning. The potential for a vibrant eclipse diminished through the night as clouds moved in. Around 3 am the moon vanished altogether. At 4:30 am, my alarm went off. There was a faint moon with clouds surrounding it. I nodded off. By 4:55 am I was dressed and standing outside with the camera set up. I surmised that the moon would perhaps emerge from and disappear behind intermittent banks of clouds. It did as I thought but not with the resounding determination I’d hoped for. It seemed to pulse faintly as it set and then it was gone. At 5:45 I was back in bed. I woke up at 7:15 am with a feeling that I had traveled miles. In effect, at that moment I had hitched a ride with the moon. I think I’ll also need a nap later.
Nearly full moon rising over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM
Lunar eclipse, this morning from San Cristobal, NM
Full moon, Lunar eclipse, setting this morning over the Taos Plateau.
Below is a new print I’m working on. It’s a very large panorama of the sacred Fajada Butte in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. I’ll have this image ready for purchase on my fine art prints landscape page this weekend.
Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, Chaco Culture National Historical Park
Not a lot of words are needed here. Suffice to say I’m playing around with my new Sony 100-400mm lens, and what better place than the garden. The birds are willing accomplices and help me put the lens through its paces. I really like this lens a lot.
Garden Buddha with seashells, San Cristobal.
Black-headed Grosbeak.
Black-headed Grosbeak
Female immature Black-headed Grosbeak.
Female Black-headed Grosbeak.
Female Evening Grosbeak.
Male Black-chinned Hummingbird, tasting the nectar or the air.
Male Black-chinned Hummingbird guarding the feeder.
Female Black-chinned Hummingbird.
Female Black-chinned Hummingbird on the feeder.
A Brown-headed Cowbird returned to the garden this year.
White-sided Sphinx Moth, often referred to as a hummingbird moth.
It’s been a fun three weeks of photo tours and workshops. I get a break next week and head out again shortly after. Thanks to all those who have joined me. I have dates open through the rest of the year and beyond if you are interested in a one-on-one photography experience.
White-faced Ibis, Arroyo Hondo, NM
White Recliner Carson National Forest, NM
Ranch gate cowboy cutouts with setting moon, Taos NM.
I shot this short video of one of the few Muskrats we watched in the Valle Vidal (Valley of Life) last summer. Looking forward to getting back to the high country this summer on extended photography trips and some relaxation.
Thanks for looking. Keep staying well and healthy. Geraint
Some shots around the extended neighborhood these last couple of weeks. Still a lot of snow in the high country and a brightly colored cattle guard glowing like Kodachrome® yellow. An Osprey with a half-eaten fish on a fence post in the Chama Valley followed by an elk skull and antlers with a backdrop of San Antonio Mountain and great sky over the Volcanic Plateau. A few days ago we cruised north into the San Luis Valley and found an RV standing alone under a brooding sky and the Road G intersection with Road 7 looking north towards Blanca Peak and south to Ute Mountain. Last but not least on a photo tour/workshop two weeks ago, Chile Trompe l’oeil in Costilla and El Rito, NM. Thanks for checking in and looking and for all the great comments, emails, and compliments. G
High country snow and fence near Hopewell Lake, NM.
Cattle Guard, thoughts of Kodachrome come to mind.
Osprey on a fence post with half eaten fish in Chama, NM.
Elk head, antlers with San Antonio Mountain in the Taos Volcanic Plateau.
RV, San Luis Valley, southern Colorado.
Road G in the San Luis Valley looking north to Blanca Peak.
Road G in the San Luis Valley looking south to Ute Mountain.
Blue door with red chile ristras Trompe l’oeil in Costilla, NM.
Painted chiles on El Farolito Restaurant in El Rito, NM
The old charm of New Mexico in two images presented with an old look of a scratched and worn film base. The first is a hawk launching over an old homestead near La Jara, Colorado. The second, an iconic Sears kit home in Estancia, NM. I’m on photo tours this week so I’ll keep it short. If you’d like to join me on a trip, visit my photo tour/workshop page. I’ll look forward to seeing you here.
A raptor launches over a homestead near La Jara, Colorado.
A Sears kit home in the town of Estancia, New Mexico
The valleys are beginning to show signs of green. The desert has water running through it. The light illuminates the many forms and geology of the area.
Cloud formations with a complimentary tree.As they say, “a river runs through it” in Ghost Ranch, NMMany intriguing rock formations in Arroyo Blanco, Abiquiu, New Mexico
I’m never at a loss for places to explore in this area. Thanks for looking. Stay well. G
Road trip to Alamosa for covid shots. No matter the reason for the trip, there’s always something to see. On this occasion a very large storm cell moving through the Central San Luis Valley carrying spitting kernels of snow. Standing up in the bed of the truck was stinging but exhilarating, to say the least. It didn’t stop me. We stopped into other locations as well for the black and white below. There are 14,000 ft peaks in this range behind those clouds.
Storm cell, Blanca Peak Massif, and Highway 160, Colorado.
Storm cell over Blanca Peak, San Luis Valley, Colorado.
Following are a few pictures from one of the five photo tours/workshops during the last month. I’m booking tours/workshops from June through the rest of the year and beyond. Let me know if you want to join me on the road in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.
Rust, Paint, Patina on a farm tractor in Jaroso, Colorado.
Combination mail boxes with Eagle in the Jaroso, post office, Colorado.
Working the ruins in Garcia, Colorado on a photo tour/workshop.
Thanks for looking. Stay healthy. See you next week. G
The full moon rising last Saturday over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado. Commonly known as the “Worm Moon” it’s also known by these names in other cultures. Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Moon of Winds, Fish Moon. Here’s a link to the names of full moons in many other cultures. I’m rather partial to “Crow moon”. The crows in our field get busy at this time of year and show up every morning before sunrise. This is a photo of a crow with the full moon back in early December. Despite the names bestowed on a full moon, it’s a most wondrous site to behold rising over fresh snow-covered peaks of the “Sangres”. This was shot and cropped from a very large panoramic image on a photo tour/workshop. Join me in this area for a trip to see sights like this.
The full “worm moon” rising last Saturday over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado
Here’s the panorama of the whole scene. If you have room for a large print, the detail in both is amazing. Prints will be available soon.
Large panorama of the full moon rising over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado
