Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Oak Leaf, Lama Mountain, New Mexico

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Oak Leaf, today on Lama Mountain, northern New Mexico. The shades of autumn in the changing scrub oak, their mesmerizing colors carpeting the hillsides of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of the southern Rockies. I picked one from the car window as we passed and held it with the sun lighting from behind, against a dark shadowed background. Thanks for looking. G

Oak Leaf, today on Lama Mountain, northern New Mexico.

Jupiter, Jupiter’s Moons, Our Moon

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Jupiter, Jupiter’s Moons, our Moon. Last night, looking up from the deck revealed this beautiful alignment of Saturn, Jupiter and four moons with our moon waxing. Saturn was too small and farther away to include in this photo. This photo comprises one exposure for our moon and another for Jupiter and it’s moons. Thanks for looking. Keep looking up. G

Jupiter, Jupiter's Moons, our Moon.

Carson National Forest Road 437, Garcia Park, NM

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Carson National Forest, FR 437, to Garcia Park, New Mexico today. This meadow was going off and creating a golden reflecting light source for the whole area around. It was a special drive on our annual visit to see the colors up high at 9800 + feet above sea level. If you have the opportunity to get out up into the mountains this week, I would highly recommend it. P.S. Look up in the sky tonight for the Moon, Jupiter and Saturn in close proximity. Thanks for looking. G

Carson National Forest, FR 437 Garcia Park, New Mexico

Aspen Grove, Clouds, Highway 17, Cumbres Pass, Colorado

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Aspen grove, against grey clouds on Highway 17, at the Cumbres Pass, Colorado. Four hours drive away from yesterday’s photo of the day, just over the state line in Colorado, the colors are doing their thing precisely on time. I’ve photographed this scene many times over the last few years. It continues to be a favorite location each Autumn when the aspens light up the hills in the Rocky Mountains. Interesting fact, aspens grow from one root system. They are the largest living organism on the planet. Thanks for looking. G

Aspen Grove, Clouds, Highway 17, Cumbres Pass, Colorado

Aspen Road, Mountains, New Mexico

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Aspen road, in the mountains of northern New Mexico. The aspens around Taos are in all shades from green and in some cases yellow and gold. Farther north in southern Colorado, at ten thousand feet, things are advancing fast. It is great to smell autumn in the air with moisture and cooler temperatures. Enjoy your autumnal equinox (7:31am MST) this morning and the rest of your fall. Thanks for looking. G

Aspen road, in the mountains of northern New Mexico

Red Barn, San Luis Valley, Milky Way

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Red Barn in the San Luis Valley under the Milky Way yesterday evening. Sitting in a chair, tripod set up, a pleasing composition, waiting for it to get dark. It was a beautiful sky after the clouds and fire haze cleared. Half the fun of doing night photography is being out under pristine skies enjoying the peace and tranquility, a pack of coyotes far off in the distance, their chatter echoing across the valley, and a nice cup of tea. If nothing else, landscape photography keeps me in the outdoors, in nature and good company. Thanks for looking. G

Red Barn, San Luis Valley, Milky Way

Starry Night, Satellite, Rio Grande, Pilar, New Mexico

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Starry night in the Rio Grande Gorge, Pilar, New Mexico. I was setting up a composition for the milky way over the gorge and river when I spotted a satellite in one frame, so I quickly kept exposing shots and made a composite of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites cruising across the skies here in NM. Personally, I think there is enough junk in space, plus, Mr. Musk plans to add some 80,000 satellites to the junk already up there. It’s quite a controversy among astronomers. Almost every frame that night had some man made object coursing across the sky. Thanks for looking. G

Starry night in the Rio Grande Gorge, Pilar, New Mexico.