Reflections Revisited, Ranchos de Taos. 05-12-2023

July 11, 2023 by Geraint

Saint Francis reflections, Ranchos de Taos

Greetings from San Cristobal, New Mexico. This week I’m revisiting reflections at the Saint Francis adobe mission church in Ranchos de Taos. In 2005 and 2006, I began making images of the building and its architectural details in the parking lot rain puddles, and snow melt. Over the years, I’ve posted many such images. What surprised me the most was the time frame and dates when I began this project.

Below are some of my current favorites. Enjoy!

Getting in close…

San Francisco de Asis Church reflections.

… and closer still.

Saint Francis Church reflecting in puddle with rocks — Church of Saint Francis reflecting in a puddle with rocks.

The puddle below is about 3-4 feet wide. I put the camera on the ground, and because the mud had settled, there was a perfect mirror image of the west side of the building.

West elevation Saint Francis, reflecting in a large snow melt puddle — West elevation Saint Francis, reflecting in a snow melt puddle.

Saint Francis, in snow melt puddle. — Saint Francis, in a snow melt puddle.

Saint Francis, reflections in rain puddle. — Saint Francis, reflections in a rain puddle.

Saint Francis, archway, summer reflections — Saint Francis, archway, summertime.

I used the image below in 2009 on a 5×7 postcard to promote my photo tour/workshops. The reflections made the image. I distributed it around town, and business took off.

Saint Francis, archway, night time — Saint Francis, and archway at twilight.

I shot this image in 1988 before I sold my 1958 VW Beetle. I wish I still owned it. It served as a prop in many of my images. The Beetle’s organic shape worked well with the organic shapes on this building.

Saint Francis, in a VW Beetle mirror. — Saint Francis, in my 1958 VW Beetle mirror.

There’s a window across the street that had a lace filagree curtain. One of my favorite shots.

Happenstance plays a big part in my photography. This Prius was ideally parked.

Saint Francis in the rear of an Toyota Prius — Saint Francis in the rear of a Toyota Prius.

Below is the same 3-4 feet puddle as above. I like to return to familiar locations frequently.

Saint Francis in a puddle in parking lot — Saint Francis in a parking lot puddle.

Lastly, not a reflection but many little lenses. What would you call it? I shot it in 2010 for inclusion in a juried exhibit on the Saint Francis Church, entitled “A Humble Masterpiece”. I printed the image in black and white.

Are you planning a summer, fall, or winter trip to New Mexico? Check out my tour/workshop page. I’ll introduce you to the Saint Francis Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos.

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

Nature’s Fireworks, San Cristobal, NM. 07-05-2023

July 5, 2023 by Geraint

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM.

New Mexico, is not the fireworks capital of the universe but certainly the aerial bombardment capital of other projectiles. In the spirit of wanting to keep our dogs safe from audible shock treatment, I posted nature’s fireworks on Facebook yesterday, and it received a number of comments and compliments. Below is an expanded version of the post with almost all of the flowers I’ve shot in the garden this year to date.

The first of four supermoons this summer looked splendid as it rose over the northern flanks of Taos Mountain, (Pueblo Peak) this week. There are two supermoons (one a blue moon) in August and another in September.

Supermoon rise Taos Mountain — Supermoon rise, Taos Mountain.

As always, have a great week, and thanks for looking. G

Planets, Crescent Moon, Sunset Clouds. 06-28-2023

June 28, 2023 by Geraint

Greetings from San Cristobal. On the evening of June 21, the summer solstice, the planets Venus and Mars showed up with the crescent Moon anchored by the sunset clouds. The beauty of this world is just outside the door and perfectly poised for our viewing pleasure. Franz Kafka put it more eloquently than I did.

“You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still, and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.” Franz Kafka

Planets, Venus, Crescent moon — Crescent Moon and Venus.

Zoom in on this second shot to see planet Mars on the upper left edge of the picture. I didn’t see it with my eyes or through the lens at first. It was a pleasant surprise when it magically appeared (pardon me) out of the blue.

Sometimes I poke my camera through a window, a window in a building that I’ve passed many times, and find a surprise before me. A broken window helped me access this scene in a gas station on US 285 in Colorado. It reminds me of the upright piano in my grandparent’s house where I lived growing up in Wales. Our upright piano was more ornate, with two candle holders on either side. I was always encouraged to tap on the keys. My grandparents were very tolerant. I never did learn to play the piano.

This week, just outside the back door, the daylilies are blooming. On the other side of the house, outside the front door, the Apache plume has filled out and glistens in the morning sun. Here’s a shot of the Apache Plume in the afternoon rain.

day lily SC — Daylily shot and edited on an iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Looking outwards or looking inward, there’s plenty to discover. I find sitting still offers me a perspective that suits me well, plus I’m good at spending time doing absolutely nothing. Ask my wife!

As always, thanks for looking. G

Happy Summer Solstice, 06-21-2023

June 20, 2023 by Geraint

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. Happy Summer Solstice from here to where you are. I post the image below every summer solstice since I shot it, on June 20, 2018. I like it! This year it is scheduled to appear in the New Mexico Treasures Calendar, 2024.

The first day of summer arrives with the solstice this year on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, at 8:58 a.m. MDT.

The solstice isn’t a whole day, it’s a moment.

Here’s a summer solstice “moment” in black and white, shot in Plaza Blanca, Abiquiu, NM

If you want to see what Plaza Blaca looks like on the outside, here’s a shot of rock and cloud formations.

Plaza Blanca rocks and sky, Abiquiu, NM — Plaza Blanca rocks and sky.

Here’s another moment I shot in Plaza Blanca on June 22, 2022.

Summer solstice Plaza Blanca — Plaza Blanca, June 22, 2022.

There’s no place like Chaco Canyon to experience the passing moments of the seasons. Here I am sitting under a picnic ramada with a view of the sacred rock formation, Fajada Butte.

Under the ramada, Chaco Culture National Historical Park. — Fajada Butte, Chaco Culture National Historical Park.

The solar eclipse is coming up later in the year. I’m planning on a trip to Chaco Canyon with the rest of the state. We’ll see what happens with those plans.

As always, thank you for looking. It’s a privilege to share my photography with you. G

Crescent Moon, Jupiter. 06-14-2023

June 14, 2023June 14, 2023 by Geraint

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM, and beyond. To the moon and Jupiter.

It was 3 am this morning when I awoke. I went straight back to sleep! 4:20 am came and I was dressed in the dining room opening the window to view the crescent moon and Jupiter. I planned on getting up early to observe this celestial event but I’d gotten a tetanus shot yesterday and felt groggy most of the afternoon. I was going to set the alarm, but I fell asleep around 9:30 pm. Fortunately for my plans, all was well when I awoke. I was alert and ready to watch as the moon and Jupiter rose over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, visible from our home.
The tripod was absent without leave! Buried in the back of the car, I think.
It was getting brighter by the minute so I took a pass on finding the tripod deciding to handhold the camera, bracing myself against the window frame. Fortunately, I’ve had experience with a missing tripod before, so I proceeded as I’ve done in the past and the image below came out just as I expected.

Looking through the viewfinder and the telephoto lens I was able to make out two faint moons of Jupiter. There are 95 known moons of the massive planet. I braced myself against the window frame again and shot a long exposure for the image below.

Crescent Moon with earthshine and Jupiter — Crescent Moon with Earthshine and Jupiter with two of its moons.

The silence before dawn is palpable. There’s a quiet hush that permeates everything. No dogs, sheep, roosters, or birds. At the stroke of some silent alarm, that only critters can hear, the whole valley woke up twenty minutes later. I now know who owns the barking mad dog!

A tree is still a tree, dead or alive. This tree has now gone. It vanished in a housing development. Goodbye tree.

As always. Thanks for looking. G

In The Garden This Week. 06-07-2023

June 7, 2023 by Geraint

Greetings from San Cristobal. This week the garden.

The internet and phones have been down for the last three days after a contractor severed a fiber optic line in Taos. They still remain a bit dodgy. I could go into it further but I’d rather move quickly to get this week’s post online while I have a connection.

Instead of spending time on my phone, online, and on social media over the last few “down” days, I spent time amongst the flowers in our garden.

Here are some of the blooms and one orchid not in the garden. All shot on the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Prints available.

Enjoy.

As always, thank you for looking. G

Rainbow, Mountain Clouds, Bighorn Sheep. 05-31-2023.

May 31, 2023May 31, 2023 by Geraint

Greetings from San Cristobal, the valley, and beyond. This week a fleeting rainbow makes an appearance. The morphing mountain clouds put on a show. Bighorn sheep show off their stature, and a sweet little dove preens itself in the garden.

The storms here move quickly. They say the best camera is the one you have on you. In this instance, it was the iPhone. I was sure to get as many shots as possible before popping into the house to get the big Sony. By the time I got back outside, the rainbow had vanished. The clouds still looked stunning, but those were gone very soon after. Sometimes I think nature has a way of taunting us or at least attempt’s to keep us alert and on our toes. Not from the deck this time but a few steps into the meadow.

The clouds spent the morning building into the afternoon canyon and ridge formations. Changes occur in no time at all. As they say in the Southwest, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” I have plenty of time to look and time to stare, which reminds me of a poem my friend Martin would occasionally recite.

Leisure.

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

William Henry Davies

Building storm clouds — Morphing clouds, San Cristobal.

A couple of days later, this pastoral evening scene happened. I could watch it from my deck chair. I had to move to get this photo, but not that much.

I’d heard reports of these three a week before this photo. I was surprised to see them on my drive through the canyon last week. The cold weather we have experienced for a few weeks made them stay put. They have fresh grass and a dirt mound, with a fortress-like view, in all directions. They weren’t bothered by me or others but seemed to enjoy the company and attention.

Bighorn Sheep, Rio Grande Gorge Rim trail — Bighorn Sheep, Rio Grande Gorge Rim Trail.

I know they are an introduced species, and we have both Eurasian-collared Doves and Mourning Doves in the garden. This one immigrant put on a show last week on the fence post. I enjoyed watching it.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s post. As always thanks for looking. See you next week. G

Western Tanager, Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood. 05-24-2023

May 24, 2023 by Geraint

Greetings from San Cristobal and beyond. Western Tanagers have frequented our garden every year in the past. I have never seen so many all at once as I have this year. Yesterday I had to cut them off from the suet. The Western Tanagers frenzy feeding, and flying around erratically bumping into the windows bringing to mind images of drunken sailors. During a respite, I spotted this little guy after he’d wiped his beak clean of the suet on the bark of the flowering pear tree.

Here’s a list of birds in the garden over three days this week.

Birds 05-20/21/22-2023

Cassin’s Finch
Spotted Towhee
Pine Siskin
Black-headed Grosbeak
European Starling
Evening Grosbeak
Common Raven
Pinyon Jay
Black-billed Magpie
Eurasian Collared Dove
American Robin
Western Tanager
White-breasted Nuthatch
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
American Crow
House Sparrow
Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay
Canyon Towhee
Bullock’s Oriole
House Finch
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (the app ID’d it three times but not confirmed).
Common Grackle. (Could be the crow with a sore throat).

Onward!

Pueblo Peak (Taos Mountain) has been and always will be my muse. It is what has kept me drawn to the area I call home. My other muse is my version of “Monet’s Haystacks Series”… the cottonwood tree and red willows growing along an acequia in Arroyo Hondo, a hamlet just south of San Cristobal.

I shot this image a few days ago on May 21, 2023. The second image was taken on May 21, 2022

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood and willows — Cottonwood and willows along the acequia, Arroyo Hondo.

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood willows — Arroyo Hondo cottonwood.

As you can see in the second picture the greening up of the willows was about a week more advanced this time last year. The cottonwood is more or less similar in both years.

Continue scrolling to see more images from this series in previous seasons.

Arroyo Hondo Cottonwood — Arroyo Hondo fall cottonwood.

Taos Mountain, Arroyo Hondo, cottonwood — Arroyo Hondo cottonwood, with Taos Mountain.

Red Willows, Cottonwood Tree, Arroyo Hondo — Red Willows and cottonwood tree.

Red Willows and cottonwood tree — Winter willows with cottonwood tree.

This year I’ll be working on a shot of the tree, willows, and valley in summer’s full glory.

There are other images of this scene in my archive. A search will reveal more.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments and compliments, and as always. thank you for looking. G

Close The Gate, Sunset, Dennis Hopper, Shiprock. 05-17-23.

May 27, 2023May 17, 2023 by Geraint

Greetings from San Cristobal, New Mexico. This week, “Close the Gate”, a sunset from the deck, Dennis Hopper in Taos, and a short video of the outstanding Shiprock formation in the four corners area of the American Southwest.

“Close the Gate, Please!” … and don’t touch the wire in an approaching storm. Stretch gates are a favorite subject of my photography, I can’t pass one by.

Sunset over the north flanks of Pueblo Peak, (Taos Mountain) from the deck, naturally. I shared the view with a good friend and a glass of Talisker single malt.

Sunset 05-16-23 — Sunset, with Pueblo Peak, (Taos Mountain).

It’s Dennis Hopper Day in Taos, May 27, 2023. I had the good fortune to take a number of pictures of Dennis. Here is the last photo I shot of him driving through Taos Plaza, shortly before he passed. He was very gracious to me and I enjoyed meeting him.

I shot the video below of Shiprock driving through the Four Corners area of the American Southwest last spring. It’s time to get out there again. Perhaps this coming fall.

As always, thank you for looking. G

Sunset Clouds, Moon Set, Bighorn Sheep, 05-10-2023.

May 10, 2023 by Geraint

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.

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 1989 — 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, Scotland — 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 — 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.

As always, thank you for looking. G