Category: Photo of the Week

Stunning Lenticular Clouds. 12-10-2025.

Geraint December 10, 2025 5 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, lenticular clouds, and this seems to be the season. Although these clouds can appear throughout the year, they are particularly abundant right now. Their stunning, lens-like shapes add a touch of magic to the already breathtaking landscape, making this time of year truly special.

Enjoy! And click on the image to enlarge.

Lenticular clouds San Cristobal — From our deck in San Cristobal.

San Cristobal — Moments before the following photo.

Lenticular clouds — From the deck in San Cristobal.

Click on the image below for a full panorama of the total event. I was driving home from Santa Fe when this happened. I believe it was visible across the entire state.

Taos Pueblo Peak lenticular clouds. — Taos Pueblo Peak, from the deck.

Taos mountains moonrise — Mountain Moonrise.

Lenticular clouds with Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds that look like ocean waves are forming.

Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds look like ocean waves — From the garden wall to the Jemez Mountains.

Lenticular clouds are lens-shaped clouds that typically form at high altitudes, often in perpendicular alignment to the wind direction. They are scientifically known as “altocumulus lenticularis” and are most commonly found in mountainous regions. These clouds form when stable, moist air flows over a mountain or a range of mountains, creating a series of oscillating waves. If the temperature at the crest of these waves drops to the dew point, moisture in the air condenses to form clouds.

Lenticular clouds are known for their distinctive, smooth, and often saucer-like appearance, which can sometimes be mistaken for UFOs. They are stationary, meaning they don’t move with the wind like other clouds, but instead remain fixed in position while the air flows through them.

These clouds can indicate turbulence for aircraft, as the wave patterns that create them can also produce strong updrafts and downdrafts. Despite this, they are often admired for their striking and unusual appearance, making them a popular subject for photographers and cloud enthusiasts.

Click here for more on these clouds from Earthsky.

Looking north from the New Mexico/Colorado state line.

As always, thanks for looking and all the comments, compliments, and emails. Have a great week. G

Mountain Clouds, Snow, Moon. 12-03-2025

Geraint December 3, 2025 6 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico! This week, early morning mountain clouds and snow on the peaks, accompanied by a moonrise. I’m eagerly anticipating an almost full moonrise tonight, followed by a full moonrise tomorrow. It should be spectacular against the backdrop of snow-covered peaks. However, more snow is forecast, and the skies might be overcast. We’ll see how it turns out!

Watching the weather morph over the peaks.

Mountain Clouds over the sangre de cristo foothills — Out of the dining room window.

Mountain clouds over the sangre de cristo mountains — Island in the clouds.

Vallecito mountain moonrise — Vallecito Mountain.

Vallecito Peak is always a favorite backdrop for a moonrise. Here’s a different day and a close-up from that same day.

Below is from five years ago, when we had a great amount of snow.

Vallecito Mountain Snow, Taos New Mexico — Mountain Snow on Vallecito Peak.

Here’s my new postcard promo piece for Photo Tour/Workshops. Gift certificates are available.

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Have a great week. G

Mountain Light And Snow. 11-26-2025

Geraint November 26, 2025 4 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week, mountain light and snow on the peaks.

It didn’t take much to draw me outside this last weekend. Below are a few images from our neighborhood, taken just a few miles from our home. The peaks of the Columbine Hondo Wilderness glowed beautifully in the waning light. Click on an image to view the full panoramic version.

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving and a great week.

Last Light Columbine Hondo Wilderness NM — Last light on the Columbine Hondo Wilderness, NM.

Happy Thanksgiving. My annual greeting picture, taken one Thanksgiving week a few years ago in the Bosque del Apache NWR, New Mexico.

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

Land Of Enchantment. 11-19-2025.

Geraint November 19, 2025 2 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico, the land of enchantment.. This week, scenes in the land of enchantment. Some say the land of entrapment. Once here, it’s hard to leave. I can attest to that statement. I first arrived here in 1984, moving here permanently in 1988. My friend, Harry you met last week, and his wife, Noreen, were two of the first people I met. It’s been 41 years this coming Thanksgiving.

Below is a piece I wrote about my first time on the High Road to Taos.

“In Thanksgiving week 1984, I made my first of many trips to New Mexico. On this occasion, five of us friends set out on a foggy morning from Santa Fe and made our way north on the high road to Taos. The sites and sounds on the streets of Santa Fe soon opened up to the immense vistas of mesas, and beyond to the Taos Volcanic Plateau.

We passed through the village of Chimayo, climbing the hill to Truchas (Spanish for Trout). Rapidly gaining elevation, the landscape changed to pristine hills of ponderosa pines and rust-colored tones of scrub oak in the undergrowth. Bare white highlights of lanky aspen punctuated the vast square miles of pine trees in the Carson National Forrest. Through the misty veil of condensation on the window, we were afforded more than a subtle hint of what autumn in the high country of New Mexico might have looked like one month earlier.

Leaving Truchas for Penasco, the fog set in. The temperature dropped in the sparsely populated, mountain communities of Las Trampas and Picuris. The colder air outside the car became magically enhanced from the aroma of piñon and juniper burning in the fireplaces of scattered homes. At this very moment… sometimes you just know it, the mystery of things unknown and northern New Mexico took a very palpable hold on me.

Not more than four years later, in the spring of 1988, that hold tightened and I moved to a small adobe building with two fireplaces, in Talpa, NM and began stockpiling five cords of wood for what promised to be a cold winter that year…“

The land of Enchantment, and every day I go to Town, I pass this scene of Taos Pueblo Peak. A little dusting of snow today with more promising accumulations tonight.

Land of enchantment, Taos NM — Taos Pueblo Peak.

Many places here in the Land of Enchantment never get old for me. You know this one!

Arroyo Hondo cottonwood — Arroyo Hondo, Cottonwood.

Details in the land of enchantment, a tiny pine cone among this year’s fallen leaves.

Costilla, New Mexico, located in the San Luis Valley, on the New Mexico/Colorado state line, is about as far north as one can go in this land of enchantment. No less enchanting, this area and its abandoned farms and buildings inspired John Nichols’ book, Milagro Beanfield War. The movie was filmed in Truchas on the High Road to Taos.

Open air building Costilla, NM — Costilla, NM.

New work in the making. “Three chairs and a tree.”

three chairs tree wild rivers BW A7R 3443 1 — On the plateau in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.

As always, thank you for looking and all the kind words of support and compliments. Have a great week. G

Northern Lights, NM. 11-12-2025.

Geraint November 12, 2025 8 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico. This week, a few images of the northern lights as seen from our village of San Cristobal, in the mountains of northern New Mexico.

When I first saw the northern lights last night it was through the trees at our house, so I drove five minutes to this vantage point for a view of our valley and what looked like a sunrise/sunset. Shot on the iPhone.

Northern lights, San Cristobal, NM — Norhtern Lights, San Cristobal, NM

I had a thought to photograph the little chapel in the village against the aurora sky, not one hundred percent sure that it would align.

Chapel San Cristobal, NM — San Cristobal Chapel.

A car came by and highlighted the church.

Tonight viewing should be even more spectacular, clear skies permiting.

The image below was shot in our neighborhood in October last year.

Aurora, Northern Lights — Aurora Borealis, October, 2024

On another note: I want to take a moment to remember my friend Harry Vedoe, who had a profound impact on my life and on the many adventures I’ve had in the backcountry and wilderness over the years. Harry and I were friends for almost 40 years. Rest in glorious peace, Harry.

Harry passed away at age 96 peacefully in his sleep on October 28, 2025.

Harry biking in snow — Harry, biking Gold Hill

Harry Taos Ski Valley — Harry x country in Taos Ski Valley.

Harry San Antonio Mountain — Harry on San Antonio Mountain.

Harry with his foot on Wheeler Peak. — Harry, with his foot on Wheeler Peak.

RIP Harry, or then again, bike, hike, ski, and climb on, or take another road, my dear friend.

As always, thanks for looking. Check out the sky tonight, it should be good viewing for the Aurora Borealis. G

Hunter’s Moon and Hunters. 11-05-2025

Geraint November 5, 2025 6 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico. This week, the full Hunter’s supermoon, taken in the neighbourhood, and a few shots of our neighborhood hunters.

Last night when the almost full Hunter’s Moon rose over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Tonight is the full moon.

Hunter's moon, NM — Hunter’s moon, northern NM

And this shot from our driveway.

Moon rise San Cristobal — Moonrise San Cristobal.

Moon San Cristobal — Moon and lenticular clouds, San Cristobal.

Want to see more moons? Check out this page.

And… the hunters in the hood.

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

Make My Day! 10-29-2025.

Geraint October 28, 2025 12 Comments

Hello from New Mexico. This week, a few images that make my day, taken here in the land of enchantment.

The Rio Chama Overlook can always make my day.

Rio Chama, Abiquiu, NM will make my day every time. — Rio Chama overlook, Abiquiu, NM

Just a few weeks later, the Rio Chama, in its full fall splendor, becomes a living masterpiece, capturing the essence of autumn in all its glory.

Rio Chama Overlook, Abiquiu, NM — Rio Chama, Abiquiu, NM.

At a different bend on the Chama River.

Rio Chama, Abiquiu, NM — Rio Chama, with Cerrito Blanco, Abiquiu, NM.

As I wander through this enchanting grove, surrounded by the rustling leaves, earthy aromas of autumn fill the air, invigorating my senses. The scent of the forest floor, mingled with the cool breeze, evokes a sense of nostalgia and wonder, making each moment a feast for the soul.

Aspen trucks and leaves overlay. — Aspen trunks and leaves – a superimposed creation.

Not so spectacular from my driveway due to a haze of brush fire smoke, as some previous comets, such as Comet Neowise a few years ago. But I had to give Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) a shot!

Photographing Malachi Tsoodlie at the Indian Market in Santa Fe made my day fifteen years ago and again recently when I printed the photo in black and white. Soon it will hang on my wall, and make my day for a third time.

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

Wild Horses On The Plateau. 10-22-2025

Geraint October 21, 2025 6 Comments

Greetings from New Mexico. This week, wild horses. For the last three weeks, I’ve been in the landscape of a Georgia O’Keeffe painting, exploring the areas around Abiquiu, and Ghost Ranch, NM, five times, and again tomorrow. I never tire of it, but it’s time for a change and to head out in search of wild horses, sandhill cranes, hawks, and elk. A change of scenery and subject is always good for the soul and the portfolio.

Wild horses on the plateau. — Wild horses (and one bull) on the plateau.

The following two images were taken in spring.

Sandhill Cranes, Sangre de Cristo Mountains.

These two were trucking along foraging in the fields near Monte Vista NWR.

Hawks are plentiful, and this time of year, in old snags and on power poles.

Raptor, red tailed hawk. — Red-tailed hawk…. I think.

Juvenile Golden Eagle and Sandhill Cranes.

I doubt it will snow on the peaks before next week, but horses are always fun to spot. Here’s a band on the plateau with Blanca Peak in Colorado.

Wild or feral horses, Colorado — On the plateau with Blanca Peak in Colorado.

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

My photo essay on the San Luis Valley, in the form of a PDF to download.

If you’d like to read more, here’s a brief account of the area.

The Taos Volcanic Plateau and the San Luis Valley are remarkable landscapes in the southwestern United States, known for their unique geological features and diverse wildlife.

The Taos Volcanic Plateau, located in northern New Mexico, is a striking expanse formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago. This plateau is characterized by its rugged terrain, with ancient lava flows, cinder cones, and volcanic peaks, such as Ute Mountain and San Antonio Mountain. The Rio Grande Gorge, a dramatic canyon carved by the Rio Grande, slices through the plateau, providing a stunning natural spectacle and a vital habitat for various species.

Adjacent to the plateau, the San Luis Valley stretches across southern Colorado and northern New Mexico. This high-altitude valley is one of the largest in the world, flanked by the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges. Its vast, flat expanse is dotted with wetlands, grasslands, and desert shrublands, creating a mosaic of habitats that support a rich array of wildlife.

The wildlife in these regions is as diverse as the landscapes themselves. The Taos Volcanic Plateau and the San Luis Valley are home to numerous bird species, making them popular destinations for birdwatchers. The wetlands and riparian areas attract migratory birds such as sandhill cranes, which stop over in the valley during their long journeys. Raptors, including golden eagles and red-tailed hawks, soar above the open spaces, while songbirds flit among the shrubs and trees.

Mammals also thrive in these areas. Mule deer and elk roam the grasslands and forests, while smaller creatures like coyotes, foxes, and rabbits are common sights. The plateau and valley provide critical habitat for more elusive species as well, such as bobcats and mountain lions, which find refuge in the rugged terrain.

The Taos Volcanic Plateau and the San Luis Valley are not only geological and ecological treasures but also cultural and historical ones. Indigenous peoples have lived in these regions for thousands of years, and their deep connection to the land is evident in the rich cultural heritage that persists today.

Together, these landscapes offer a glimpse into the dynamic interplay of natural forces and the resilience of life in a challenging environment. They remind us of the importance of preserving such unique ecosystems for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

Around The Block. 10-15-2025

Geraint October 15, 2025 2 Comments

Hello from New Mexico. The phrase “around the block” evokes more than just a simple jaunt; it symbolizes the day-long road trips we often embark upon, journeys that weave through the tapestry of landscapes and experiences, ultimately guiding us back to our point of origin. These excursions, though they may seem circular in nature, are rich with discovery and reflection. As we traverse winding roads and pass through quaint towns and sprawling vistas, we gather fragments of the world that resonate within us. Each sight and sound becomes a thread in the intricate fabric of our memories, reminding us of the home that resides within our hearts. No matter how far we wander, these journeys reaffirm the notion that home is not merely a destination, but a feeling we carry with us, a constant companion on the road of life.

Life, a photo trek around the block.

This “around the block” encompasses a few years of select images taken in October.

Photographing Comanche Point, Valle Vidal, NM — Looking for the reflection.

Milkweed pods. The seeds have all flown…

Fall color starting to look a lot like xmas — Fall color, beginning to look a lot like Xmas.

There has been a lot of lightning this year. This morning we had sheet lightning, thunder, and hail. A lot of it.

In the heart of mid-October 2007, we were graced with a scene that looked to have been painted by the hand of a local artist (photographer), capturing the essence of autumn in all its glory. The trees were ablaze with hues of crimson and gold, their leaves dancing in the crisp breeze like nature’s confetti. The mountains and town looked splendid, dressed in the first snowfall that year. In stark contrast, this year has offered us nothing of the sort… nada! I’m looking forward to any snow we get, we need the moisture.

Snowfall in mid October-2007 — Snowfall and fall color.

And the first snowfall October 2011. Incidentally also available as a print.

Early snow, Taos — Early snowfall on a street in Taos.

As always. Thanks for looking. I hope you have a great week. Enjoy your trip around the block. G

Photo Treks around the block — Photo Treks

A little Autumn Color. 10-08-2025

Geraint October 8, 2025 10 Comments

Hello from New Mexico! This week, we’re experiencing some beautiful autumn colors. There’s plenty to enjoy, but I wanted to share a little gem I found this week in Valle Escondido, NM. The scenery out there is stunning, and I hope it’s just as beautiful where you are. I must admit, though, the season seems to be moving along quickly.

A little autumn color Valle Escondido, NM — In the morning mists of Autumn.

Aspen trunks in the Valle Vidal. — Aspen trunks in the Valle Vidal, NM.

No photo tour to the San Luis Valley is complete without a stop at the old homestead, you know the one! With storm clouds building, but no precipitation yet, my client, Susan, and I stopped in here on a photo workshop to see what was brewing visually.

A wide view of our valley and mountains.

San Cristobal Valley Cottonwoods — San Cristobal Valley aspens and cottonwoods.

This week’s “Print of the Week”. taken the same week at the location above.

As always, thank you for looking. I hope you’re enjoying Autumn where you are. G