The iconic, autumn “Hunter’s Moon” rising over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from our driveway in San Cristobal, NM. The “Hunter’s Moon” is a favorite of all the moon names. Although I don’t hunt, the name evokes some primordial feeling in me of a greater sense of place in the grand scheme of things. Whatever it conjures up for you, I hope it’s a good feeling. The final image is from the old homestead in the San Luis Valley, Colorado.
Hunter’s moon rises over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM.
Hunter’s moon rising a little further.
Hunter’s moonrise breaks the tree line over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM.
Hunter’s moon and the old homestead in the San Luis Valley, CO.
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.
Last week on a tour through the Moreno Valley in rain and snow we spotted this Red-tailed Hawk, rather bedraggled, sitting in the rain on this ranch gate. It didn’t seem too bothered by much at all. including me and my photography client.
A Red-tailed Hawk in the Moreno Valley, NM
It was dramatic and beautiful light today in the Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Working backward from today, starting with the landscape around Ghost Ranch, New Mexico.
The Landscape near Abiquiu, NM.
I made a couple of trips on the high road over the last week. The aspens are doing their utmost to please fall color seekers. The horses performed perfectly, positioning themselves just right.
Horse backs on the High Road to Taos in Truchas, NM.
The forest floors were already full of fallen leaves. There are plenty more to go!
Dewdrops on the fallen aspen leaves.
The skies over New Mexico have performed quite admirably, as they usually do. This place, with the old wooden barn storage shed, is always a pleasing stop on Highway 64.
Wood barn off Highway 64 in northern New Mexico.
My favorite aspen group on the Cumbres Pass, just over the state line in Colorado. This is my go-to barometer for how things are progressing as far as the turning colors go. I’ll be back there tomorrow.
Aspen Copse on a hillside, Cumbres Pass, Colorado.
The colors in this image seemed appropriate for the season, on this old tractor parked in a field in Jaroso, Colorado.
A couple of nights ago I walked out to our driveway to watch this month’s Harvest moon rise over the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I watched this celestial event in its entirety, unencumbered by foreground buildings and landscape features on a crisp, autumn evening. It was so clear it felt like I could reach out and touch the moon. I hope you got to watch it where you are.
Harvest Moonrise, San Cristobal, NM
Today I had to get a rock chip repaired in my windshield. I had an hour to kill so I wandered around the neighborhood and came up with the following shot.
Taos Mountain with Culverts, Taos, NM
Earlier this evening I had another wander through my hard drives. I found this picture of a Javelina. This was from a few years ago in the Bosque del Apache NWR. It’s sort of appropriate as I’m planning a trip there this coming November. It’s been a couple of years since I was there last so I’m looking forward to going again. I recall the moment when this little guy popped up from an arroyo, surprising me, and ran across the trail ahead.
Javelina in the Bosque del Apache NWR, NM
This image came up in my favorites on my phone. In 2019, my friend Ron and I ended a great five-day photo trek in Lamy, NM. He went on and I went home. I’ve caught the train here many times and ridden it to Los Angeles and back. The Amtrak train still stops here on its route from Chicago to LA.
Lamy Train Depot, Lamy, New Mexico
Going back further still, I came across this beautiful fall scene taken at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, NM. I thought it worthy of a repeat performance on my website.
Gatehouse and dovecots at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House, Taos, NM
If you’d like to see fall colors in the high desert, I still have a few days open between now and the end of October for my photography tour/workshops in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.
As always, thank you for looking. Have a great week. G
This week on a photo tour/workshop in Ojo Caliente and beyond. It’s been a great three days working with my guests.
When I set up this scene, it immediately reminded me of, Georgia O’Keeffe’s painting, “Black Cross with Stars and Blue“. I had to do my own variation on her piece even though I’ve been to the actual location where Georgia got her inspiration for her “black cross” many times. I chose black and white over color for the stark graphic look. I hope you’ll enjoy and forgive me for the one-shot post this week. Back on the road again in a few days. I need my rest.
The Church of Santa Cruz at Ojo Caliente, New Mexico
Highway 64 passes through a most beautiful area of northern New Mexico. The road stretches from the Outer Banks, NC, and ends at Teec Nos Pos, Arizona, depending on your direction of travel. In the photo below, the highway passes through the coniferous forests and aspen groves near Hopewell Lake. Join me on a photo tour, and I’ll take you here in wide-open spaces in the high country.
Highway 64, near Hopewell Lake, NM
This ornament, hanging by our front door, broke recently, so I saved a few of the clay bells and photographed them. There’s always time for a quick still life in the studio.
Three Clay Bells
The last image is one from the road in Duran, New Mexico, of the “Wm. Hindi Store, General Merchandise” where a tourist is always welcome… still. Back in 2009 and 2010, I was on the road frequently on assignment for NMSU documenting their agricultural extension campuses. It was a lot of fun and I thoroughly enjoyed the people and places I got to shoot. One trip took me to Corona, NM. I passed through Duran where I found this location. I still wonder about these once-thriving communities.
Wm. Hindi Store, General Merchandise, Duran, NM
As always. Thank you for looking, your comments and compliments. Have a great week! G
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.
Last weekend I spent three days visiting the North Clear Creek Falls in Colorado. I’d gone by the falls many times and for some reason or other, not stopped in to see them. Always on the way to somewhere else, I would scoot right past them. Well, I finally made up for it with my friend, John. We camped for two nights very nearby, intending to do a full moon shoot. Willing to accept the potential for cloudy skies and rain, we headed out, determined to have a good time camping and catching up. It did rain in the early morning hours, but we’d already got the shots. This is from Wikipedia, and this is from 9News. Be sure to read the part about the Black Swift!
North Clear Creek Falls, Colorado.
North Clear Creek Falls, Colorado just after sunset.
North Clear Creek Falls, Colorado under full moon light.
North Clear Creek Falls, Colorado in black and white.
This week I thought I’d revisit some images from Tucumcari, New Mexico. I spent a couple of days there with my friend Ron a few years ago. It might be time for another visit soon. Maybe this winter for a change and to see what might have changed.
I like to shoot a lot of buildings and storefronts head-on. The perspective offers simple shapes and patterns.
