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.
The mule deer was on a previous photo tour/workshop into the high country of northern New Mexico. The old homestead in the second image belongs to my friend Harold Anderson of Jaroso, Colorado. I gave the image an old-world charm/glow to create some warmth to the forlorn scene. Over the years, Harold has been very generous with his time and resources for photography subjects on his property. Thank you, Harold. The third image is how a framed and matted print of the Bison with petroglyphs titled “Moving Through Time” would look like hanging. Let me know if you can’t live without it.
Mule deer in the high country of northern New Mexico.
I went to visit the Osprey a couple of times on tours over the last few weeks. This is the mom and three chicks. They are growing healthy and wise. Dad was off in the top of an old cottonwood tree, striking a stately pose and keeping a watchful eye on things. The second image below is a close-up.
Female Osprey (left) and three chicks on a nesting platform, Chama, NM
Female Osprey with three healthy chicks on a nesting platform, Chama, NM
A photo tour last week took us to Las Vegas, Fort Union National Monument, and Wagon Mound, all stops on the Santa Fe Trail. I’ve been to the fort many times. This time, my client Michael, and I had the place to ourselves. There were some park service employees rebuilding and fortifying the walls. They don’t count. And no rattlesnakes this time either!
The Mechanics Corral at Fort Union National Monument
I pulled this image of the American Bison a while back. I thought it would make a nice effect to overlay it on a petroglyph panel. The petroglyphs are in the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument. The animals depicted are deer and bighorn sheep.
American Bison overlaid on a petroglyph panel.
We’ve had some fabulous storms during this summer’s monsoon season, and along with it, some incredible lightning shows. Here’s one from the deck a short while ago. I don’t have to go far for a view and dramatic weather. Some of the strikes got so close my hair stood on end. My wife, Pami said I started to glow.
Lightning strikes on the ridge, San Cristobal, NM
Join me on a photo tour/workshop and I’ll show you some of my favorite places we visit.
Parked, while we photograph in Arroyo Blanco, Abiquiu, New Mexico.
From fog in the Arroyo Hondo Valley to a full moon rise over Taos Mountain. From a photo tour/workshop in Abiquiu and the Rio Chama Valley to a large cloud over the Taos Valley, Taos Mountain, and the Rio Grande Gorge.
It’s been all go for the last month with tours. I have a few more tours coming up and then a short break for a couple of days following up on some personal work. I’m grateful for the photography tours and workshops and the wonderful photography clients I get to work with.
In the first two photos, I got up and out early to shoot the moon setting. Well, it set, right into a big bank of fog. So I shot the fog lifting in the Arroyo Hondo Valley just south of where I intended to catch the moon. Fog is a rare occurrence in this area, but we’ve had so much rain recently that it was only a matter of time until it filled the valleys.
A foggy morning in Arroyo Hondo, northern NM
A tree in the fog in Arroyo Hondo, northern NM
In the following shot, I sat out on the deck waiting for the nearly full moon to appear from behind Taos Mountain. When it did, it had a pinkish hue to it from the fire smoke in the atmosphere. It was still beautiful nonetheless.
Nearly full moonrise over Taos Mountain from the deck in San Cristobal, NM
The cloud below formed very quickly and filled the sky from Taos to the west of the Rio Grande Gorge. I had to shoot three frames and stitch them together to capture the immense size. I liked the corkscrew-looking form. I’d not seen one like it before.
Rio Grande Gorge, with Taos Mountain and the cloud that developed into more rain.
Lastly, a fun panorama shot at the Rio Chama overlook in Abiquiu with William, a client on a cross-country road trip who stopped in Taos and joined me for a three-day photo tour.
Fun on a photo tour/workshop in Abiquiu, Rio Chama, NM
On a photo workshop last week I took my client to visit the Hawks in my previous week’s post. My client is an accomplished bird photographer. Well.., I was expecting maybe mom, pop, and the chick I saw on my last visit, but to our surprise, we spotted a whole family of five. Fledglings were taking to the air from the treetops, encouraged in their maneuvers by the parents. What a treat it was to see the adult male, female and chicks perform this ancient summer ritual at this roadside location.
Enjoy!
Male Red-tailed Hawk, on the wing, San Luis Valley.Female Red-tailed Hawk, sits in tree top, San Luis Valley.Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk lands in a tree.Male Red-tailed Hawk stands guard in tree top, San Luis Valley.Three juvenile Red-tailed Hawks sit in a tree top, San Luis Valley.Male Red-tailed Hawk, showing how it’s done and lands in a tree.Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk prepares to land on a tree branch near mom!.
As always, thanks for looking. I appreciate all the comments and compliments. Thank you. G
I was on a photo tour last week demonstrating with a photography client the benefits of looking down and how it can often pay off with a rewarding image. In this case, looking down in a puddle on the flagstones, we captured a really nice reflection of the iconic San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. Of course, it helped that one of the parishioners was hosing down the walkway, and I’ve shot this type of scene, many times.
Yesterday, I went up north for a short drive scouting some locations for an upcoming workshop happening for the next three days. I drove on a back road I’m very familiar with and found a male and female Red-tailed Hawk with their juvenile fledgling. The male was off on a power line pole to the east, the female and the chick were on a pole further west with a half-eaten rabbit. In the second image, you can see the nictitating membrane in the eyes of the mama and the young one as they both blinked simultaneously. This membrane allows birds to blink and clean the eyeball while still being able to see what is afoot. Here is a link to the nictitating membrane or “third eyelid”.
Red-tailed hawks, adult and juvenile in the San Luis Valley, ColoradoRed-tailed hawks, adult and juvenile in the San Luis Valley showing the Nictitating membrane.
