Fine Art Images from the American Southwest
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High road to Taos homestead. Sometimes it’s just about something tickling the funny bone, like this house for example. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. Are windows the eyes to the heart of the home? This house appears to be peeking out through a mask back at us! Thanks for looking. G
The mane thing on the High Road to Taos. As in … I can’t help myself. I see a horse and I have to make an image of it’s mane. I get a portrait of the horse, of course, but invariably I drift over it’s back to it’s mane. This is where it’s soul resides for me. I often stare for ages at this place. I’ve added a couple of links below to images from other encounters. Thanks for looking. G
https://geraintsmith.com/potd/pages/archive/february_12/feb_03_12.html
https://geraintsmith.com/potd/pages/archive/october_12/oct_30_12.html
Las Trampas Church of San Jose de Gracia de las Trampas. I know, I know, it’s that church again. I made this image yesterday on a High Road photo tour. We were looking for some alternate angles to the usual, oft seen views. The grave marker was photographed by Ansel Adams in the 1940’s. Specifically, he made a tighter cropped image of the cross with the adobe wall as the background. Knowing that Ansel had stood in this very spot can inspire almost anyone. As the sky was overcast and lighting low key I put the camera on the floor and created the low angle view using the grave marker to fill a chunk of the frame and placed the cross prominently over the sky to the right. I thought it created a dramatic and gothic look to the whole scene. Thirty minutes later as we descended into the the Gorge and headed north to the west rim trail along the Rio Grande Gorge the sun burst out and it looked like a different day. This prompted us to recall the saying, “if you don’t like the weather in New Mexico, wait five minutes.” … or in our case, thirty minutes. Thanks for looking. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. Snow, or the lack of it. More will be coming, but for now, they are making lots of snow. I shot the image below at the Angel Fire Resort. The wind dispersed the manmade snow and made for a dramatic scene.
Angel Fire is situated at the south end of the Moreno Valley. On the north end is the village of Eagle Nest. Aptly named for the number of eagles that frequent the valley, who fish and hunt around the Eagle Nest Lake.
On the same trip last week, we spotted a juvenile bald eagle sitting atop a powerline pole. This raptor was far away so not a very striking photo but besides taking stunning photos of birds I also like to document the siting and location.
As you know, I’ve been sitting around with my foot elevated, so I took time to re-edit a few photos. The following two images are taken in Alcove House at Bandelier National Monument here in northern New Mexico.
Yesterday I visited with a friend for a coffee in Taos. Across the street, I had a view of a little chapel. As we drank our coffees I watched the shadow in the image below creep across the roof. I just had to take another shot of this little scene. The coffee and company were good and it was warm sitting in the sunshine.
Earlier I’d driven to Arroyo Seco, The colors looked very much like they do in this photo from a few years ago.
Over the years I’ve archived images of places that have since been developed. Things change.
Onward into another year. So far it’s a beautiful beginning. As always, thanks for looking, and all the comments, and compliments. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week some images from a trip to Crested Butte in the high country of Colorado.
Last week, I mentioned a trip around the block, so this week we made a trip to the area around Crested Butte, in Colorado. We went for the fall color and also wanted to take a trip with our sweet girl, Coco, our labradoodle. It was a wonderful road trip, and we observed our 13-year-old in the back seat, always in the rearview mirror, and, more importantly, enjoying the great outdoors. She was a delight to travel with, and we’ll look forward to doing it again soon.
Click on images to enlarge.
Here’s another view of the scene above, shot in 2012.
Just before we left on our trip to Crested Butte, we heard, along with the world, that someone had cut down the famous sycamore tree at Sycamore Gap on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland. It is a sad state of affairs, and sickening that one or two people could upset so many people by killing the famous long-lived tree, over 300 years old, featured in movies, documentaries, and millions of personal photos. When I came across the tree in the pictures below, I wanted to make an homage to lone trees everywhere. I shot it from three different viewpoints and it does appear to be growing up from the center of the rock formation.
After returning from Crested Butte, I wanted more of the autumn colors, so my son Dylan and I hiked up the “Italianos Trail” from the Rio Hondo Canyon. As you know, I had foot surgery earlier this year so I wanted to check out my hiking abilities. I used hiking poles for the first time, and things went very well.
We stopped en route to take some pictures. I only brought my iPhone along, but you know what they say, “The best camera is the one you have with you”.
Here are a couple of images of the Italianos Creek.
As always, Thank you for looking. I really appreciate all the comments and compliments. G
Greetings from San Cristobal and beyond. This week features a few images that highlight what we saw during a three-day photography workshop, this time with Scott a talented photographer from Houston. His enthusiasm inspired me. I think I inspired him.
Our last day was spent in the mountains. If you follow me or have taken a photography workshop with me you might recall this place, Comanche Point in the Valle Vidal, (Valley of Life). It’s looking a lot like fall up there. It won’t be long till the aspens turn color. In fact, it’s already begun.
We spent a couple of hours at our first stop in Ojo Caliente, working at this location and looking for an interesting composition. This is what I came up with on this trip. I look forward to seeing Scott’s interpretation. Here’s one from a visit last year.
The Rio Grande Gorge is home to many bighorn sheep. Every now and again a ram will pop up when you least expect it, and strike up a pose where you would want it. In this case up high against a blue New Mexico sky.
Restoration, repairing, and mudding are underway at the San José de Las Trampas church on the high road to Taos. The doorway arch has been replicated to an early look. The big doors were closed for weather sealing which allowed me to shoot a new angle. Usually, the doors are staked open which often provides a nice framing element.
At first glance, the scaffolding looked interesting and I had an idea to make a documentary image. Then the sun came out from behind a cloud and added shadows to the scene. Fortuitous.
The partially closed doors created a different look at one of the belfries.
Closing this week’s post is the harvest moon, shot from the deck as it rose over our mountains.
As always, thanks for looking. G
Just three images this week. A Cedar Waxwing visited the crab apple tree in the garden yesterday and got well fed up before heading out. I was surprised it stayed around as long as it did, about thirty minutes. I got a lot of very similar images. I chose this image as it showed the bird’s bright yellow tail tips. If you expand the image you will see bits of crab apple on the wings. It was a messy eater. The second image is from the San Luis Valley on a late afternoon trip to Colorado. We live about half an hour from the state line and enjoyed watching these wild horses. A different band from last week’s photo. The third image caught my eye on the road to town. I shot it shortly before the sun dipped below the horizon. I’m saving my energy this week for the eclipse tomorrow night, the peak happens around 2 am, long after my bedtime, but I’m looking forward to a clear sky and a beautiful partial lunar eclipse.
Thanks for looking. Wish me a good night shooting the eclipse tomorrow. I hope you get to see it where you are. G
Working backward from today, starting with the landscape around Ghost Ranch, New Mexico.
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.
The forest floors were already full of fallen leaves. There are plenty more to go!
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.
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.
The colors in this image seemed appropriate for the season, on this old tractor parked in a field in Jaroso, Colorado.
As Always, thanks for looking. G
