Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Tag: Abiquiu

Osprey, Fort Union, Bison Petroglyphs, Lightning, Road Tripping

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 and three chicks
Female Osprey (left) and three chicks on a nesting platform, Chama, NM
Osprey and three chicks
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!

Fort Union National Monument, NM
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.

Bison and Petroglyphs
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 San Cristobal
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.

4 Runner, Arroyo Blanco
Parked, while we photograph in Arroyo Blanco, Abiquiu, New Mexico.

As always, thank you for looking. G

Foggy Morning, Moonrise, Rio Grande Cloud, Abiquiu Photo Tour.

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.

Fog in Arroyo Hondo, NM
A foggy morning in Arroyo Hondo, northern NM

Fog in Arroyo Hondo, New Mexico
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.

Full Moon rise Taos Mountain
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
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.

Abiquiu, Rio Chama
Fun on a photo tour/workshop in Abiquiu, Rio Chama, NM

As always, thank you for looking. G

A little bit of This and That, this week.

A little bit of this and a little bit of that, from Ranchos de Taos, Taos Ski Valley, Ghost Ranch, Colorado, and the deck in San Cristobal.

I made this image of the ubiquitous blue window and shutters with hollyhocks in Ranchos de Taos. Hollyhocks are in abundance all around Taos this summer including the grounds of the famous St. Francis Church across the street from this scene.

Hollyhocks, Ranchos de Taos

We made a hike to the waterfall and streams coursing through the Taos Ski Valley to check out the wildflowers. Not a very long hike either. This little grouping of columbine comes back every year in the same spot. You can probably find a similar image from a previous year on my website.

Columbine, waterfall, Taos Ski Valley
Columbine with a waterfall in Taos Ski Valley, New Mexico.

We stopped in Ghost Ranch last week and saw that bits and bobs of a movie set were still standing. They’d even moved a dead tree that had fallen down a few years ago elsewhere to the middle of the set. (Thank you Mark Collins for the inspiration). We opened the doors and went inside. The light streaming through the holes made it sort of magical in a way. Thanks to the movie makers also.

Movie set chapel, Ghost Ranch, NM
Movie set chapel window, Ghost Ranch, NM

Movie set chapel, Ghost Ranch, NM
Looking through the window at another window, Ghost Ranch, NM

Movie set chapel, Ghost Ranch
Movie set chapel, Ghost Ranch

Last week I spent three days working with a client from New York during his month-long cross-country road trip. One of the days was spent in Abiquiu and the Rio Chama Valley chasing storms, followed by a day in the Rio Grande Gorge and along the High Road to Taos. Our final day was spent crisscrossing the San Luis Valley photographing abandoned farmhouses, barns, and this old bridge.

Lobatos Bridge, Colorado
Lobatos Bridge over the Rio Grande in the San Luis, Colorado.

The week ended back at home with a nice visual from the deck.

Rainbow, San Cristobal, New Mexico
Rainbow over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains San Cristobal, New Mexico

As always, thanks for looking. G

The Valley, The Desert

The valleys are beginning to show signs of green. The desert has water running through it. The light illuminates the many forms and geology of the area.

San Luis Valley tree and clouds
Cloud formations with a complimentary tree.

Ghost Ranch, New Mexico
As they say, “a river runs through it” in Ghost Ranch, NM

Arroyo Blanco formations
Many intriguing rock formations in Arroyo Blanco, Abiquiu, New Mexico

I’m never at a loss for places to explore in this area. Thanks for looking. Stay well. G

Penitente Morada, (Church) Abiquiu, NM

This image of the Morada, still in use today, is from 2006 before the bell. I can’t ever recall seeing this building without a bell. Well, here it is. Great skies are always in abundance and rarely missing in this area. Thanks for looking. G

Penitente Morada, (Church) Abiquiu, NM.

Saint Thomas The Apostle, Abiquiu, New Mexico

Saint Thomas (Santo Tomas) the Apostle Church, in Abiquiu, New Mexico. On the road in Abiquiu yesterday I came across this scene. Always read the small print. I’ll say no more! As always thanks for looking. G

Saint Thomas The Apostle, Abiquiu, New Mexico

Rio Chama, Cerrito Blanco, Abiquiu, New Mexico

Rio Chama with the reddish rock butte, Cerrito Blanco in Abiquiu, New Mexico. Popped over to Abiquiu yesterday to scout some locations for night sky photography. We pulled over at this spot where the river is full (they released water from the dam) and always muddy. This favorite location on my photo tours was lush and fresh. I made this three image vertically stitched panorama on my iPhone. Then it rained heavy. I should have worn my wellies. Stay tuned, I’ll be back with the results from the night sky shoot after the new moon in a couple of weeks. Thanks for looking. G

Rio Chama, Cerrito Blanco, Abiquiu, New Mexico

Cerro Pedernal, Storm Clouds, Rio Chama, New Mexico

Cerro Pedernal, with storm clouds, from the Rio Chama road, New Mexico. This view is from over my shoulder in yesterdays image. I like to remind my photographer friends to always look behind, up and down from the obvious view in front. Many of my best images are from some of the more spontaneous moments I come across. Spotting them on the fly, heading down the road, and finding more than I originally planned. Join me, some time, when this current situation changes and I’ll show you some of New Mexico prime locations. Thanks for looking. G

Cerro Pedernal, Storm Clouds, Rio Chama, New Mexico

Abiquiu, Landscape, Desert Monastery Road

Abiquiu landscape from the Desert Monastery Road. Out in Georgia O’Keeffe country. Not really hers, but she bandied it around in her paintings, and you can see her former home if you stand on the slope to the right. It’s beautiful country, no wonder she settled here and made the land and nature the focus of her amazing work. Thanks for looking. G

Abiquiu, landscape Desert Monastery road

Santa Rosa de Lima, Abiquiu, New Mexico

Santa Rosa de Lima, just off the highway in Abiquiu, New Mexico. I like the feeling being surround by sun-baked, crumbling adobe walls, light filling in the shadows. An afternoon storm, brings cool heavy rains, sometimes a flash flood, eroding arroyos, canyons, and these old adobe bricks. Thanks for looking. G

Santa Rosa de Lima, Abiquiu, New Mexico