Rio Grande, Bridge, Canyon, Tree. 02-22-2023

Geraint February 22, 2023 22 Comments

Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week the Rio Grande and surrounding views.

I’m sitting here with my foot elevated, looking out the window on our valley. The snow is blowing in high winds and chilling the air dramatically. The wind is breaching the gaps wherever it can.

Things are healing nicely with the surgery on my foot. Thank you for all the well wishes. They are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

Throwing a virtual dart at the archives this week, I came across the first image of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge shrouded in a rare, early morning fog. I decided to pull a few more pictures from that folder and add them below.

I won’t be going very far for the next few weeks. I hope to make it to the Monte Vista NWR for the return of the sandhill cranes in mid-march. Until then, I hope you’ll enjoy my revisiting the archives with me.

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge carries US Highway 64 across the canyon and river 600 feet below. Highway 64, the other mother road, has one terminus in the Outer Banks, NC and the other at Teec Nos Pos, Arizona. I’ve driven this section of the road, many times, to its western terminus. It passes through scenic areas with many opportunities for image making. In my humble opinion, unless you like abandoned motels, gas stations, and 1960’s era neon signs (all great subjects in their own right), on Route 66, take US 64 for the more scenic route.

Gorge fog, Taos New Mexico — Morning fog rolls over the canyon walls.

Rio Grande morning fog — Morning fog on the river.

Gorge Bridge canyon cell phone view — Gorge bridge shadow and canyon view.

Orilla Verde Tree, Pilar NM — Snow and an iconic tree in Orilla Verde RA, Pilar NM.

Lastly, a view acros the gorge to Taos mountain. A gorge bush!

As always, thank you for looking, and thank you again for all the well wishes. G

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

Geraint July 28, 2021 6 Comments

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.

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

As always, thank you for looking. G

Morning Fog Lifting, Escondido NM

Geraint October 9, 2019 2 Comments

Morning fog lifting, on a photo tour in Valle Escondido NM. As often happens on a photo tour, we keep spontaneity out front. Generally we have a route and basic itinerary laid out, but it’s easily modified at any point in time. It can be determined by multiple factors. More often than not, though, the main factor is about how much fun we are having and the quality of images we are making in a particular location. We worked this scene for two hours and got many images in the can. Thanks for looking. G

Fog Bow On The Arroyo Hondo Mesa

Geraint April 14, 2019 2 Comments

Fog bow on the Arroyo Hondo Mesa. I saw the potential for some good morning fog images, I didn’t expect this. As I decided to turn around and head home it began to manifest. You can read more on fog bows or fogbows here. Thanks for looking. G

Valley Fog, San Cristobal, NM

Geraint November 2, 2018 2 Comments

Valley fog, morning in our home village of San Cristobal, NM. I had to post one more from this day last week. As I was working on the image I decided that I really liked it and wanted to share it. I love the cold, skin tightening, jaw bracing, turn up the lapels, onward into the wind weather of these mornings, which are promising to get very much colder very soon. Thanks for looking. G

[wp_cart: San Cristobal Valley Morning Fog – 2119:price:[Available Sizes|8×12 inches $95,95|12×18 inches $155,155|16×24 inches $235,235|20×30 inches $350,350]:end]

Solitary Tree and Sun Fog

Geraint October 27, 2018 No Comments

Solitary tree and the sun appearing as a disk through the fog. Although the fog was moving rapidly to the south (to the right of frame) it gave the impression that the sun was traveling at a high rate of speed northwards until the tree, motionless, reined it in. I could have watched it, mesmerizingly, four an hour. But standing in the road, entranced by this scene was not a good idea. Thanks for looking. G

[wp_cart: Arroyo Hondo Valley Lone Tree Fog – 2244:price:[Available Sizes|10×12 inches $95,95|12×16 inches $135,135|16×20 inches $215,215|20×24 inches $325,325]:end]

Road Through A Fog Bow

Geraint May 25, 2017 2 Comments

The road through the fog bow, El Rito, north, New Mexico. Early one morning on the drive to Denver I just had to pull over and watch the fog recede and the sun begin to breathe it’s breath on the landscape. What I call a fog bow developed and added an extra element to the scene. Thanks for checking in. G

Geraint Smith Photography

Tag: fog

Rio Grande, Bridge, Canyon, Tree. 02-22-2023

Morning Fog Lifting, Escondido NM

Fog Bow On The Arroyo Hondo Mesa

Valley Fog, San Cristobal, NM

Solitary Tree and Sun Fog

Road Through A Fog Bow

Abandoned Building In The San Luis Valley

Tipi Dawn

Through The Fog To Ute Mountain