Fine Art Images from the American Southwest

Tag: High Road to Taos

Cottonwood Colors. Random Black and Whites. 10-25-2023.

Greetings from San Cristobal. This week, my favorite cottonwood tree in all the state, and random black and whites on the road in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

I think the colors on this cottonwood peaked this morning. I never tire of seeing it whenever I commute to or from Taos, in all seasons.

Cottonwood tree, Arroyo Hondo, NM
Arroyo Hondo, NM.

It’s that time of year when shadows return and traverse the adobe walls of the Saint Francis Church in Ranchos de Taos.

Shadows at Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos.
Shadows at Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos.

And again in an alleyway in Dixon, NM.

Alleyway and shadows, Dixon, NM
Alleyway and Shadows, Dixon, NM.

Simplicity in the shadows, San Jose de Gracia, de Las Trampas, on the High Road to Taos.

San Jose de Gracia, Las Trampas, NM
San Jose de Gracia, Las Trampas, NM.

The light and the darkness.

San Jose de Gracia, Las Trampas, NM
Under the portal, Las Trampas, NM.

The church of San Jose de Gracia in Las Trampas is one of my favorite stops on the High Road to Taos. I’ve made many trips there over the years. Last week I watched a number tourists pull over, wind down their windows and take a glance or a quick cellphone photo and immediately drive off. Sometimes I wonder what it’s like being a tourist snap-glancing their way around the planet?

Las Trampas church, on the high road to Taos
Adobe, Las Trampas Church, on the High Road to Taos.

In the following image I cut out any distractions. Unlike this image where the moon completed the shot.

On the High Road to Taos, NM
On the High Road to Taos, NM.

A few days ago I was on the road in another favorite location, on the state line in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

Abandoned adobe, Costilla, NM
Abandoned adobe, Costilla, NM.

Click on the image to expand.

Abandoned homestead, Colorado.
Abandoned homestead and potatoe bunker, Colorado.

As always thank you for looking and all the comments and compliments. G

Photography Workshop Highlights, 09-14-22

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.

Comanche Point, Valle Vidal, NM
Comanche Point, Valle Vidal, NM

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.

Santa Cruz church, Ojo Caliente, NM
Church of Santa Cruz, Ojo Caliente, NM

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.

Bighorn Ram, Rio Grande Gorge, NM
Bighorn sheep ram, in The Orilla Verde RA, Rio Grande Gorge, NM

Close up Bighorn sheep Ram, Rio Grande Gorge, on a photography workshop in northern New Mexico.
Close up of bighorn sheep ram, in The Orilla Verde RA, Rio Grande Gorge, NM

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.

Restoration at the Las Trampas church on the high road to Taos
Restoration mudding at San José de las Trampas, NM

The partially closed doors created a different look at one of the belfries.

Las Trampas church on the high road to Taos
Through the big doors at the Las Trampas Church.

Closing this week’s post is the harvest moon, shot from the deck as it rose over our mountains.

Harvest Moon rise, San Cristobal, NM
Harvest Moon rising, San Cristobal, NM

As always, thanks for looking. G

High Road to Taos, New Mexico, June 15, 2022

Yesterday I went on a trip with friends on the High Road to Taos. It was a lovely relaxing day with no schedule or plans except to have fun and make images.

We began our day trip in Ranchos de Taos and photographed the iconic Saint Francis Church. It’s easy to lose track of time when photo opportunities abound. When we final regrouped, we headed south, winding our way through the Rio Grande Gorge to Dixon, picking up the High Road in Peñasco, traveling on to Las Trampas, Truchas, then back to Dixon for a late lunch at the Dixon Cooperative Market and Cafe.

Saint Francis Church on the High Road to Taos
Saint Francis Church, San Francisco de Asis.

South through the Rio Grande Gorge brought us to the town of Dixon, where we found these two benches waiting for us in more ways than one.

Benches in Dixon, NM
Benches in Dixon, NM.
Bench back, Dixon, NM
Bench back detail, Dixon, NM.

After an hour of wandering around Dixon, we headed to the Picuris Pueblo, (still closed to the public) and on to the church of San Jose de Gracia de Las Trampas in Las Trampas, the ‘place of traps.’

San Jose de Gracia de Loas Trampas
The church of San Jose de Gracia de Las Trampas, NM.

Truchas is a twenty-minute drive south on the High Road to Taos and abounds with fascinating and quirky visuals. Truchas was the setting for the movie of the John Nichols, book Milagro Beanfield War, filmed on location in the mid-1980s and directed by Robert Redford. Below is the Truchas Mission Church, Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Rosario.

Truchas Mission Church on the High Road to Taos
Truchas Mission Church, Nuestra Señora del Sagrado Rosario.

The following few images are also located in Truchas, a short walk from the mission church.

House with TV antenna, Truchas, NM
House with TV antenna, Truchas, NM.
Hobby Horse
Hobby Horse in the cool shade of a portal on the High Road to Taos.
Ford F100, Truchas
Ford F100 in Truchas, NM.
Mobile Home, with antenna, Truchas NM
Mobile home, with tv antenna, Truchas, NM.

Before we began our trip, we visited Floras Valley Store in San Cristobal, where my friends came to meet me. I just had to show this sight to them.

Floras Valley Store, San Cristobal, NM
Floras Valley Store, San Cristobal, NM.

We ended a fun day and said our farewells back in San Cristobal. I closed my day watching the “Strawberry Moon” rising over Taos Mountain.

Full "Strawberry Moon" with Taos Mountain
Full “Strawberry Moon” with Taos Mountain, NM.

As always, thank you for looking. G

Placita, Rainsville, and a Tree, New Mexico.

Three black and whites from a photo tour this week. In the first image, at Placita on the High Road to Taos, I happened to look up and there was the last quarter moon with the deep shadow from the church roofline running through the scene. The second image was taken at the church of the Sacred Heart in Rainsville, NM. I was drawn to the shapes and patterns of the shadows and light interacting with the white-trimmed window. The third image is east of the church in Rainsville looking toward the plains. We waited for the clouds to roll through with a little rain thrown in for good measure.

Placitas chapel and moon
Placita, Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion chapel and moon, High Road to Taos

Rainsville church New Mexico
Rainsville, Church of the Sacred Heart, New Mexico.

Tree and storm clouds Rainsville, NM
Tree with a backdrop of storm clouds Rainsville, NM.

As always thank you for looking. G

Las Trampas Church Through The Big Doors

Las Trampas Church, the view through the big doors. I’m on the High Road to Taos often on photo tours, that it is hard to pass up another picture opportunity of this beautiful mission church of San Jose de Gracia de Las Trampas. Thanks for looking and all the wonderful comments and support over the years. I’m very grateful. Thank you. Geraint.

Las Trampas Church, the view through the big doors.

High Road To Taos, Las Trampas Church, Sky

High Road to Taos, Las Trampas Church, and sky. I spent some time yesterday processing a few more images from that day on the High Road last week. The fast-moving clouds were cooperating to the degree that, during a long exposure, they caused this zoom effect of the movement of the clouds over the front and rear of the church. I could have created the same effect in Photoshop® but as I said the clouds were cooperating so two minutes of exposure on each of the images gave me a nice in-camera image. Less time spent on the computer is a good thing. Thanks for looking. G

High Road to Taos, Las Trampas Church

High Road to Taos, Las Trampas Church, and sky.

San Jose De Gracia De Las Trampas, NM

San Jose de Gracia de Las Trampas, on the High Road to Taos, NM. On a little safari today, we stopped at the mission church and set up to photograph the adobe building with the fast-moving clouds. We spent a few hours in the location waiting as the clouds built and disappeared before our eyes, only to billow up again and vanish once more. Eventually, they returned and became thick, heavy storm clouds and the cold drove us back to Dixon on the Rio Embudo for coffee and snacks. Thanks for looking. G

San Jose de Gracia de Las Trampas, NM

Raindrops, San Jose De Gracia De Las Trampas, NM

Raindrops, San Jose de Gracia de Las Trampas, NM. Through the looking glass, flashing back to a body of work I did in 2009. Spending more time this last week organizing my hard drives I came across this image I shot of the Las Trampas Mission Church on the High Road to Taos. An image of the St. Francis Mission Church made the exhibit in Taos back in 2010 but as I review my files this image grew on me. Thanks for looking. G

Raindrops, San Jose de Gracia de Las Trampas, NM.

Tin Roof, High Road To Taos, NM

Tin roof and the impression of a ladder just of the High Road to Taos, New Mexico. I did a double take when I saw I was looking at the rusty stain where the ladder used to be. Corrugated tin roofing is a mainstay in the mountain villages, a good business to be in back in the day. I love New Mexicana. Thanks for looking. G

Tin Roof, High Road To Taos, NM

Truchas, Trampas, Ranchos De Taos, NM

Truchas, Trampas, Ranchos De Taos, NM. High Road photography convoy tour continued form my post a few days ago. It was a little too much editing to do all in one go. There is no order of importance or favorite, I posted these and the previous images in the order we discovered then. Enjoy! And thank you for joining me virtually here on my website. G

Truchas Mission Church
Tin roof with crosses, Truchas Mission Church on the High Road to Taos.

 

Gated door filigree Truchas
Gated door with metal work filigree, Truchas Mission Church.

 

Wooden cross, Morada, Truchas
Wooden cross with Penitente Morada, Truchas, NM

 

Window, Truchas Morada
Window at the Penitente Morada, Truchas.

 

Woodpile House roof Truchas
Wood pile as big as a house up to the roof in Truchas, NM

 

Steer on a Deer skulls, Truchas
Steer skull on a deer skull, on a ladder in Truchas, on the High Road to Taos.

 

Las Trampas church adobe wall
Las Trampas Church belfry seen peeking over the adobe entrance wall.

 

Las Trampas church
San Jose Church seen over the wooden gate in Las Trampas on the High Road to Taos.

 

Big doors Ranchos de Taos
Big doors on the St Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos.