The iconic, autumn “Hunter’s Moon” rising over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from our driveway in San Cristobal, NM. The “Hunter’s Moon” is a favorite of all the moon names. Although I don’t hunt, the name evokes some primordial feeling in me of a greater sense of place in the grand scheme of things. Whatever it conjures up for you, I hope it’s a good feeling. The final image is from the old homestead in the San Luis Valley, Colorado.
Hunter’s moon rises over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM.
Hunter’s moon rising a little further.
Hunter’s moonrise breaks the tree line over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM.
Hunter’s moon and the old homestead in the San Luis Valley, CO.
The moon was nearly full when it rose over the Columbine-Hondo Wilderness in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. I’m a proponent of as little travel as possible when the presentation is before me. Dewitt Jones said, “The banquet is spread constantly, with no thought of whether anyone will attend. If I were receptive enough, perhaps I would see it in everything. But I’m not, so photography is one of the tools I use to help me concentrate, to help me see deeply, to block out all that is extraneous and see that which is essential.” I shot the moon rise last night and the following two images looking out from our deck early this morning. The potential for a vibrant eclipse diminished through the night as clouds moved in. Around 3 am the moon vanished altogether. At 4:30 am, my alarm went off. There was a faint moon with clouds surrounding it. I nodded off. By 4:55 am I was dressed and standing outside with the camera set up. I surmised that the moon would perhaps emerge from and disappear behind intermittent banks of clouds. It did as I thought but not with the resounding determination I’d hoped for. It seemed to pulse faintly as it set and then it was gone. At 5:45 I was back in bed. I woke up at 7:15 am with a feeling that I had traveled miles. In effect, at that moment I had hitched a ride with the moon. I think I’ll also need a nap later.
Nearly full moon rising over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, NM
Lunar eclipse, this morning from San Cristobal, NM
Full moon, Lunar eclipse, setting this morning over the Taos Plateau.
Below is a new print I’m working on. It’s a very large panorama of the sacred Fajada Butte in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. I’ll have this image ready for purchase on my fine art prints landscape page this weekend.
Fajada Butte, Chaco Canyon, Chaco Culture National Historical Park
San Francisco de Asis, Moonrise, Ranchos de Taos, NM. Sometimes the elements come together where one would like them to. Photographed and painted by many artists, I never tire of another visit to this mission church south of Taos. A big plus when no one else is there. Can you feel the peace and solitude? Thanks for looking. G
La Luna with earthshine, framed by our old cottonwood tree in the field. This tree, half alive and half dead is a hang out for many species of birds who frequent the valley. They have an excellent view of the deck and hence the bird feeders. Last night when the moon came out they’d already left their perches or they would have seen this beautiful sight. Thanks for looking in too. G
Hunter’s Moon setting, Taos Plateau Volcanic Field. It was such a beautiful moon this morning so I made a cup of tea and a snack and drove a half-mile just to watch. Well, I did take my camera and enjoyed the view with my tea in the hushed, predawn light. The full “Blue Moon” occurred about two hours after I made these images. The distortion is refraction through the earth’s atmosphere. Thanks for looking. G
Arroyo Hondo Valley and a Mountain Moonrise, northern New Mexico. We went out to watch the moon rising and pick up some peach pie. On the way home, we stopped numerous times to photograph the moon and landscape. We pulled over in the Arroyo Hondo Valley with one of its residents enjoying a cool drink in the snowmelt and munching on some soft green shoots with the moon watching over it all. Remember the “blue moon” on Saturday, the second full moon of October. Thanks for looking. G
Moonrise this evening over the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, San Cristobal, NM. I got this quick shot out of the dining room window as the waxing moon was served up in a gorgeous pink sky. I served up a pot of green chile chicken stew, a perfect accompaniment to a cold fall evening. Thanks for looking. G
Waning Crescent Moon, Sangre De Cristos, New Mexico. The silence awash across the valley when La Luna rose over the mountains was palpable. No dogs, roosters, coyotes, or birds, and the camera on silent mode perpetuated the peace in this moment. Thanks for looking. G
Harvest Moon rising over the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, New Mexico, October 2020. The orange color is another fire smoke filter, so to speak. The actual full Harvest moon was today around 3 pm. In this image, the moon was 99.1% of full. Well, we won’t quibble. Thanks for looking and keep looking up. G
Jupiter, Jupiter’s Moons, our Moon. Last night, looking up from the deck revealed this beautiful alignment of Saturn, Jupiter and four moons with our moon waxing. Saturn was too small and farther away to include in this photo. This photo comprises one exposure for our moon and another for Jupiter and it’s moons. Thanks for looking. Keep looking up. G
