Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week blue and white, another sky over Taos Mountain and one man’s fence.
We’ve had a lot of days recently with blue skies like this. The old adobe buildings especially, and this church, lend themselves to photography on blue-sky days.
Blue and white at the Saint Francis church, Ranchos de Taos, NM.
Perhaps you prefer the black and white below.
Saint Francis Church in black and white.
Driving to Taos a few days ago I saw this sight. I think that these were dispersed contrails from a couple of passing jets. It took three wide-angle shots stitched together to get this much of the scene. I didn’t get it all in as it continued and terminated on the horizon to the west over my shoulder. See below.
Clouds over Taos Mountain, Pueblo Peak.
Here’s a cellphone shot out the car window looking west to the horizon. Highways in the sky.
Clouds or contrails?
Robert Frost wrote, “Good fences make good neighbors” in his poem Mending Wall. Below are abstract shots of one man’s fence in Arroyo Hondo, NM. In order of appearance along the roadside, from west to east.
Chainlink fence #1, Arroyo Hondo, NM.
Chainlink fence #2.
Chainlink fence #3.
Chainlink fence #4.
Chainlink fence #5.
I’ve driven by this window many times but never noticed the thoughtful pattern of the blue and green window panes. There’s always a first time for everything.
Church window and wall in Arroyo Hondo, NM.
As always, thank you for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week I’ve included a late summer sunset with a rainbow in a super storm cloud.
Summer is almost over and autumn is upon us. The aspens and cottonwoods will shroud the landscape in a cape of gold, glowing against the blue skies in the pristine mountain light. At this time of year, the night skies are crystal clear. The moon, constellations, galaxies, and Milky Way light up the night sky like few other places on Earth. New Mexico will soon be a magic carpet ride into the throes of winter. It’s not too late to sign up for a fall photo tour.
The summer storm cloud picture below followed a week after my last post on the rainbows. Many pictures of this massive cloud were floating around on social media. Naturally, we are so fortunate where we live, that we only have to step outside into the garden for a spectacular view.
Rainbow storm cloud sunset San Cristobal, NM
Last weekend Pami and I drove to Salida, Colorado to the fiber arts festival. Pami did some shopping for alpaca yarns and I took a few images walking down the side streets and dark alleys!
Kayaks, Salida, Colorado.
Just over my shoulder was an artist painting a picture of these kayaks. This was his working palette.
Painters Palette, Salida, Colorado.
A dark alley in Salida, Colorado.
Honor Roll Wall, Salida, CO.
Brickwork with peeling paint, an alley in Salida CO.
Looking down, watching where I put my feet, was all I needed to see that “Love is all you need”… and water and food and housing…!
“Love is all you need!”
It poured with rain over the last three days. It isn’t over yet. I had errands to run in Taos so I stopped by the Saint Francis Church in Ranchos de Taos to add another image to my reflection collection. As I’ve said before, “I can’t resist a puddle!”.
Reflection at the Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos.
I went to a friend’s open studio last weekend and also got caught up on gallery visits, it’s been a while. I liked the vase of flowers and took a quick cellphone shot. After tinkering on a cell phone app I came up with this. Here’s another image I did using the “Formulas” app on my phone.
Vase of flowers in a Taos studio.
I got a number of print orders this week. I shipped this image of the Cliff Palace ruin in Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado to Florida. I printed one for myself to hang in my office. If you would like a print for your wall, message me here!
Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde, Colorado.
I saw the scene below today on my drive home from town. This guy was trucking along the highway so I thought I’d catch a shot of him as he passed the flashing road work sign that has been there for three/four years. Road work? No problem!
Road work? No problem!
Summer is coming to an end and colors are turning on the tips of cottonwoods and aspens. I still have dates available for private photo tours and workshops. Last year was outstanding. Let me know if you are planning a trip to the area and would like a personalized guided trip.
As always, thank you for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week on the road in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. I spent a couple of days photo trekking last week discovering new sights and sites with longtime friend, and fellow trekker Ron. There are always new images waiting for us in familiar locations.
If you are planning to visit New Mexico this fall, check out my photo tour/workshops. Lets get started.
Saint Francis Church with hollyhocks.
Door number seven, Saint Francis Church door, Ranchos de Taos.
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week some hollyhocks at the Saint Francis Church in Ranchos de Taos and a place where god has his eye on you, Farmington, NM.
The hollyhocks are standing tall at numerous locations around Taos. Though not as plentiful this year as in previous years, they remain the iconic summer flowers of Taos.
I shot the image below with a 3-megapixel Nikon 990 camera 20 years ago, in 2003, at the Taos Book Store on Kit Carson Road-a little trip down memory lane for me.
Hollyhock in Taos, NM.
The two icons that evoke the high desert southwest are the hollyhock with an adobe building. I made the image below of the Saint Francis Church Plaza with hollyhocks in 2011. Throw in some blue and you have this picture.
Saint Francis Plaza, Ranchos de Taos, NM.
Let’s go to Farmington, NM, in complete contrast to the scenes above. I still aspire to editorial photography. I’m only the messenger so please don’t shoot me.
In the first image, Jesus, who looks a lot like a young Charles Bronson, is working hard for us!
A sign in Farmington, NM.
There is farming in and around Farmington. There’s a lot more of the oil and gas industry there, employing many gentlemen, who God will want to meet after they die. To me, the message here is, live life, have fun, and party.
“Gentlemen’s” Club, Farmington, New Mexico.
“Gentleman’s Club” Farmington, NM.
I do like the light rays traversing the sky, highlighting the sign and the club.
As always, thanks for looking. See you next week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, New Mexico. This week I’m revisiting reflections at the Saint Francis adobe mission church in Ranchos de Taos. In 2005 and 2006, I began making images of the building and its architectural details in the parking lot rain puddles, and snow melt. Over the years, I’ve posted many such images. What surprised me the most was the time frame and dates when I began this project.
Below are some of my current favorites. Enjoy!
Saint Francis reflections, Ranchos de Taos, NM
Getting in close…
San Francisco de Asis Church reflections.
… and closer still.
Church of Saint Francis reflecting in a puddle with rocks.
The puddle below is about 3-4 feet wide. I put the camera on the ground, and because the mud had settled, there was a perfect mirror image of the west side of the building.
West elevation Saint Francis, reflecting in a snow melt puddle.
Saint Francis, in a snow melt puddle.
Saint Francis, reflections in a rain puddle.
Saint Francis, archway, summertime.
I used the image below in 2009 on a 5×7 postcard to promote my photo tour/workshops. The reflections made the image. I distributed it around town, and business took off.
Saint Francis, twilight.
Saint Francis, and archway at twilight.
I shot this image in 1988 before I sold my 1958 VW Beetle. I wish I still owned it. It served as a prop in many of my images. The Beetle’s organic shape worked well with the organic shapes on this building.
Saint Francis, in my 1958 VW Beetle mirror.
There’s a window across the street that had a lace filagree curtain. One of my favorite shots.
Saint Francis, window lace.
Happenstance plays a big part in my photography. This Prius was ideally parked.
Saint Francis in the rear of a Toyota Prius.
Below is the same 3-4 feet puddle as above. I like to return to familiar locations frequently.
Saint Francis in a parking lot puddle.
Lastly, not a reflection but many little lenses. What would you call it? I shot it in 2010 for inclusion in a juried exhibit on the Saint Francis Church, entitled “A Humble Masterpiece”. I printed the image in black and white.
Saint Francis in raindrops.
Are you planning a summer, fall, or winter trip to New Mexico? Check out my tour/workshop page. I’ll introduce you to the Saint Francis Mission Church in Ranchos de Taos.
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
I was on a photo tour last week demonstrating with a photography client the benefits of looking down and how it can often pay off with a rewarding image. In this case, looking down in a puddle on the flagstones, we captured a really nice reflection of the iconic San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. Of course, it helped that one of the parishioners was hosing down the walkway, and I’ve shot this type of scene, many times.
Yesterday, I went up north for a short drive scouting some locations for an upcoming workshop happening for the next three days. I drove on a back road I’m very familiar with and found a male and female Red-tailed Hawk with their juvenile fledgling. The male was off on a power line pole to the east, the female and the chick were on a pole further west with a half-eaten rabbit. In the second image, you can see the nictitating membrane in the eyes of the mama and the young one as they both blinked simultaneously. This membrane allows birds to blink and clean the eyeball while still being able to see what is afoot. Here is a link to the nictitating membrane or “third eyelid”.
Red-tailed hawks, adult and juvenile in the San Luis Valley, ColoradoRed-tailed hawks, adult and juvenile in the San Luis Valley showing the Nictitating membrane.
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.
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 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 window, Ghost Ranch, NM
Looking through the window at another window, Ghost Ranch, NM
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 over the Rio Grande in the San Luis, Colorado.
The week ended back at home with a nice visual from the deck.
Rainbow over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains San Cristobal, New Mexico
I hope you are enjoying winter. I know some of our neighbor states are getting weather they don’t normally experience. Stay safe and warm where you are. Here are some images from a trip around the extended neighborhood this week.
The first image may look familiar to many people as I stop here often in Arroyo Hondo on the drive to and from home and Taos.
Red Willows, Cottonwood Tree.
The sun came out on the way home today and the landscape looked pristine. Here’s my favorite “stretch gate” and farm road.
Stretch Gate, Farm Road
A stretch gate in San Cristobal on my morning walk yesterday.
Gate and Snow, San Cristobal
Martina’s Hall, formally Old Martinez Hall directly west of the Saint Francis church in Ranchos de Taos, has some nice lines accented by the snow.
Martina’s Hall, Ranchos de Taos.
The beautiful mission church of San Francisco de Asis in Ranchos de Taos.
Saint Francis Church Reflections.
A view of the church in a location I’ve not shot before. The morning sunlight breaking through the clouds caught my eye from highway 68 which runs through Ranchos de Taos.
Saint Francis Church.
In San Cristobal this morning our garden Buddha wore his full snow blanket. The snow is still coming down as I write. We are warm and cozy with the wood stove filling the room with a golden glow as well as heat. From the sofa we can watch the snow falling all around the valley.
Tipis south of Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. I headed here first last night for the conjunction but the elements didn’t align. So I headed to the church shortly afterward. That worked out fine and print sales were brisk today. I did shoot some images at the tipis before heading to the church. I added the antique aged distressed look to the shot. Keep looking up! The planets are still passing in the night. Well, not really, Saturn is just under half a billion miles further out into space than mighty Jupiter. Thanks for looking. G
Saint Francis Church, Ranchos de Taos, with Saturn, Jupiter, Conjunction. Jupiter, four moons, and Saturn, a composite image, one focused on the church belfries and the second focused on the planets. Zoom in to see the planets. I hope you got to see it out there. Thanks for looking. G
