Hello from Ghost Ranch, New Mexico. I hope everyone had a great week. It was a big beautiful cloud day yesterday on a photo tour around Abiquiu, and the Rio Chama Valley.
Big beautiful cloud, Ghost Ranch, NM
On a photo tour/workshop with photographer Kathy King. We hit the high country in the Valle Vidal on Monday where temps dropped from 94º F (34º C) to 54º F (12º C), with thunder, heavy rain and sleet. Yesterday we went to Abiquiu for the desert landscape.
Greetings from New Mexico. I hope everyone had a great week. This week, a large-scale composite photograph depicting two places I love being, besides home! One is standing in awe of Taos Pueblo Peak (Taos Mountain), the second is watching the river flow in Abiquiu, New Mexico.
Here’s the composite created this last spring during a session with my good friend and co-conspiritor David, Vedoe. I hope you’ll pardon another short post. I had a great couple of weeks photo touring with clients. I’m heading to the mountains tomorrow so I’ll see what I get from a day hiking. I will be looking out for unexpected things.
The picture below is a high resolution, mural sized panorama, that can be mounted on interior walls. It was created for the pure fun of doing something different.
Not a composite image, was the sky two nights ago over our valley. I only had to walk out to the driveway to get most of the expanse. I call it “under the arc of existence”.
We have views from the back garden, the kitchen, dining room and deck along with the driveway, I only need a view from the bedroom and I won’t have to leave the house. Kidding! Soon I’ll do a post of the shots I’ve taken of this scene with the skies over our neighbors house.
Sky over San Cristobal, NM
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The Milky Way from our driveway, with Saturn, Jupiter, and an almost complete view, on the right, of the constellation Scorpius.
Saturn, Jupiter, the Milky Way and the Scorpion constellation.
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As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
Hello from New Mexico. This week, a day trip to Arroyo Blanco, Abiquiu, Ghost Ranch, and beyond.
On the last day of February, my good friend and fellow photographer, David Marks, met up at the visitors center in Abiquiu, parked the car, and headed out. First stop was to get some lunch at Bode’s General Store and a picnic along the Rio Chama just a short distance away.
Ghost Ranch, NM.
Picnic lunch stop along the Rio Chama in Abiquiu, with low water but a nice spot and view of the very rust colored Cerrito Blanco.
A drive on the Chama River road to the Desert Monastery always reveals another scene not seen by me before. The tenacity and fortitude of this lone tree. It makes you wonder how it survives at all.
Chama River Road Palisades.
Off-road near Abiquiu, NM off the Desert Monastery Road.
Off-road near Abiquiu.
Arroyo Blanco, and an easy stroll from the car, and not to be confused with Plaza Blanca.
Arroyo Blanco, Abiquiu.
And some bones of what’s left of a llama, I first saw fairly intact seven years ago. I can’t say for sure, but I think Georgia would love it!
As I wander through this enchanting grove, surrounded by the rustling leaves, earthy aromas of autumn fill the air, invigorating my senses. The scent of the forest floor, mingled with the cool breeze, evokes a sense of nostalgia and wonder, making each moment a feast for the soul.
Aspen trunks and leaves – a superimposed creation.
Not so spectacular from my driveway due to a haze of brush fire smoke, as some previous comets, such as Comet Neowise a few years ago. But I had to give Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) a shot!
Photographing Malachi Tsoodlie at the Indian Market in Santa Fe made my day fifteen years ago and again recently when I printed the photo in black and white. Soon it will hang on my wall, and make my day for a third time.
Indian Market Santa Fe.
As always, thanks for looking. Have a great week. G
Greetings from San Cristobal, NM. This week more black and white images. I had some time over the last few days to wallow in the hard drives, throw a virtual dart at the folders, and see what showed up.
The tree is long gone but the flat top peak, Cerro Pedernal, stands like a beacon and can be seen from multiple locations around northern, NM.
Cerro Pedernal and tree Rio Chama road, NM.
Many places in the southwest US are deteriorating and ultimately wind up going back to earth. How quickly they reach their demise, depends on the materials they are made of. Adobe, wood, and tin seem to get there quicker than the plastic one sees everywhere these days. I shot the image below in November 2017.
Adobe ruin, Villanueva, NM.
Wandering through the files from a trip to Britain in 2013 with Pami, I came across this image shot on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, on the Northumbria Coast of northeast England. I’m guessing this boat, which wasn’t sea-worthy back then, has probably been overturned and is now used as a storage shed.
Lindisfarne, Holy Island, Northumbria, England.
An overturned fishing boat was reclaimed and made into a storage shed.
Beach shed and Lindisfarne Castle, England.
I always shoot a scene in color but sometimes a scene cries out for black and white. Sometimes the day and lighting inspire me to shoot for a later conversion.
I shot the picture below in color and converted it to black and white. It was taken on the Thames Embankment in November 2013.
Someone was feeding the gulls.
As always thank you for all the kind words comments and compliments. Have a great week. G.
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
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
Rio Chama overlook, in Abiquiu, NM. Lets stay in this area one more day. It’s greening up in northern New Mexico. It’s not looking quite like this just yet but it’s getting there. That means spring is here and that’s a good thing. I can feel the days warming up, with milder evenings where the wind has second thoughts. This place on the Rio Chama is a favorite stop on many photo tours. You can see why. Thanks for looking. G
March along the Rio Chama in Abiquiu, New Mexico. During this self imposed quarantine I’m touring the archives. I’m going slow, pedaling my virtual bicycle, savoring moments in images made over the last few years. Today, outside the kitchen window there were clouds and sunny skies much like this day from two years ago in Abiquiu. Be safe and please stay well. Thanks for looking. Geraint.
Winding Road, Rio Chama, NM. Not so long and only a little bit winding, but look where it draws your view. One of my favorite locations, and views, enhanced by a dark sky, full of potential thunderstorms. Thanks for looking. G
