San Pedro, San Luis, Colorado
San Pedro, San Luis, Colorado. The old church of San Pedro and San Pablo, (Iglesia de San Pedro y San Pablo) Colorado. There are many of these churches of similar design scattered throughout the San Luis Valley. I’ll post some more, stay tuned. Over the last ten years I’ve built an inventory of images from the San Luis Valley, farming cultural and nature. Many of the structures are still thriving. Others are deteriorating fast, and many are returning to the earth. Thanks for looking. G
Potato Bunker, San Luis Valley
Potato Bunker, San Luis Valley. Fascinated with these abandoned utilities from a bygone era, I keep returning to spend time amongst the ghosts that inhabit it. A place where the ghosts are stirred only by the wind, an occasional barn owl, the coyote that lives in the den in the corner, and all wrapped up in moments of sheer silence. Cattle tend to frequent other ruins in the area where the roofs are intact. In this place, at some point in time, someone moved in some easy chairs, a sofa and school chairs. The valley is full of rustic remnants from the past, like this one, many collapsing in on themselves. If this is the kind of subject matter that interests you, join me on a photo tour/workshop. These old buildings also happen to be set in some of the most beautiful landscape in the region. Thanks for looking. G
Raven On The Post
Raven sitting on a fence post in a sun shower enjoying the last rays of light at sunset. Another raven was on a nearby post, with a lot to say as ravens often do. This bird didn’t answer or do much of anything. I like to think perhaps, it was actually enjoying the moment. Thanks for looking. G
Red Barn, Green Gate, Sandhill Cranes
Red Barn, Green Gate, Sandhill Cranes. Made another quick trip up the the National Wildlife Refuge today, where we saw so many Sandhill Cranes, thousands of Canada geese and two Snow Geese. If you have a chance this weekend to make a trip to this area you wont be disappointed. The one thing that really gets me is the call of the cranes. Thanks for continuing to look. G
Crooked Cross, Colorado
Crooked Cross, San Luis Valley, Colorado. I like the casual, rakish tilt of the cross on this authentic belfry with the exposed bell. These days the majority of bells are enclosed to keep out the pigeons, doves and other critters, you know, bats in the belfry. Thanks for looking. G
Palomino, Chama, Southern Colorado
Palomino, Chama, southern Colorado. Beautiful boy and gentle soul, in the high country of Colorado. When he wasn’t dozing off, he was yawning out loud. Another great day on a photo trek in in southern Colorado. I’ve spent five days here in the last fourteen. Besides this palomino we also met another gentle soul. A gentle man who shared a little of his life’s story with us. It was a very moving moment and we felt honored that he chose to share it with us. Thanks for looking. G
Blue Door, Garcia, Colorado
Blue Door, Garcia, Colorado. What the road passes. A day trip around the block in southern Colorado. On this trip we made a big figure eight through the San Luis Valley. We stopped in Costilla and Garcia to photograph some of the abandoned homesteads. Directly over my shoulder, an abandoned Conoco gas station, formally owned by Mr. Cordova beckoned us. Marco pulled over. His dog, who was getting it’s exercise running behind the car, stopped and visited too! Marco told us that, when he was eight years old, he would trade Mr. Cordova a handful of pennies for a handful of bubble gum! I love my job and the people I meet. Join me for what is fast becoming the most popular of my photography tour/workshops. From spectacular scenery to subtle scenes like this one. I hope to see you out this way soon. Thanks for looking. G
Winter Field, San Luis Valley
Winter field at the red barn, on a photo tour today in the San Luis Valley. This is the sun faded windward side of the barn, not so red anymore. The leeward side still retains its red patina of peeling paint. The temperature said 22 degrees fahrenheit. The windchill was at least 20 degrees lower. The weather made for some stunning imagery despite the cold temperatures. Join me on a photo tour/workshop. Thanks for looking. G
Church Of San Francisco, Colorado
Church of San Francisco, San Francisco, Colorado. I love finding new places, to me, that is. Venturing in another direction off the beaten path. We are slowly working our away around the very southern part of the state of Colorado. Frankly, this part of Colorado looks more like it should be a part of New Mexico. It’s as if the borders were drawn too far south or not far enough north. Thanks for looking. G
Winter Light, Hay Bales, Snow
Winter light, on the hay bales, capped with snow. Another fabulous day in the richly diverse San Luis Valley of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. The winter light really sets this valley off, with farms, fields, abandoned homesteads, raptors and wildlife. Thanks for looking. G
Rural Colorado Moonrise, San Luis Valley
Rural Colorado and moonrise in the San Luis Valley at the old barn. Sixteen degrees fahrenheit is cold. When the moon rose it warmed up the sky, the valley, my hands and heart. What an evening to drive into the hinterlands. Standing here in this field where the old crops are mown, the new crops not yet sown, where a coyote howled and all was still save the moon rising silently behind the clouds over the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Stay tuned for the luna eclipse photo tomorrow. Thanks for looking. G
Shepherd On The Range, Southern Colorado
Modern day shepherd on the range in Southern Colorado. Camo snow gear, thick gloves, high tech snow boots, a beautiful palomino and that’s his home on the range in the left rear. The sheep and a few goats look very healthy and winter weather resistant. Temperatures dropped to 14 degrees at 4:30pm yesterday. Today was another cold day in the valley. The shepherd and his sheep were heading north right down the middle of the road. I turned off the engine, sat and watched the show. It’s slow moving but they get there eventually. Thanks for looking. G
Snow Day Photo Tour, San Luis Valley
Snow day photo tour in the San Luis Valley. A wonderful trip around one of my most favorite places on earth, with two wonderful photographers, at one of my favorite locations. Deep snow trudging! Hawks, wild horses, frozen lakes and rivers; snow capped high peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains with pristine light for image making. Thanks for looking. G
Monolithic Hay Bales, Jaroso, Colorado
Monolithic hay bale structures, scattered across the landscape in the San Luis Valley, like medieval fortifications and moat-less castles standing defiant, besieged by an onslaught of snow. This was the first stop on our photo trip in and around Jaroso, Colorado. I’ll be heading back up there again tomorrow, on another photo tour, in search of more landscape images. We may encounter eagles, hawks, wild mustangs and who knows what other wonders we’ll find. Thanks for looking. G
Horned Lark, San Luis Valley
Horned Lark on another photography adventure in the San Luis Valley, Colorado yesterday. Vast expanses of white and white-out with blizzard conditions at times. Two bald eagles, a Zone-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon, numerous Red-tailed Hawks, a large flocks of Ravens, Crows, and Magpies along with thousands of these Horned Larks in huge flocks, foraging around the edge of the fields. Thanks for looking. G
Lobatos Steel Bridge, Rio Grande Colorado
Lobatos steel bridge, crosses the Rio Grande in southern Colorado. On a full day photo adventure today crossing the Rio Grande, the river below us is solid ice. The road way on the bridge is ice, so we skated across it, holding on to the rails. Just kidding, but we had to be sure footed. Thanks for looking. G
