Greetings from San Cristobal. This week, mountain snow in the highcountry of New Mexico. Snow fell on the mountain peaks, accompanied by soft winter light. It was enough to find the clouds lifting and a single moment of this pink light on the mountains. Sometimes all it takes to make my day is a simple “ah!” moment like this. The same magenta glow infused the landscape and air around me.
In this area, the Rockies are called the Sangre de Cristos. This wasn’t quite a full-on Sangre sunset color but rather more of a rosé blush. Click here to see what I’m referring to.
Mountain Snow, Taos NM
Here is a close-up of my favorite mountain in this range of peaks, Vallecito Mountain. After a brief moment of this light, it was gone. Then home to Pami, a nice single malt, and a warm fire. Some days it just doesn’t get any better.
Fresh snowfall on Vallecito Mountain, Taos New Mexico.
Flashback. An image I shot on a Saturday morning at the Taos farmer’s market in August 2008. Enjoy.
A little shopper at Taos farmer’s market.
As always, thank you for looking, and for all the comments, and compliments. G
Greetings from San Cristobal and beyond. This week I got up to watch the lunar eclipse. I hadn’t intended to photograph it. I’ve shot it so many times before. When I looked out the window I couldn’t resist. The sky was crystal clear, and the stars were genuinely twinkling. The “cold-hearted orb” wasn’t. It warmed up the night sky and I felt it. I got the camera set up in the front doorway, out of the cold and wind, and began shooting. The most significant impact it had on Pami and me was how three-dimensional it appeared suspended amongst the stars. It was another wonderful, lunar eclipse-watching night. I can honestly say that I will continue to get up to watch future eclipses from now on.
Click on images to enlarge and view individually.
Lunar eclipse, totality, from our front door, San Cristobal, NM
The day before the eclipse our moon rose unblemished in clear skies, visible out the dining room window, although I did go outside for this shot.
Almost full moon rising, San Cristobal.
New snow in our mountains last week.
Snowfall on Pueblo Peak, Taos Mountain in El Prado, Taos, NM
Snowfall on Pueblo Peak, Taos Mountain shot on iPhone 13 Pro Max
I had originally considered driving south to the Taos tipis for a shot. I thought of a composite instead. This is what I came up with. Here’s the image with the tipis and lunar eclipse from April 2015
The Wild Rivers Recreation Area of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is a gem of a place that I like to visit throughout the year. This time I visited some of my favorite lone trees. I do like a solitary tree. A lone tree for me is like finding a friendly soul where one least expects it. These three trees are all still standing and were strong enough to withstand the high winds last December that flattened hillsides of trees in other areas. The thin layer of clouds gave an illuminated glow to the landscape like a big softbox light.
Lone tree, Wild Rivers Recreation Area, NM
This old piñon pine is hanging in there and I anticipate a few more pictures until it succumbs to the elements. Its impending demise will also, no doubt, entice me to make images for years to come.
Lone tree, Wild Rivers Recreation Area, NM
Pretty much the same predicament for this tree as for the other two. The dead needles clinging to the limbs of this tree gave a nice warmth to the scene. The overcast lighting and water on the needles saturated the colors. I could see the reds from a distance and moved in closer to get this shot.
Lone tree, Wild Rivers Recreation Area, NM
You guessed it… Taos Mountain from the deck in San Cristobal, and a last glimmer of light on the mountain before the sun disappeared for the night.
Taos Mountain from San Cristobal
I found the image below in the archives while searching for the crane image to print. I’d previously published this storm cloud in black and white. It impressed me in color so here it is.
Mountain storm and pond, Taos NM
Three new fine art prints went out of the studio this week. If a print interessts you click on the picture to go the pertinent purchase page. This first image of the Sandhill Cranes against the Rocky Mountains, I titled “Pas de Deux”.
Sandhill Cranes, “Pas de Deux”, Monte Vista NWR, Colorado
Geology in the desert around Abiquiu.
Plaza Blanca Rocks
And the Lone Tree, the “Welcome Tree” at the Taos overlook.
Lone Tree, the “Welcome Tree” Taos Overlook.
Ok… one last image of a young Sandhill Crane at the Monte Vista NWR coming in for a landing.
Sandhill Crane.
As always, thank you for looking. Have a great week. G
Some shots around the extended neighborhood these last couple of weeks. Still a lot of snow in the high country and a brightly colored cattle guard glowing like Kodachrome® yellow. An Osprey with a half-eaten fish on a fence post in the Chama Valley followed by an elk skull and antlers with a backdrop of San Antonio Mountain and great sky over the Volcanic Plateau. A few days ago we cruised north into the San Luis Valley and found an RV standing alone under a brooding sky and the Road G intersection with Road 7 looking north towards Blanca Peak and south to Ute Mountain. Last but not least on a photo tour/workshop two weeks ago, Chile Trompe l’oeil in Costilla and El Rito, NM. Thanks for checking in and looking and for all the great comments, emails, and compliments. G
High country snow and fence near Hopewell Lake, NM.
Cattle Guard, thoughts of Kodachrome come to mind.
Osprey on a fence post with half eaten fish in Chama, NM.
Elk head, antlers with San Antonio Mountain in the Taos Volcanic Plateau.
RV, San Luis Valley, southern Colorado.
Road G in the San Luis Valley looking north to Blanca Peak.
Road G in the San Luis Valley looking south to Ute Mountain.
Blue door with red chile ristras Trompe l’oeil in Costilla, NM.
Painted chiles on El Farolito Restaurant in El Rito, NM
The full moon rising last Saturday over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado. Commonly known as the “Worm Moon” it’s also known by these names in other cultures. Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Moon of Winds, Fish Moon. Here’s a link to the names of full moons in many other cultures. I’m rather partial to “Crow moon”. The crows in our field get busy at this time of year and show up every morning before sunrise. This is a photo of a crow with the full moon back in early December. Despite the names bestowed on a full moon, it’s a most wondrous site to behold rising over fresh snow-covered peaks of the “Sangres”. This was shot and cropped from a very large panoramic image on a photo tour/workshop. Join me in this area for a trip to see sights like this.
The full “worm moon” rising last Saturday over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado
Here’s the panorama of the whole scene. If you have room for a large print, the detail in both is amazing. Prints will be available soon.
Large panorama of the full moon rising over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of southern Colorado
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.
Following on from yesterday’s image… down the road is the red barn, just beyond it is a field with a horse sheltering under a tree from the snow. Thanks for looking. G
Red Wheelbarrow with a surprise in the snow, San Cristobal, New Mexico. I like to wander early in the morning, well not too early, in the garden. This little surprise was waiting to be discovered in Pami’s red wheelbarrow after the last snow. So…, something red for the holidays. Thanks for looking. G
Plateau road into the snowstorm and low cloud, Taos, New Mexico. This is how it looked yesterday afternoon when the storm moved in. Today we awoke to 3 to 12 inches of snow depending on the elevation, and deeper in the mountains which are missing in the cloud. Thanks for looking. G
Golden Eagle in a snowstorm Orilla Verde Recreation Area in the Rio Grande Gorge, New Mexico. The tree is a decades-long roosting place for Bald Eagles. This tree succumbed to the elements over the last few years and made room for hawks, osprey and golden eagles. Everything falls in to place perfectly. Thanks for looking. G
