Fire in the Sky
This valley inside an ancient volcanic caldera produces some spectacular sunsets but I must say this is one of the better sky shows that I have been treated to there. Click on it to view a larger version.
Elk in the Desert
We encountered this elk in Chaco Canyon and were able to get a fair amount of good photos of it before it decided to run off.
Head for the Hills
I’ve been here and photographed this truck a few times in the past but this was the best light I’ve ever had here and I wanted to find a composition that highlighted how well both the truck and the landscape looked in the light.
Deals on Wheels
I knew at the time I photographed this that I wanted to do an artistic treatment with it. I took the time last night to work with it and get it to look like what I envisioned in the first place.
The Final Journey
The late afternoon light was soft and warm through the window of this little shrine, gently illuminating a touching scene.
Glass Behind Glass
It’s no secret that I really enjoy photographing windows. When the inside view merges with a scenic reflection it’s a good thing and when the window itself has a lot of character it’s even better.
Icons of the Southwest
Nothing says you have arrived in the southwest quite like a brilliant red chile ristra hanging in the sun in front of an adobe wall.
Keep Looking Up
There are as many photo opportunities looking up from within a narrow canyon as there are in any other direction.
Friday Night in the Diner
I took this photo of the counter while having dinner in the Owl Cafe in Albuquerque. They have a great green chile cheeseburger that I keep going back for whenever I’m in town.
Albuquerque Afternoon
I love to make artistic use of lens flare in my compositions and the late afternoon sun was willing to go along with me as I roamed the old city plaza.
Chaco Canyon by Moonlight
We were blessed with crystal clear skies in the canyon all day yesterday and into the night. When the moon came up over the mesa it illuminated the entire canyon with it’s bright light and we really enjoyed standing beneath the stars in the silence of the desert photographing the moonlit vista.
Rainstorm, Valles Caldera
On Saturday we spent the day slowly working our way up the volcanic mountain stopping to take photos the entire way up. I could see the storm cloud building above the mountain throughout the day and had a secret hope that by late afternoon conditions would be right for a rainbow at the top. I didn’t say anything though because I didn’t want get everyone’s hopes up. Luckily though as we came over the rim and descended into the caldera this was the sight that we encountered. Our timing was fortuitous indeed, the rainbow lasted less than ten minutes and then silently vanished.
Desolate Sunset
I’m finally shooting in New Mexico again and so far it’s been a terrific trip. This is from the first evening out here. After arriving on the plane and getting settled in I took my group out to the Ojito Wilderness for a sunset shoot. I climbed to the top of a very tall clay mound in search of a good vantage point to shoot the sunset and encountered this scene as I approached the summit. Lucky me.
Timing
I always enjoy it when I have an opportunity to practice tripping the shutter at the decisive moment.
Sandia Sunset
Sandia Mountain gets it’s name from turning the color of a watermelon at sunset. This is a view of the rugged side of the mountain from the far bank of the Rio Grande.
99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall
Glass bottles in a glass window with a perfect background. I love finding things like this with my camera.
Ancient Cliff Dwellings
The people who lived here chose this side of the canyon for their dwellings for the reason you see here: This is the side where the sun always shines.
A Light Sprinkling of Snow
With all the oppressive heat that we are suffering from around here is it any wonder that I keep daydreaming of being here?
The Beauty of the Badlands
Bright morning sun and and a blue sky are the perfect complement to this distorted landscape.
The Squeaky Wheel
As you can tell I’m still picking out images to post from my last trip out west. I’m looking forward to getting some new material on the next trip which is coming up soon.
Built the Old-Fashioned Way
This weathered old barn provided a lot of great natural texture to work with thanks to all the rough-hewn lumber and simple construction techniques.
Moon and Venus
I was making a print of this image for someone and realized that even though I posted it here on my photo journal once before that was at least 8 years ago. I figured since I had the file in front of me I would go ahead and rerun it because by now it will be new to most people who look at my journal these days.
Symme-tree
The direction of light on this tree and it’s placement with respect to the adobe wall made me stop in my tracks as I was walking by. Using adobe as a background in compositions is one of my favorite things to do.
Earth and Sky
I was spending some time revamping some of my marketing material for my New Mexico photo tour and came across a bunch of images from past trips that never made it to being posted here. Here is one from the Ojito Wilderness.