Contrast
Warm color vs. cool, sharp vs. soft, light vs. dark, man-made vs. natural, hard vs. soft, heavy vs. lightweight, repetition vs. singular…you get the idea.
Not a Raincloud in Sight
I wanted to make an image that made a statement about the arid desert landscape in this location. The low angle perspective and the harsh bright sunlight were a couple of the elements that I used to make it work.
Heads Up
This nifty arrangement was leaning against the back wall of a church. I always enjoy it when I happen upon an interesting visual pun that I can shoot.
Rawhide
An interesting discovery inside an old barn up in the mountains. I loved the visual appeal of the afternoon light that filtered into the darkness through the various holes in the walls and the roof.
Living Color
Whenever I travel west I never cease to be amazed by the multitude of colors and textures that exist in the wilderness.
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.