Category: Landscape Southwest

Landscapes includes clouds etc.

Waking Up to Antarctica

This part of New Mexico really got hit hard with this storm (Feb ’23). It was wetter snow than is usual for this place, weighing the trees down to the snapping point. Normal snow is so light that you can literally blow it away….makes for some nice skiing. There is more on the way combined with some high winds. It not only looks like Antarctica, it feels like it, and sounds like it!

Rating: 3 out of 3.

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5 responses to “Waking Up to Antarctica”

  1. Pepper Avatar
    Pepper

    Oh, that doesn’t sound good at all. Be careful.

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  2. Ronit Penso Tasty Eats Avatar
    Ronit Penso Tasty Eats

    At least you got these beautiful photos! 🙂

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  3. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Absolutely beautiful! I have a bit of a technical question for you, and I hope you don’t mind me asking.

    Your monochromes are always so incredible. Do you shoot in black and white or convert the image in processing? Ok, two questions. In your final finish, are you applying any filters, like a warming or cooling filter? Very curious. Thanks!

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    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Hi, At times I apply a light warming filter only because that’s what this place feels like. Sepia-like is the tonality of the place. I do shoot in full color. I don’t want the camera’s algorithm deciding that for me. Then I use Photoshop for the B+W. I also use dodging and burning at times. And I try NOT to crop any image and usually don’t. The modern cameras do allow me to change the aspect ratios and I like having that choice. But that’s about all I do. If I have to spend too much time with a photo, I get rid of it. Any “tweaks” I need to make have to be minor and fast or else I lose patience with it and consider it an inferior image, not worthy of any more effort to “rescue” it. IMAGE>DELETE.

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      1. Tim Harlow Avatar
        Tim Harlow

        Thanks! I appreciate the insight. Glad to know you shoot in color as I do the same, then use the Photoshop as well. I do love your photos.

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The Drama is Too Much

Some of these photographic experiences can be quite “arresting” for me, even as I am just looking through the viewfinder. The skies here are so grand and imposing at times that it will make anyone feel microscopic in importance. Maybe that’s a good thing….once in a while.

Rating: 3 out of 3.

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4 responses to “The Drama is Too Much”

  1. Pepper Avatar
    Pepper

    These are wonderful. 😊👏🏽

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  2. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    You always have such beautiful photos. I especially love the one with the house and stop sign.

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    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      Thanks. I think that’s my favorite too. It’s so quiet here and that image seemed to convey that.

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      1. Tim Harlow Avatar
        Tim Harlow

        🙂

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The Fog Rolled In

This variety of magic is quite common in the Autumn mornings, but only for a couple of weeks. So get up early and watch as the sun gently illuminates the landscape. Early morning fog can be mysterious and yet also calming. I saw this and was glad the camera was nearby. This is not like the usual photos I post. Northern New Mexico is a “contrasty” place due to the high altitude and almost constant sun.

Rating: 3 out of 3.

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13 responses to “The Fog Rolled In”

  1. AT SUNNYSIDE - WHERE TRUTH AND BEAUTY MEET Avatar
    AT SUNNYSIDE – WHERE TRUTH AND BEAUTY MEET

    Your photos are works of art. I have been studying them and learning a lot about composition. Thanks so much! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      Thanks so much. Merry Christmas to you!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. AT SUNNYSIDE - WHERE TRUTH AND BEAUTY MEET Avatar
        AT SUNNYSIDE – WHERE TRUTH AND BEAUTY MEET

        Merry Christmas to you, also! 😎🎄

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  2. Greta DH Avatar
    Greta DH

    Perfect photography!

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    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      Thanks and Merry Christmas to you and yours.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Greta DH Avatar
        Greta DH

        Merry Christmas as well to you and your family and friends.

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  3. harrienijland Avatar
    harrienijland

    Fine set!

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  4. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Those are really beautiful photos! Happy Holidays to you!

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  5. Pepper Avatar
    Pepper

    These are lovely. 😊

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    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      Thanks!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. Robin King Avatar
    Robin King

    They twinkle! Incredible beauty…thank you for showing these to the world! 👏♥️👏♥️👏

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    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      Thank you! And Happy New Year!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Robin King Avatar
        Robin King

        Thank you! 🎉Happy New Year🎉 to you, too!

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Gloom But No Doom!

This place is sunny and bright about 98% of the time. But when the sun sets, things can get pretty dramatic. Also, when it gets gloomy, it really gets gloomy. But we never have more than a day of that, so I have to move fast to capture the theatrical lighting. That’s me with my dog in the top photo. She’s learned to stand still when Mom is photographing.

Best Black and White Photography

Rating: 0 out of 3.

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2 responses to “Gloom But No Doom!”

  1. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Beautiful as usual. I so love your work.

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  2. Robin King Avatar
    Robin King

    Oh, marvelous!! 👏👏👏

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Best Photographs of 2022

It’s Dark Out There

Night photography is something I haven’t done very much with, but I’m thinking that’s been a bit of an oversight. I shot these with the Tamron 20mm f2.8, wide open, of course, with the Sony A7r3. I think a 1.4 lens would have made short work of this. That also means: $$$$. Right? Maybe Santa will bring me one.

Rating: 3 out of 3.

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  1. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Ooo…beautiful!

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  2. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Whoa…I’m Anonymous!?
    Not really! But for some reason WP isn’t using my login info on your site. Will follow you, see if that makes a difference. 🤗

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Clouds on Stage, Santa Fe

Early morning is a great time to shoot. Of course so is evening, but I’m an early bird, so those photo-ops suite me much more. I’m still not bored with photographing my immediate neighborhood and even the front yard, All of these were taken within 100 yards of my home. As a matter of fact, there’s my white car parked in the driveway. I think the image is clear enough for you to even see what the make is, and maybe even the specific model. And best of all, there’s my dog to the right.

I’m still very happy shooting with the Sony A7r—. All those other numbers after the name are too much for me. Also, still with the basic lens, sometimes considered a kit lens, the 28-60mm. I think that lens was made for this camera. It’s just a flawless combination and I love that it’s small and weather sealed. Blowing dust is more of an issue here more than rain….generally. Although lately we’ve been getting drenched. Hoping for a great ski season with all the abundant moisture.

Rating: 5 out of 3.

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Outstanding Photography

Cloud Parade #3648!

monochrome dramatic clouds in Santa Fe, NM
Road disappears into the horizon, photography.
Huge billowing clouds, photography, Santa Fe, NM.
Light and dark cloud photo Santa Fe NM
Ominous clouds Santa Fe New Mexico

Monsoon Season is supposed to be finished, but somehow they haven’t gotten that message. We’re delighted. The rain is always welcome here and so are these theatrical cloud formations. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that motorists will literally pull off to the side of the road to watch the show. I should know!

Rating: 5 out of 3.
  1. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Spectacular photos!

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    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      Thanks Tim.

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      1. Tim Harlow Avatar
        Tim Harlow

        You are welcome. I so enjoy your work. New Mexico is a wonderful place.

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  2. Robin King Avatar
    Robin King

    Oh, 👏👏👏👏👏

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    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      Yup., that’s the Santa Fe clouds for you. We’re at just the right altitude or something. Or maybe it’s the right attitude!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. Robin King Avatar
    Robin King

    And, YAY! My comment went thru! “Anonymous” no more! Your photography is wonderful – happy to be following. 🤗

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  4. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
    Santa Fe and Me

    Thanks so much for that. Maybe you can tell that I have a total ball doing this!

    Like

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Black and White Photography.
Santa Fe clouds. Monsoons.

One Cloud Only. Comments?

This is one picture of a cloud posted yesterday. Only this time it is much higher resolution. My camera, shooting in uncompressed RAW, can capture amazing gradations of tone in the sky and clouds. Then I compress that image for the web and everything is lost. Instead, I thought I’d try posting just one image of higher resolution and see what happens.

You can click on this image to get the full size. If anyone notices any improvement, I’d sure like to hear about it. I think it looks better and all that banding in the previous Gallery photos from 8/5/22 is much improved.

It’s likely that these images are compressed twice: once by me and another time by the WordPress protocol (probably).

Rating: 5 out of 3.

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5 responses to “One Cloud Only. Comments?”

  1. stuartshafran Avatar
    stuartshafran

    To be honest, there isn’t a lot of difference when viewing these pictures on my iPad screen, unless I zoom right in. Maybe I might spot a slight difference on my higher resolution computer monitor, but does it really matter? In my opinion it’s the overall feel of the picture that counts, the composition, the emotional feel of the image, not the technical excellence. I’ve pretty much accepted that saving images for viewing on web will involve lots of compression and I prefer seeing images in print anyway. Your images are already fantastic, so I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      Yeah, you’re probably spot on. My screen does show the banding of the slight tone that I use. Getting rid of that would probably reduce the artifact, but then the image wouldn’t feel like “here”.

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  2. Mike Ross Avatar
    Mike Ross

    First of all your image is bigger than my monitor so Firefox scales it down to 52%. Yes its sharper and easier to see the detail and the 2.21MB file loaded instantly. That being said most people won’t notice, think about all those who read these blogs on a phone or, iPad. ☝

    Ming Thein used to over-sharpen a lot of his images and it was very obvious, surprising for a professional photographer of his caliber. But he was obsessed with quality, think Robert Pirsig in Lila. If you didn’t read it he drives himself insane.

    By using thumbnails and a gallery people will click to see a larger version and it loads quickly, just figure out the maximum size that’s practical and save as a high resolution if not the highest.

    “The world comes to us in an endless stream of puzzle pieces that we would like to think all fit together somehow, but that in fact never do.” Robert Pirsig, Lila: An Inquiry into Morals

    🤡🙈🐴🍸🎅

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Alessandra Chaves Avatar
    Alessandra Chaves

    I agree with Stewart’s comment.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Absolutely incredible! The monochrome tones are so rich and beautiful. I really love the black and white. It allows us to focus more on the textures and tones. Always enjoy your work!

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Cloudscapes

The ever changing cloud formations up here continue to hold my undivided attention. I can’t seem to get enough of it and I can’t seem to stop looking. Funny that I’m never bored by this vista. They form, then morph, then merge, then dissipate, like “thoughts”. I find that I can’t leave home without the camera around my neck….just in case one of them calls to me!

Rating: 1 out of 3.

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4 responses to “Cloudscapes”

  1. Timothy Price Avatar
    Timothy Price

    Beautiful clouds.

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    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      Thanks Timothy.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  2. Mike Ross Avatar
    Mike Ross

    There’s really little reason to worry about file size, especially when you use thumbnails. I try to keep my images under 600KB but a lot of people upload full size color images straight from their camera, like 4000 x 6000px. Jane Laurie once told me she uses settings in Lightroom to export her images at 500KB or less but I’ve seen some of hers at well over 1MB. As for using a WEBP for faster loading its ridiculous and likely reduces quality even more.

    I think we have a lot in common sweating the small stuff, ask the clouds if anything really matters. 😎

    Fantastic compositions and images!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    The clouds shapes are incredible. Thank you!!

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Oh Dogs

Dogs are one of my favorite subjects. My association with them has been a life-long love affair starting with the first one, a big fawn-colored boxer named Laird. He did not live long. It saddens me to write of it all these years later. He developed bone cancer shortly after he was 2 years old! My father was a physician and was absolutely devoted to this animal. He took him to every human oncologist in the city in a vain attempt to save him. After Laird came Cindy, a big, beautiful standard poodle. That kicked off the love affair with poodles, which has lasted a lifetime.

The photograph of the white poodle is “Lucky”…the latest permanent residence in my home. That’s a long story. And we all have long stories regarding our best-friend-pooches. Right? Lucky is now 18 months old and full of spunk and vinegar. He is the best friend and rough-house-buddy of Flicka, the German Shepherd mix rescue-dog that you see here from time to time. Both of them are smarter, and definitely more sensitive, than many human beings I know and have known. And that’s a fact.

That “dog” way out there, isolated in the vastness of this place is definitely NOT a dog, but rather a close relative. We have many coyotes here and they walk around and visit the yard from time to time. You can’t imagine how much I want to feed them, but I know that’s a bad idea. And I don’t. How they survive out there is a mystery to me.

Rating: 3 out of 3.

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One response to “Oh Dogs”

  1. Timothy Price Avatar
    Timothy Price

    Poor Laird. We lost one of our kitties to cancer in 2020. Nice dog portraits.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Clouds to Astound

Believe me, I’m not doing anything to these clouds. This is how they look. People just stop what they’re doing to gaze upward. At least I’m not the only one! It reminds me of the movie, “Independence Day”, if any of you saw that.

Shot these with the Sony A7r3. I like hearing reports from others about their experiences with the cameras and lenses they’re using. I learn a lot from that. What it comes down to, of course, is a personal choice. How does the camera feel in the hand? Does it fit? Does its position of controls and options work with the way my brain works? That’s what it comes down to because here’s what I’ve discovered: all of the modern cameras and lenses are excellent. I should know. I have a quite an assortment in my Photo Stable. We have to split hairs to make an argument for one brand or model over the other. At least that’s what I’ve discovered.

Having said all that: this Sony A7r3 (I hate the naming conventions) is an absolute winner for me. We’re just a good fit. It’s beautifully constructed (that matters to me) and it’s light weight and easy to carry around all day with the small FE f4, 28-60mm lens on it. And the whole kit is weather and dust sealed. The “dust” part matters a lot out here. Anyway….we’re a good match. And may we live happily ever after.

Rating: 3 out of 3.

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9 responses to “Clouds to Astound”

  1. mic Avatar
    mic

    👌👌👌📷looks great

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Mike Ross Avatar
    Mike Ross

    Fantastic, I’ve been trying to shoot clouds like that for a long time with little success. As for dust my RX-100 now has dust on the sensor, probably from using a blower on the lens which is not recommended for compact cameras. I read a post suggesting I use a vacuum while zooming the lens in and out but its sounds crazy. This happened with my last one too but it took about 7 years. So I’ll use my A6000 and 35mm prime which I love but often leave at home because I tell myself I’m just going out for a quick ride.

    Liked by 1 person

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  3. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
    Santa Fe and Me

    Thanks. Here’s a good one…when I’m going out for a ride on the Honda, I take the Canon SX740! Fits under the motorcycle jacket just fine.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  4. Greta DH Avatar
    Greta DH

    Your clouds are just breathtaking! What a match!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Alessandra Chaves Avatar
    Alessandra Chaves

    Very cool, dramatic skies. I’m glad Sony works for you. I never tried but my friends who have it only have good things to say about it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. kaylocksellers Avatar
    kaylocksellers

    Beautiful imagery!

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  7. Timothy Price Avatar
    Timothy Price

    Wonderful clouds. It’s nice to see another sky photographer from New Mexico.

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  8. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
    Santa Fe and Me

    That’s because the subject matter is irresistable!

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  9. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    The monsoon season is definitely upon you. More astounding photos. You are amazing. Thanks so much.

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Award Winning Photographs

‘Tis the Season For Sky

Skies like this leave me in awe and feeling very small.

On a technical note, adding a tint to some of these, does NOT translate well into the compressed version needed for the web. It bugs me, but as I have said before, a) I think I’ll live, and b) Life goes on!

Rating: 3 out of 3.

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2 responses to “‘Tis the Season For Sky”

  1. mic Avatar
    mic

    👌👌👌📷

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  2. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Absolutely beautiful! 🙂

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Not Quite Ansel Adams

Can’t Get Enough of…

Well, I hope I’m not boring everyone who visits “santafeandme” these days. But we are in our Monsoon Season and that means epically amazing cloud formations and lots of storms.

When I’m driving, I have to remind myself to: “Keep your eyes on the road.” It’s really difficult and more often than not, I have to pull over and “click”. Some of these formations look positively nuclear or Biblical, or both! Others look like highways in the sky. I can’t stop myself, it’s worse than chocolate. So “clouds” may be the theme on this blog for a couple more weeks…

…Oh, that’s not true either. Clouds and Sky are just a major facet of the scenery in New Mexico’s high country all year.

Rating: 0 out of 3.

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One response to “Can’t Get Enough of…”

  1. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Oh my gosh! These are just incredible! You have so much talent. Thanks for posting. 🙂

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Award Winning Black and White Photography

New Mexico Raw

Raw is the right word to describe the landscapes here in New Mexico…especially when the weather is changing and the skies become very dramatic. These were taken just a few minutes before sunset. Because we’re at altitude (7000′) the air is crystal clear. Of course another reason for that is because there aren’t many people here! We’re in a rural area, so there are even fewer people and the air and the skies are even more clear than in town (Santa Fe). These low light situations with high contrast clouds as the sun catches them, “asks” a lot of the camera. I shoot RAW so I could lighten these quite easily, but I’m going for the mood of the scene and how it impressed me as I stood there. I should say, “how it captured me!” So there you have some silhouettes, solid inky black with little or no detail. The modern cameras are amazing for preserving detail and tone; and I know that I could have pulled that out of those areas.

These were taken, quite recently, with the Sony A7Riii. I’m pretty much in love with the camera. I love the size, the lightness, the fluidity in using it. It seems to read my mind, and who knows, with AI, maybe it is! I read a review of it by Ken Rockwell in which he referred to the A7Riii as “clairvoyant”. That’s really the perfect choice of words, so I’ll just lift that description from his article.

I used the very basic Sony FE 50mm f1.8 lens which “serious” photographers would probably scoff at. Well, I’m amazed by it and I am serious! And unless I were printing images one acre large, I bet that most of us would not be able to tell the difference between it and one of the breath-takingly expensive Sony G or Master lenses. Its clarity and performance are astounding.

Rating: 0 out of 3.

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5 responses to “New Mexico Raw”

  1. stuartshafran Avatar
    stuartshafran

    Your photos are absolutely outstanding! You’ve truly captured the beauty of your location and I love the look and feel of the monochrome images. Your photography blog is one of the best I’ve discovered on WordPress. Great work!

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    1. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
      Santa Fe and Me

      That’s really nice of you to take the time to say that. Really encouraging. I love where I am and I guess that comes through. The State Motto is: “Land of Enchantment”. There are lots of reasons for that: the light, the other-worldly landscape, the very ancient cultures that have been here for…no one really knows for sure, but the date has recently been pushed back to 20,000 years. Thanks again.

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  2. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Your photos are incredibly beautiful. The tones are super rich, and you just nailed the lighting perfectly. I love them!

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  3. Santa Fe and Me Avatar
    Santa Fe and Me

    Thanks. I’m glad they come across despite being JPEG crushed WAY down!! You know how that goes.

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  4. New Mexico Raw – IgnoranceSupreme Avatar
    New Mexico Raw – IgnoranceSupreme

    […] New Mexico Raw […]

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Backyard Treasure Trove

Sometimes, not only is it a lazy day, it’s a “why bother to go anywhere else to shoot day.” That describes my backyard out here in the wilds of New Mexico. Sometimes an amazing scene appears out of nowhere and I’ll just grab the nearest camera. That may not be the best one, but light changes so fast around here that I can’t get particular. Since most of the focus is on sky and clouds, that creates a big problem when crunching these down as small JPEGs. Because there is so much subtlety and gradation in those clouds, they tend to become blotchy as they are compressed. So I have to compromise.

Life goes on.

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3 responses to “Backyard Treasure Trove”

  1. mic Avatar
    mic

    👌👌👌📷

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  2. Tim Harlow Avatar
    Tim Harlow

    Beautiful photos. I imagine the full size, non-compressed images must be amazing.

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  3. mic Avatar
    mic

    👌👌👌📷👏

    Like

    Reply

Best Photography in North America

“Look Ma. Jesus is comin’.”

This is supposed to be a site dedicated to black and white photographs only. But I’m going to make an exception here. This was the “Biblical” event in our skies that I was awed by as I drove home yesterday. It filled the entire sky and here is the jpeg-compressed pale imitation of what I saw. I had to pull over and just watch as the light changed. Luckily I had the Olympus M5iii with me. For a small sensor, I’m always amazed at how able it is. I haven’t added any color or contrast.

Olympus 12-45mm Pro

Earth & Sky Santa Fe

Earth and Sky. I never tire of these two as subjects. To some it might seem repetitive, but to me it’s always fresh and new. Some of these are from my backyard. But all of them are within just a few miles of home. Finding the “new” and “interesting” in your own, well-worn, backyard and town, might seem daunting; but I’m still enjoying.

New Mexico Light Show

We never get tired of the dramatic play of light in New Mexico. Because we’re at 7000 feet, and higher, we get these deep blue skies. Well, that translates into a deep gray in these black and white photos.

The picture at the top and bottom right was taken with a new camera for me. It’s been around for awhile, but curiosity made me give it a try. That’s the Olympus OMD M5 M3. I had one of the earliest Olympus OMs a long time ago. It was called the OM-1, a film camera, and it was unique for its time…small and beautifully crafted. I think I wore it out. The Zuiko lenses were fantastic even then.

So that was part of the influence that moved me to try Olympus once more. I liked the possibility of “focus stacking” in camera and the 1:1 format which I love but cannot get with the Sony A6500 (which is another gem). That image was shot with the lens which Olympus is now packaging as a kit with the camera body, the weather-proof, 12-45mm f4. That’s the equivalent of a 24-90mm in full frame terms. I’ve shot many more pictures since, and I am impressed. Really impressed with it. That’s a micro 4/3rds sensor that honestly rivals the quality of the A6500. Of course the 6500 can see in the dark when paired up with the Sigma 56mm f1.4, but the IBIS on this camera is astounding and nothing like I’ve ever experienced. The lens is also astounding. The weather-proofing is probably second to none as well. And it’s small and light just like its great, great, great, grandparent the OM-1.

The pictures on the sand dunes were taken at White Sands National Park in southern New Mexico. If you don’t have a weather-sealed camera and lens in that environment when the winds kick up, your camera is done for!

I see quite a bit of color-banding and hazing in some of the images. That results from crunching these pictures into JPEGS that will load reasonably fast. The color is NOT part of the original RAW or PSD files. I don’t know why that happened this time since I’m using the same procedure as always. I increased the resolution and I’m still seeing it. I think it’s due to the amazing subtlety and gradation of the clouds and sky.

Others shots show first snow in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Maybe it will be an early ski season? The other pictures of people walking were taken in my neighborhood. There’s a lot of space out here. Not many people. I like that.

New Mexico Sky Show

The light in this part of the country never ceases to amaze. You can be the worst photographer in the world and still come out lookin’ pretty good! I’m transfixed by it half the time. But, camera is always with me.

I just got the fairly new Sony 28-60mm “kit” lens. I like this lens because #1 it’s weather sealed. That’s important to me, and not just for moisture, but for dust. When it starts to blow out here in New Mexico, we end up with half of the Nevada desert settling on us. The winds do blow out of the West. I guess that’s why they refer to them as the “Prevailing Westerlies” huh?

The lens seems to be wonderful, but I am NOT a pixel-peeper. I just want it to work well in all conditions and be VERY easy to carry. That way I’m encouraged to always have it with me. It did great this morning with snow falling.

After all that bragging about New Mexico light: full disclosure: the photo in the upper left is from Sicily and the one in the upper right is from Florida. So there, we can all have good light and no one should get too stuck up about it, right?

I said that I might do this at some point just to see if anyone is paying attention. Oops…screaming color in a black and white website. That’s me on the chairlift and I hardly ever take a “Selfie”. But the Sony HX99 that I carry for skiing, makes it easy, so I couldn’t resist.

Landscape New Mexico

The advantage of always having a camera with me is that I can capture light and scenes that sometimes only last for minutes. As I have mentioned before, my camera of first choice is the Sony A6500. But, when I am skiing and involved in other outdoor activities like that, I still use the Sony HX99. It’s SO small, yet has all the adjustments of the A6500 or nearly so. I hope everyone out there in the Ether is staying safe. Cheers.

Santa Fe Architecture

These were all taken in my area, Santa Fe, New Mexico—with the exception of the picture of the tiled roof, which was taken in Sicily.

Sicily is truly a place of dreams.

Santa Fe Railroad Lamy

The railroad pictures are from several different locations in the Santa Fe area—that being either the Lamy Stop or the old station in downtown Santa Fe. The photo with the two young people standing out on a flat car, is from a July 4th train trip that would depart the Lamy Station, after a barbecue, and then wind its way to downtown, where it would stop on the tracks just in time to get a superb view of the fireworks display put on by the City of Santa Fe. The ride started in downtown Santa Fe and ended there about 5 hours later. A really fun trip.

HummingBirds and Motorcycles Santa Fe

Yesterday I decided it was time to take a bike (motorcycle-vroom) ride over to The Randall Davis Audubon Center in Santa Fe. This is one of my favorite rides and destinations. The winding road, by name of Canyon Road, which leads to it, always makes me feel like I’m in Southern Spain or Provence. It has that kind of “look and feel”. And, just as an aside, Santa Fe does have a relatively large number of French nationals living here—close to three thousand. I often wonder if their impression is the same.

You gotta love the juxtaposition of motorcycle and hummingbird, right?

Back to the story. ( I don’t just meander on my motorcycle.) I made a couple of stops along the way and then headed up there. I’ve been trying to hone my technique for photographing hummingbirds. They love New Mexico and we have many varieties. Who doesn’t feel the allure of, and the fascination with, these seasonal visitors?

But “Why?” you ask, would I want to photograph those guys in black and white? Doesn’t that seem like a travesty of some kind? Here’s why: I hoped to show some of their delicacy, their grace and their amazing aerobatics. Most of the time they’re just a blur! I thought, that by deleting color, I could better communicate those characteristics. Plus, my “pull” is to black and white photography. So there. That was the challenge.

More than that, I wanted to convey their tinyness, almost invisibleness, in the environment. You could mistake them for a bug zinging by!

These guys are not easy to photograph!

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Botanical Southwest Images

Smoke has been a real issue around here for over a week. We have fires in New Mexico, just north of my home. But we are mainly getting smoke brought in by the prevailing Westerly winds out of California. Just about the time that clears up, the winds shift and we get smoke from the fires in Colorado and locally.

At times the mountains are completely obscured by smoke. Unusual. New Mexico is known for its pristine-sharp skies.

The one photo up there attempts to show just how much the view has been obscured from the back of my home which usually provides a glorious, sharp, panorama of the mountains—The Sangre de Cristos to be precise. Macro and close-up photography is moving along. I really don’t know where the dividing line between “macro” and “close-up” is exactly. If there’s a “rule”, I am unaware of it, and probably wouldn’t care anyway!

Don’t know why, just felt like publishing more photos than usual. Such is the artistic temperament I guess.

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White Sands New Mexico, Bandelier NM

Some of these are from Bandelier National Park, others are from White Sands. The one of the cat is out my front door. The lone skier is from a hike I took with my dog. For places like White Sands, it really helps to have a camera that has some weather sealing. It was blowing so hard that it hurt our skin. For sure the sand and dust would have gotten into the camera. The Moon would have been more hospitable.

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Cliffs, Water, Honda 500cc Motorcycle

Rode up to the ski area today and looked at rocks and water. Most people would say “yawn”, but I liked it. The air smelled good. In retrospect, I seem to have been focusing on diagonals and abstract forms. I never think about it at the time. The Honda was running great…not at all bothered by the altitude. Me neither.

Not too many people up there and I always like that. I like the silence.

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