When it snows here, it is quite a spectacle. First of all, a really heavy snowfall is fairly unusual. But for this particular event, it started snowing in the afternoon and kept on for a couple of days. We only ended up with a couple of feet, but it looked like Antarctica the whole time. I stayed inside because I had no choice, and baked cookies…the perfect activity on days like that.
Goats intrigue me. Out here where I live people use them for weed control. That’s a nice symbiotic relationship. But watch out for the Pyrenees dogs who guard them. Honestly, I’ve never had an experience quite like that with a dog. Those dogs have a “bead” on you when you’re 40 yards out. Move in closer and the entire body language changes and you will know in no uncertain terms that you should turn back, now! Immediately! Well, Mr. Dog Guard, lets see what you can do with a 700mm lens.
I often walk past this area because I like the textures, light and structure of these older dwellings. And look what I found here one time. It reminds me of a close-up of a micro chip or a transistor, or something like that. This is also another style that I’ve found before. I wish they would sign these. But I guess what would defeat the whole idea of “stealthy art”.
Plaintiff spirit? This little guy, or those similar to him show up from time to time. There’s a similarity in style, so it’s probably the same tagger. People do stop to check these out. I always wonder what they are thinking! The city lets these stay around for quite a while before steam-blasting them off. The place would be covered if they didn’t. And maybe that’s part of their charm. Here today. Gone tomorrow.
This is a style of graffitized fun that I’ve seen in several places. Sometimes it’s really small, hidden in a corner somewhere.
This city is full of interesting graffiti, signs and murals. Sometimes I can’t really say which is which. They are usually creative and show up in the oddest places, usually overnight, like crop circles. I’ve gotten to recognize certain styles and figure that it must be the same artist creating them. Others are one-offs. Signage is pretty straightforward, but it too can cross the line between mural and sign.
Anyway, what I’m getting at with this long ramble, is:
I’m fascinated by them.
There was something poignant about this image. And I found it shortly after reading about an Avant Garde performance which had taken place at the White House, or nearby. What was so Avant Garde about it? An enormous, fully decorated, live Christmas tree was exploded, set on fire and burned to the ground as sophisticated guests and diplomats applauded and cheered with glee. Morons all. Excuse me, but I fail to see the artistic merit of it, or the free speech aspect of it, since the artist was from China. You don’t have to be religious to object.
Sometimes I think that I’m the only one who thinks this way. Desecration of a culture or cultural icons of any ethnic group should be a giant Thou Shall Not. And I’m one of the least religious people out there.
Thanks for the comment and the out-of-this-world great recipes on your website. Creative, artistic and a ball to visit. More please.
The Railyard in Santa Fe is a place rich with photographic potential. But it’s much more than just a railyard. Interesting shops and bistros are also a lovely feature of this area. But I always end up getting up close with the rail cars. There are some vintage cars as well that are still in operation. This is the first time that I’m cropping an image. We’ll see where that leads.
I didn’t expect to be shooting that day. I was just walking around, having decided that what I wanted more than anything, was a cup of hot coffee. Just around the corner down there is a nice little coffee shop and that’s where I was headed. With this image I decided to NOT have the type sweep over the entire image. That’s something I’ll play around with. I tried it both ways and I like it both ways. But this is new, so experimentation is the name of this game, so far.
Here’s something not-romantic. Today was garbage day. I told you it wasn’t thrilling. But what was thrilling is what the light was doing as I walked out there very early this morning. I decided to leave the images in color because it was those golden hues that caught my eye. That and the strong light and dark areas. Even something as mundane as taking out the garbage can turn out to be inspiring.
People always think of Santa Fe, New Mexico as a really hot environment. Summers are usually pleasant but Winter can be gripping…dark and dramatic and very cold at times.
Here in Santa Fe, all of our big holidays take place in the Plaza. It’s charming and becomes packed with people, kids, strollers, dogs, and geeks like me with a camera. These photos are all from the recent 4th of July celebration. That’s an annual celebration in the Plaza with plenty of good food and interesting booths set up with artwork and jewelry. I wouldn’t miss it!
Here’s something I love to do….load up the camper van with dogs, food, photo gear and go explore the thousands of miles of back roads in this State of New Mexico. Sometimes I end up at altitude, like the lone tree shot you see here. Other times, I just pull over…because this State has lots of pull-off areas…and just walk around and see what I can see! I like to process the photos in the van. But before I do that, I make some nice meal right there inside of the camper van. It’s perfect for these kinds of adventures. The dogs are really happy in there too. That’s all for now.
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!
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!
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.
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.
The skies at higher altitudes become blue-black. We see that a lot here because we are routinely skiing at 12,000 feet. These two shots, however, were taken a little lower down the mountain, at around 10,000 feet. But the skies are still dark on a sunny day. Here’s what I saw yesterday at our local ski area. Still using the Sony a5100 for the ultimate in portability.
It’s only recently occurred to me that I seem to be responding to “letterforms” in the landscape. Sounds weird, but there’s something to it. I have another website where I allow myself to cut loose on that attraction and simply dig into the intersecting angels and shapes found in all letters, typography. There must be some linkage between many of my photographs and that interest/attraction to type.
By the way, if you’re curious to see something completely differently from this site, you can check out typomania.us. I never noticed, or thought about, the possible connection between the pursuits in “typomania” and this website.
Well, ain’t life interesting?
When you get up to the mountains early in the morning and early in the season, you’ll find the most dramatic lighting and shadows. Those peaks you see here are over 12,000 feet high. I like taking shots from the different chairlifts just for the vantage point. But that does create technical issues (aside from freezing hands that is). Naturally, there’s a lot of movement in all directions. Of course that can be countered, somewhat, with a high shutter speed. And it’s so intensely bright up there that I can leave the ISO at 100 for this camera….the Sony A5100. Yeah, it’s one of those “older” cameras, but it’s great for up here. It’s basically an APS-C sensor with a lens attached. Keep it warm and safe between shots and it just keeps on going. I can’t lug large kit up the mountain and this little gem is perfect. Brrrr, it’s cold up there, dress warmly.
Every year this very long road in the middle of Santa Fe, lights up for Christmas. And many of the people do the same. Lots of “walking Christmas trees” to be found there, cleverly disguised as human beings. Canyon Road draws people from everywhere because it’s renowned for the high quality art galleries. I’ve included one or two photos of that here.
A photographer from the Santa Fe New Mexican was on assignment to document the festivities. He wanted to photograph a group of us who were wearing particularly ostentatious lights. And of course I had to get into a conversation about his gear. And that gear was impressive! You’ll see a shot of it in the gallery.
From a technical point of view, this is a difficult assignment even though it’s filled with lights, color and motion. You’re being jossled every step of the way. But everyone is having a great time, often bursting into song at the sight of some light display that evokes song! This whole scenario puts any camera and photographer to the test. I was using a full-frame Sony with an f/1.8 lens. I don’t think it would be possible any other way. I had ISO on Auto, which I normally detest, but there’s no choice in these conditions. I learn a lot everytime I pick up the camera; and I guess that’s what it’s all about.
Well, Merry Christmas everyone, ’til next year.
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.
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.
What is it about “vanishing points” that draws us in? I’m talking more about the emotional level of it. Of course the eye will follow a line like that out to the horizon, but there’s more to it than that. I know there’s more to it when I’m photographing it. Maybe it’s that we all disappear into eternity? So I’ll just leave it there.
YES!!! Vanishing points can affect us emotionally! That’s so true! It’s almost like we can follow the path to infinity but within the relatively safe boundaries of an image – no need to worry about getting lost, etc. Those photographs are marvelous!!! For pure movement, my fav is the very long sidewalk. It takes me on a journey, footfall by footfall, and I don’t have to leave my chair! 👏👏♥️👏👏
LikeLike
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.
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.
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!
Sometimes I get lazy and just take the Sony HX99 with me. It’s small and fairly easy to use, but not quite a “point and shoot”. I have to say that the smallness of these really small cameras can also be an impediment. There is such a thing as “too small” and this camera just borders on that. But, it fits in a pocket or ski jacket and that is inviting.
What else can I say? They just keep putting on a show. I’m sure they’re very proud of themselves. Clouds are like that. They want us to look at them and be in awe. Come to think of it, being in “awe” is a pretty good state of mind to visit from time to time…after you’ve paid the bills that is. The photo below doesn’t exactly feature clouds, but I liked the contrast between the two subjects.
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).
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.
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
🤡🙈🐴🍸🎅
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!
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!
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.
Every time I head downtown, I make it a point to stop in at The Monroe Gallery of Photography. There you’ll see the originals of great photographers, both contemporary and past. I stopped in there a few days ago and asked the director if I could take some photos at a discreet distance, of course. She was so glad that I had asked and immediately said, “Sure you may.” I told her that I would be posting them on my website and she was fine with that too.
But what I didn’t say to her, because it didn’t occur to me at the time, was that in “post” it might occur to me to play “make believe” or “make pretend” and insert one or two of my photos into these magnificent gallery displays. Wishful thinking maybe. I am NOT in this Gallery by a long shot. They don’t even know who I am. This is just me having some, I hope, innocent fun. I am NOT in any gallery anywhere. So there. Full disclosure on that score. Just a little photographic prankster-ism.
P.S. If there are any lawyers out there who know of any law I might be breaking, do let me know. I think I’ve given pretty blunt full disclosure.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
LikeLike
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.
Several years ago I was in a photo class at our local college. There were some very talented people in there. We all got along great and had a total ball posting our photographs to FaceBook. In response, we were supposed to post serious, highly intellectual commentary for each photo. That was too heavy for me and I wanted to have fun. Some “Sprite” possessed me and I spontaneously started writing very short stories for each photo.
These are selections from just one of the students who had to endure this—although, he loved it. Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. GK Chesterton once said (paraphrasing) “The reason that angels can fly is because they take themselves lightly”. This is an odd posting for me, but I thought it had some comedic, and photographic merit. Any maybe someone out there will get a chuckle or two out of it. We sure could use more of that! So here they are…my Great Literary Responses to the wonderful work of Henry Aragoncillo, fellow photo student at the Santa Fe Community College. These are ALL his photographs.
We haven’t gotten a lot of snow this year. It keeps missing us, but all the surrounding areas are getting epic amounts. Oh well, January is typically a dry month in the local mountains. February and March are generally when we get most of our snow pack which is so important for the Spring run-off. The smoke in the lower right photograph is the result of what’s called a “Controlled Burn” around here. The Forest Service will start a fire to burn out dead leaves and logs that could ignite during the hot weather.
Today was bleak, very dark and moody up there, as my title suggests. We are skiing at 12,000 feet and mountain weather can change VERY quickly and dramatically. I always have the tiny Sony HX-99 with me because it fits in the front ski pocket and I hardly know it’s there. The sensor is small, but I continue to be amazed at what a good job it does…capturing a lot of detail with a pretty nice dynamic range. I used to try carrying the “real” camera with me, but it was just too much effort and it put an expensive camera in harm’s way. I couldn’t adequately protect it. By the way, I also would NOT want to fall on it! Ouch and Snap.
Why the fascination with “things round”? Maybe it’s the time of year. Rounds and Circles have all sorts of connections with cycles, rhythms, and things eternal. So maybe that’s why, but I’m just guessing. Right now we’re all looking forward to our annual Christmas Walk on Canyon Road. We may even have snow. Of course I’ll have the camera with me, my see-in-the-dark Sony a6500 with the Sigma 56mm, f1.4 lens.
By the way, most of the produce shown came from my garden!
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.
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.
Here you have a dog lover. That’s me (not in the photo). I snap a shot of them whenever some pooch catches my eye. I have three at home, a veritable “pack”. One of them is only 7 months old. They get along great with each other and they are sublimely happy out here in a rural area. They get lots of exercise and lots of playing together. And of course, being dogs, the best part for them is barking at anything that moves! We do have a lot of coyotes and other wild critters out here and that’s always cause for a major ruckus. These are all local dog citizens from the Santa Fe, New Mexico area.
The last photo down there are two of mine, very proud of themselves for having just picked a sunflower. They walked around like that, side-by-side for over a minute. That’s “Lucky” on the left (7 months old) and “Flicka” on the right (2 years old).
I love the ethereal and grainy effect of the night time shots.
This is a bit of architectural detail from a trip to Sicily. This recessed sculpture was quite far away, but the zoom did a good job. This comes from a time when people took time to beautify a building or any artifact. Any comparisons to the modern world will have to be made by the reader, we’ve come a long way?
Something new for In Black and White. Photos
Here I have taken one of my black and white photographs and converted it into an animated Mandala/Kaleidoscope.
However, Kaleidoscopes and Mandalas do share something in common, if only on a formal level.
There is ALWAYS something artistic or theatrical going on in this town. We’re a quite small city with a very large art scene! I think there’s something for everyone. I happen to appreciate both modern dance and traditional. Our philharmonic is wonderful as are our choral groups which famously perform every Christmas Eve. Of course they perform throughout the year as well.
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?
This is my favorite photographic “haunt”—city streets. Most of these were taken in my home town of Santa Fe, New Mexico. But the two of them with the long shadows were taken in Telluride, Colorado. Telluride has EPIC skiing and is a wonderful village as well. The restaurants are also excellent.
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.
Rodeo is part of New Mexico culture, and there is a small one very close to my house. Of course the words “very close” out here means about 20 miles away. These shots are from one of my visits. We can all see rodeo events on TV, but you rarely see this part, the part where a man dies right on the hardpack ground. These men are tough, but they are not immortal. In the bottom photo is a young cowboy, 25 years old, being carried from the arena. He had a wife and new child. The paramedics were there quickly, but to no avail. It still upsets me to this day. That’s his hat laying on the ground.
I decided to include the “Junkyard Jesus” photo. This is another interesting site relatively nearby. I guess it’s called Outsider Art. Someone in the boonies has been collecting what other people would call “junk”, and he, or she, has arranged all of it into an enormous stretch of make-believe. It changes all the time. I find it rich.
The first shot was taken at one of our reservoirs.
It’s a quite large expanse and people boat and swim there.
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!
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.
santafeandme.photos 
Leave a comment