El Santuario de Chimayo

The small town of Chimayo, New Mexico, is located about thirty miles by road north of Santa Fe, just off off the High Road to Taos.  In Chimayo is El Santuario de Chimayo, a Roman Catholic Church built in 1816.  Declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970, the Santuario is widely considered to be "the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States" (Wikipedia).

When visiting the Santuario, the most convenient place to park is around the back.  As you enter (or leave) you walk through a courtyard.  Along the back side of the courtyard, along a small creek, you'll pass these crosses...

The church is small (60 feet by 24 feet, with 3 feet thick walls).  You can get to the church itself by entering through a walled courtyard on either side, or through the front gate...

As you exit the front gate you can walk up a small hill to a short street lined with a few shops and art galleries.  Here's another shot of the church, taken as I paused while walking up that hill...

Walking along the small road that runs behind the Santuario, I stopped several times to take pictures.  The first time was at a small store.  While my wife went inside to check things out, I looked around and took a few photos of the outside of the building...

A bit further down the same road I saw this doorway.  There was so much that caught my eye - the arched doorway with the wagon wheel embedded in it, the old swinging doors, the broken but not discarded ladder leaning against the entry, the Coca-Cola sign...  Later that evening, when looking through the day's photos, I thought this would be a good candidate for a black and white conversion... 

El Santuario de Chimayo, and the surrounding area, is rich with culture and history, and if you're visiting Santa Fe, Taos, or points in between, stopping by the Santuario is worth the small detour.

The first two photos were taken in July 2013, the last three several days ago (January 2014).  All photos were taken with a Nikon D7000 outfitted with a Nikkor 18-55 DX lens.

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Three Septembers at Eklutna Lake

When I lived in Alaska once of my favorite places to go for a relaxing walk or a hike, especially in the fall, was Eklutna Lake.   Located about forty miles driving distance from Anchorage, Eklutna Lake has a well developed trail system that can accommodate anything from easy walks along the shoreline to difficult hikes into the mountains.  I usually brought my camera along, and recently I was looking through photos that I had taken there, and decided to reprocess a few of them.  I'd like to share a couple of those reworked photos, with a few thoughts...

The first three photos were taken in September 2008, a few months after I'd bought my first DSLR (a Nikon D40).  I was still learning how to use that camera, mostly pointing and clicking and flailing away at the point...  I took these photos while walking on the multi-use road (four wheelers, bikes, walking) that winds along the left side of the lake.  This first one was taken heading out from the parking lot...

The next photo was taken somewhere along the road (I don't recall exactly where).  I do remember thinking that the "window" in the trees where I was standing, as I looked at the trees on the side of mountains in distance, made a good frame for a photo...

While walking back to the parking, I was able to zoom in on a distant mountain, and capture the first dusting of snow in the upper elevations.  Two seasons caught in one photograph, the coming of winter and the fading of autumn...

In September 2010 we had an unusually warm spell, so I took advantage of that on a Saturday and hiked the Twin Peaks trail.  This trail goes up and up and up, approximately 2.5 miles where, once you reach the top of the ridge, above the treeline, you're rewarded with panoramic views of Eklutna Lake and Knik Arm.  I took this photo of Eklutna Lake while sitting on the ridge, enjoying the warmth of the sun, a snack, and resting for a bit before heading back down...

This last photo was taken in September 2012, while walking along the shoreline on another sunny fall day.  I came across this pile of trees, obviously stacked for a bonfire that never occurred.  Later I decided that this would make a good a subject for a black and white photo...

Going back through these photos gave me a chance to once again think about enjoyable days at one of my favorite places, and to use the knowledge I have now to bring out the best in the photos I took while there...

First four photos were taken with: Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-200 DX VR

Last photo was taken with: Nikon D40, Nikkor 55-300 DX VR

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Pecos National Historical Park

In late October of last year I headed south of Santa Fe to the Pecos National Historical Park, my first visit to the area (although I had driven by the park entrance before).  There is a short (about 1.25 miles) walking trail that winds through the park, first through the pueblo ruins before ending at what's left of an old mission.  A rock wall lines part of the trail, and I stopped to grab a few photos before moving on.  

Although the signs along the trail were informative and interesting, and the ruins of the pueblo were evident, photographically there wasn't much to work with.  Soon though, I arrived at the ruins of the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels of Porciuncula (Mission Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Porciuncula de los Pecos), the first church at Pecos.  This mission was built beginning in 1621 by Spanish missionaries (what remains today are the remains of the second grand church built on this site in the late 1600s).  The sight of the earth toned ruins against the backdrop of the deep blue skies called out to be photographed.

I walked into the ruins, taking photos and dodging the occasional tourist.  To the left, near the back of the structure, was a doorway that lead to a small alcove.  Looking back I could see the glow of the morning sun against the interior walls...

After walking around for a bit I explored the grounds to the right of the ruins, grabbing a few more shots...

Before leaving the park I climbed down a ladder into a kiva.  It was cool, quiet, and the light was fantastic.  Once I started going through the photos later it quickly became apparent that using a sepia look captured the mood of that morning...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX

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