Serendipity

Somedays I head out the door with a specific plan in mind, like “let’s drive to place XYZ and go for a hike and I’ll take some photos.”  Other times I head out the door with nothing specific in mind, with nothing more than the thought of “that sounds good, let me grab my camera just in case.”  Often, when I have something specific in mind or am just out exploring or shopping or whatever, I stumble across something unanticipated.  I’m not a big believer in putting labels on things for the sake of putting labels on things, so I can easily make a point, but in this case I think that the word serendipity is appropriate.  I wouldn’t necessarily call them the “best,” but some interesting photographs are the result of having my camera with me when I normally wouldn’t have brought it along, or from turning down an unfamiliar road because simply because the thought “why not” popped into my head…

Rio Santa Barbara near Penasco – while driving the high road to Taos we decided to drive through Penasco, instead of bearing left on the road towards Taos, and were driving down a windy two lane country road when I spotted this small river...

Mirrors in Camino Real Store on Cerrillos – I brought my camera in because I knew from previous visits  there would be a lot of brightly colored kitsch, but this side room of mirrors with the light coming in through dusty windows was an unexpected treasure…

Twisting tree at The Shed – we were walking around The Plaza in downtown Santa Fe, and although The Shed (a well known restaurant, known for their red chile) was closed that afternoon, I decided to look in the same courtyard anyway just to see what there was to be seen…

Boot – driving through Taos Canyon when I spotted an old, abandoned, dilapidated house.  As I was walking around the front porch, working the scene, trying different angles and compositions, I saw the single abandoned boot sitting on the porch…

Building in El Rito – we were driving on state road 554 near Abiquiu, and although we missed the turn-off to our destination, we drove on for a while, seeing what there was (or wasn't) to be seen, until we came to the small town of El Rito.  Before turning around to head back towards Santa Fe, I took a few shots of this building…

All photos were taken with my Nikon D7000, using the Nikkor 18-55 DX (1st, 2nd,4th from top), Nikkor 35 DX (middle photo), and Nikkor 10-24 DX (bottom photo) lens

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Hiking Plaza Blanca

This past Saturday we decided to go hiking at Plaza Blanca, near Abiquiu, New Mexico.  Plaza Blanca, located in Georgia O'Keeffe country, is an area she referred to as "the White Place" and was the subject of several of her paintings.  Numerous movies have been filmed in the area, for example, Plaza Blanca is where the final scenes of "Cowboys and Aliens" were filmed.

We left Santa Fe early, as the sun was rising, and got to Plaza Blanca a little after eight in the morning.  Some road trips are centered around the chance to take photos, and some are more about the journey.  This trip was about getting out of the house and going hiking after a long work week, but I did bring my camera.

After parking we walked down the hill toward the white limestone rock formations, but instead of veering left towards them as most do, we kept going right, following the short dirt road until in ended at an arroyo.  We then followed the arroyo, curving left, until we were on the backside of the rock formations.  The moon was still in the sky, and at one point I stopped to take a few photos while it was positioned in the "notch" between two columns of rock...

Later on I saw this tree, standing lifeless, and liking how it looked with the cliffs in the background. I took a few shots, trying several different compositions.  This is the one I ended up being most pleased with...

We kept heading back, towards the ridge in the distance, working our way to the left, around a small slot canyon, then up, scrambling in spots, until we reached the top of the ridge, stopping to take a look back...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX
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The Doors Of Old Santa Fe

Doors.  Behind every door is a story.  

You can’t judge a person by their appearance.  It can be said that you can’t judge what’s behind a door by its appearance as well.  Appearances deceive, deflect, project one thing, while hiding what’s behind, beneath, what’s between the walls and under the roof…

In some ways Santa Fe, the older parts of town, is a city of doors.  Of appearances.  “The City Different.”  A town trying to project the image of celebrating its past, protecting its roots, simultaneously embracing the cultures of its indigenous people, the Spanish Conquistadors and Missionaries, the gringos who came later…

A walk around old Santa Fe, the Plaza and the businesses and the neighborhoods that are clustered together in mostly older adobe structures interspersed with newer faux-dobe stucco walled buildings, is a walk that leads past many doors, with many doors rooted in the past…

This is the iconic doorway, gateway to a home on Canyon Road, the door that’s featured on numerous postcards, in numerous calendars.  Most photos of this door show a wider view, taking in the courtyard walls.  I’d like to say that I deliberately chose to move in closer, to capture just a portion of the door itself, but my decision was guided more by the car parked in front of one of the walls than anything…

This door is from an older building that is directly across from the San Miguel Chapel.  Even when the sun is out the door is cloaked in shade…

This door, now sealed and transformed into a work of art, can be found a little more than a block from the Plaza…  

There there's this door, maybe fifteen feet from the one above, sharing the same wall, yet entirely different in character...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX (Top two photos)
Nikon D7000, Nikkor 35 DX (Bottom two photos)

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Chapel of Love and Brotherhood

Silence.  That’s the word that can best describes our visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park near Angel Fire, New Mexico.  Solemn silence, particularly in and around the Peace and Brotherhood Chapel.  Silence that was cut by the wind, and the occasional comment…

We set out on a Saturday drive, leaving before dawn, with the intent of checking out the section of the Orilla Verde Recreation Area that runs along the Rio Grande River near Pilar, on the way to Taos.  After driving down to the recreation area and winding along the Rio Grande for several miles, the road led us back out of the canyon, back up to the high, flat land outside of Taos.  The idea was to stop and have lunch in Taos, but I had overestimated how long the drive along the Rio Grande would take and since it was still too early for lunch, we decided to drive on and head up Taos Canyon towards Angel Fire, which was familiar territory to me but a new adventure for my wife.

We drove through the canyon and continued past the turn off to the Angel Fire Ski Resort, and then, perched on a hill to the left, we saw an angular, greyish-white building.  As we passed the turn off going up the hill, I caught a glimpse of the sign saying it was a Veterans Memorial, and I made the comment that I wanted to check it out on the way back.

We continued on the road for a bit, turned, and on the way back to Taos we took the turn off and went up the hill to what we now knew was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park.  Our car was the only one in the parking lot, and the immediacy of the silence except for the whistling of the wind was the first thing we noticed.

A path lead from the parking lot, with the chapel on the left and a small museum with visitor’s center down and to the right, carved into the side of the hill.  After a short visit to the museum, a tribute to New Mexicans who gave their life during the Vietnam War, we walked over to the chapel, following the path that looped around the structure.  

The chapel is angular, with sweeping curves, and built into the hill in a manner that invokes the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, DC, while maintaining its own sense of purpose.  It stands tall, silent...

We followed the walkway, going counterclockwise...

White angle against the blue sky...

Sweeping curves leading to the sky....

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX
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Salt Mission Trail

This past weekend the forecast called for rain (and snow in the higher elevations) across much of New Mexico.  My wife and I discussed whether or not to head out for a day trip, but we decided to go for it with the thought being that we could always head back home if things got a little too soggy.  As a photographer I wanted to head out because overcast, cloudy, stormy days don't come often to New Mexico, and moody clouds often make for interesting photo opportunities.

We left the house early, heading south of Santa Fe towards Tejaras, where we would then drive a section of the Salt Missions Trail Scenic Byway.  This road slowly winds through a serious of small towns, farms, and ranch land.  The sky was overcast but there wasn't any rain falling.  At one point we pulled over so I take a few shots of the landscape, as the patch of sunlight illuminating the mountains in the distance had caught my eye.

The road lead to the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, which actually consists of three pueblos, each with a Spanish Mission that was constructed in the early seventeenth century.  The sites span a distance (by car) of about 45 miles, each of which is worth visiting due to its own unique character.  Our first stop was the pueblo that is the site of the Quarai Mission Church (Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de Cuarac).  The church, the walls of which still stand, was built in the early 1600s under the direction of Spanish missionaries.  

On the way to our next destination we drove through the small town of Mountainair.  Mountainair is a small town where I've stopped and taken photos before, of the older buildings located near the main intersection...

Our last stop was the site of the pueblo at Gran Quivira, where the ruins of the San Buenaventura Mission are located.  We took the short trail up the hill to the site of the ruins and walked the site.  This kiva, partially filled with tumbleweeds, with the pueblo walls and sweeping clouds in the background, made for an interesting composition...

After Gran Quivira we headed back towards Santa Fe, having beat the rain and enjoyed a change in the weather...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX

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