Monument Rocks

In western Kansas, amongst the crops that blanket this flat land, lie Monument Rocks, a series of rock formations, columns of chalk that jut out of the landscape like a sore thumb...  

I first heard about Monument Rocks in May 2008 when two of my favorite photographers, Moose Peterson and Laurie Excell, stopped by the area while chasing storms across the Southwest and Midwest.  I was curious, as I was born in Kansas and spent my first eight years or so living there, had visited off and on over the years, and yet had never heard of this place.  

In July 2009 I returned to Kansas to visit family, and I made a note to stop at Monument Rocks as I passed through the area.  A short side trip down a two lane road, then seven miles through pasture land and I was there...  

I spent some time walking around the area, and looking east through a hole in one of the columns, I could see another, smaller column off in the distance.  Using the hole in the column of chalk as a frame was an obvious, but still interesting shot...

This past weekend I was passing through the area again, and I made a point of making this part of our trip.  Again I spent time exploring, and with the sun setting I took advantage of this to incorporate a starburst (by stopping down to f16) in a couple of many of my shots.  First I shot the same hole in the rock column as last time, this time facing east, making sure to include a good amount of sky in the shot...

Then I moved in closer, eliminating the sky around the edges of the photo...

Moving north a little way, I liked how the sun shone through a small notch in the top of this rock formation, so again I went for the starburst...

On the northern end of the rock formations I noticed that the clouds were taking on some character, so I decided to include more of the sky in a few shots.  When I was processing photos later it quickly became apparent that going with a black and white look may be interesting...

Monument Rocks is a little known place literally out in the middle of nowhere, not really a  "destination", but if you're in the area and need to stop and stretch your legs for a bit, it's a nice break from the endless miles of corn fields and cow pastures...

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First photo taken using a Nikon D40 with a Nikkor 18-55 DX lens
Second photo taken using a Nikon D40 with a Nikkor 55-200 DX VR lens
Last four photos taken using a Nikon D7000 with a Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens

Walking The Streets Of Madrid

About 26 miles southwest of Santa Fe lies Madrid, New Mexico, a small town located on Highway 14, otherwise known as the Turquoise Trail.  This small town, population 204 at the time of the 2010 Census, has transformed itself from a dying mining town to a haven for artists and small shops that cater to tourists and day trippers from Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

We've been to Madrid several times since moving to Santa Fe, and I always have the camera along with me, in case something catches my eye in this quirky little town, like this brightly painted bench that sits in front of a small shop.

This being New Mexico ristras hang on doors and in windows...

This shot was taken shortly after a thunderstorm had passed through town.  The drama in the sky, the color of this painted wall, and the cactus in the foreground all pulled me in.  

The Mine Shaft Tavern is one of the places in town to grab a bite to eat.  As you step out of the tavern there's a hallway that leads to the Coal Mine Museum.  I thought that the kitschy scene and light pouring in through the cracks might make for an interesting composition.

On the back side of the Mine Shaft Tavern are a couple of chile pepper arches.  I was taking a few photos, walking around, when I noticed the position of the sun, so I stopped down my lens and tried to position the star burst from the sun so it hit the stem of the chile pepper...

If you're ever in Santa Fe or passing through the area, I would recommend a side trip to Madrid.  This little town has a unique character and, in particular, is a great place to walk around with camera in tow.

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 10-24 DX

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Backyard Explorations

When I bought my first DSLR, like a lot of beginning photographers I took photos of flowers.  A lot of photos of flowers.  It was easy, it was fun, and I got some nice shots.  But I noticed that while it's easy to get a nice shot, it's much more difficult to get a great shot. That goes for any type of photography.  Later on I bought a macro lens, shot with it extensively on a trip to Maui, then it's pretty much sat in my bag since then, as I've pursued other aspects of photography since moving to the Southwest last summer.

As spring came to the high desert this year I've noticed things that I didn't last year.  This has even been the case in - literally - my own back yard (and I must mention that whoever did the landscaping and selection of plants did an excellent job).  The other morning the air was calm, a contrast to the wind that kicks up almost every afternoon, so grabbed my camera and macro lens and started walking around the yard, taking shots.

This plant is next to one of the back patio doors.  I'm not sure what it is, a type of sage perhaps?  I got down on the ground, low, parallel to the ground, and started taking photos...

This photo is subtly different from the first, with more of the purple buds in focus, but after some debate I decided I liked the first one better...

And here's an iPhone snap of the plant...

Then I moved on to the walking path the runs behind the house.  I liked how the morning sun hit this plant...

I took about 50 photos that morning, but these are the only ones I'm really satisfied with.

Along one of the walls of the backyard fence are some climbing roses.  The next day when I was in the driveway I noticed that a couple of roses had bloomed, rising higher than the fence so I was actually looking up at them a bit.  I wanted to take a photo of them but the sky was clear and the light was bright and harsh.  So I waited.

Later that afternoon some clouds rolled in, the sun went behind the clouds, the light softened, and I knew the time was right so I grabbed my camera and macro lens.  First, the rose to the right of me...

And then the rose on the left...

I can definitely see some more back yard exploring in my future...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 85 DX VR Micro

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Signs Of The Times

Last December, while on a road trip to Carlsbad Caverns via Roswell, in the middle of nowhere ("the big empty" I called it), we drove through a small, seemingly dying town called Vaughn.  What was most notable about the town as we passed through were the abandoned buildings that lined the road, and the old signs for businesses that were either no longer in operation or appeared to be on their last legs.  I made a mental note to come back some day, to explore the town a bit and take some photos.

Last weekend we went for a drive, down a road not previously taken, and ended up not too far from Vaughn.  A quick run up the road and soon we were there, and I started taking photos of abandoned hotels, cafes, and other buildings.  What I really enjoyed were the signs...

Heading west to east on Highway 60, the main drag through town, there's the Yucca Motel...

Then, on the other side of the road not far from the Yucca, is by far the most interesting sign in Vaughn, the one that hovers over the (now defunct) Ranch House Cafe.

While walking under the sign I looked up and noticed the position of the sun in relation to the position of the star on the sign.  I thought that if I could get a starburst from the sun hitting the tip of the star on the sign that could be an interesting shot.  So, I stopped down my lens to f/16 and took a few shots...

Next was the Western Motel...

Followed by the Skyline Motel...

And then the last sign as you head east, on the edge of town, for the Ranch View Motel...

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All photos taken with a Nikon D7000, and a Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens

Walking Portland

Last month I had a chance to visit Portland, Oregon for the second time.  May 2013 was the first time I went to Portland, and I immediately fell in love with the walkability of the town.  And the food trucks that were seemingly everywhere...

This time I went to Portland with my wife, as part of a "let's walk around Portland for a couple of days then rent a car and drive down the coast" trip, a week long getaway from reality and the everyday stressors of life.  We arrived in Portland on a Saturday evening, a little too late to actually see much...  

The next morning, Sunday, May 11, we hit the streets, the only real plan being to make a stop at the Portland Japanese Garden and the International Rose Test Garden next door.  

A few blocks from our hotel was the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The hall's sign is a Portland landmark, often photographed, and I had to stop and take a few photos (8:49 AM)...

We then headed west, trudging up hills until we got to the International Rose Test Garden.  We walked the grounds for a few minutes, but unfortunately the majority of the rose bushes had yet to bloom, so we headed up to the Portland Japanese Garden.  The Portland Japanese Garden is considered to be the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan.  What I love about it is that it's an oasis of quiet and calm tucked away in a big city.  This statue is one of the first things you encounter as you make the counter clockwise walk through the grounds (10:05 AM)...

We then walked back down the hills, and turned north towards the Pearl District, which has undergone a recent "renewal" of sorts.  At one point I saw this street mural of Steve Prefontaine, a native Oregonian and track and field star in the 70's.  I think, besides the size of the mural itself, it was the orange in the painting and the orange in the bricks to the right and how it all tied together that caught my eye (12:56 PM)...  

We later ended up  at Old Town Pizza, in the Old Town section of Portland.  Old Town Pizza has awesome pizza (so good that we had one delivered to our hotel again the next night), good beer that they brew, is located in a funky old building that is supposedly haunted - and an great selection of music is always pumping through the speakers.  We hung out there for quite a while, taking a break from all the walking we had done, and since it was a sleepy Sunday afternoon I was able to take a few photos without disturbing anyone (2:54 PM)...

On the walk back to the hotel we ran across Voodoo Doughnut, another local landmark, with the obligatory line of tourists going out the door and around the corner.  We didn't stop in, but I had to grab a few shots of the sign (4:34 PM)...

All photos taken with a Nikon D7000 and Nikkor 16-85 DX VR lens
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Oregon Coast

A couple of weeks ago we went to Oregon, a week long getaway to explore new places and experience new things.  We spent the first couple of days in Portland, then rented a car and headed down the coast to Newport, where we spent a couple of days exploring the coast.  For a long time I've wanted to drive down the coast on Highway 101, and now was my chance...

The wreck of the Peter Iredale, grounded on Clatsop Spit, Fort Stevens State Park, was the first stop.  The tide was coming in and the midday light was harsh, so I tried a black and white take on the scene...

Further down the coast is Cape Meares Light, a lighthouse located on Cape Meares just south of Tillamook Bay...

Yaquina Head Light is a lighthouse just north of Newport. I went in the evening as clouds were rolling in, so hoping to capture some of the drama that was in the sky...

One morning we were driving down Highway 101 near Cape Pereptua, enjoying the scenery, when I glanced over and saw the light streaming through the trees.  A quick U-turn, and I spent several minutes looking for the right angle to capture what I saw...

And no photographer can go this area of Oregon without checking out Thor's Well, located on Cape Perpetua...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 10-24 DX (top photo), Nikkor 16-85 DX VR (rest)

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Monument Valley

Monument Valley...  The name evokes memories of the old West, of images made famous by the director John Ford, of films starring John Wayne like Stagecoach and The Searchers...  Or the place where Forrest Gump stopped running ("I'm pretty tired... I think I'll go home now.")...

I'd always found Monument Valley to be a beautiful place, a place of wide open, epic vistas.  I'd always thought that it would be an interesting place to visit, but I never really dwelled on the thought.  Someday...  

When we were making plans for our honeymoon drive from Las Vegas back to Santa Fe, a trek to be taken in late November, planning our route through some of the national parks in southern Utah, Monument Valley was chosen as a stopover.  As the trip drew closer, my desire to see Monument Valley grew greater...

We arrived in Monument Valley as a winter storm blew in.  A low, dense blanket of fog hung low to ground, wrapping itself around the Mittens.  I took this shot from the deck of our room.  It was the clearest the sky would be during our overnight stay...    

A couple of weeks ago we took an extra day off from work and went on a road trip to Canyon de Chelly (which I wrote about here).  While there we decided to take a quick side trip to Monument Valley.  Another chance at seeing what couldn't be seen last November.  The sky was clear, the weather was perfect for some sightseeing.  Clear skies and mid-day sun don't necessarily make good photographs, but they make great memories and that's what was important that day...

There's a 17 mile scenic drive that winds through Monument Valley, and as we slowly wound our way around it we made frequent stops so I could take a few photos...

From Artist's Point I was able to take this shot, which most closely evokes the memories I have of the numerous westerns that have been filmed there...

As the sun rose higher in the sky the light grew harsher, washing out the sky, and this shot. Taken near the end of our drive, it isn't particularly noteworthy but it's my shot of the Mittens that day...

We left shortly after, moving on to other adventures that day, but I was content, having finally seen Monument Valley.  And I can't wait to return one day...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX, Nikkor 10-24 DX

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