Same, But Different

Whether it's taking advantage of a change in seasons, an opportunity to use new gear, or simply approaching an old subject from a new perspective, I think there's merit to revisiting and rephotographing favorite (or even not so favored) subjects.

Shortly after moving to Santa Fe we started to go on day trips, checking out our new home and the surrounding area.  One of the first places we went was Georgia O'Keefe's Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu.  On the way to our destination we stopped at a road side pull out, where a sharp bend in the Rio Chama lay below.  I was drawn in by the red rocks, the greenery lining the river, the dark hills in the background, and I spent some time photographing the area.  The only negative aspect was the cloudless sky and harsh light of the midday sun, so I composed this shot with a just a small slice of sky at the top of the frame.  July 2013...

A couple of months later we were in the area again.  This time I crouched down to get the yellow leaves of the chamisa in the foreground, included more of the sky to include the clouds, and composed the shot to look straight down the river...  September 2013...

With a visitor in town, once again we headed out towards Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, an early morning drive on Christmas Eve.  After we pulled over for a short break, I hopped over the guard rail and got down on one knee, aiming my camera down and going as wide as the lens would allow to include the bend in the river.  I liked the contrast the fresh dusting of snow in the hills brought to the scene and colors brought out by the shallow river.  December 2013...

Last month I found myself standing in that spot again, staring out at the river.  I had a  (relatively) new lens with me this time, one that allowed me to take in a little more of the scene.  Once again I hopped the guard rail and composed the photo to include the bend in the river, this time turning to the left a bit for a slightly different view, including more of the sky to take in the clouds floating over the scene.  June 2014...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 18-55 DX (first three photos), Nikkor 16-85 DX VR (last photo)

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The Not So Obvious

Last weekend we went on a long drive past Taos to Questa, then decided on a whim to drive the loop through that area known as the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway.  On the way back to Santa Fe, we passed through Taos and stopped at the San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church in Rancho de Taos, a place I've written about previously.  This church, specifically the rear exterior, was famously painted by Georgia O'Keeffe and photographed by Ansel Adams, among others.  

After we parked, I started to walk around, taking a few shots of the rear of the church, but I wanted to capture more than the standard shots of the rear (and front) of the building.  I began to look around, not at the church as much as the buildings that lined the narrow street to the left.  Before long these flowers caught my eye, and I liked how the flowers looked with the adobe wall in the background, as well as the texture of the wall itself...

I then walked around the back of the church to the street on the other side of the church, taking a few shots, when I saw this window.  The classic blue window nestled in the adobe wall, the rostra/wreath hanging to the side, the flowers in the blue pot sitting below the window all combined for a nice composition...

A few steps to the left, on the other side of the building doorway, was another blue window.  The window, wall, and flowers  made this an easy shot to take...

Turning towards the church, I decided to take a few shots of the statue of Saint Francis of Assisi that stands in the church's front courtyard.  I decided to move in close and isolate the statue a bit, to make the statue the focus...

Walking back to the car I saw this single pot sitting in a corner of the church...

I hadn't planned on stopping at this church that day, since I had already taken photos of it previously.  It was the clouds in the sky that pulled me in (thinking that they would make a good backdrop for a few photos), but the smaller things like windows and textures were what captured my imagination...

Nikon D7000, Nikkor 16-85 DX VR
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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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