Best Landscapes of 2016

On the Road to Raton

I picked 366 photographs out of the thousands I took to feature on daily posts on Binford-Bell Studio Facebook page and in the 52 weeks of 2016 posts here. To then run through those 366 photographs and pick the seven best of any subject is being rather egotistic. 

Perhaps it is better to say these are my seven favorite landscapes of the year. And maybe they are only my favorite because they strike some inner cord in my photographic mind. Or they capture some here to fore allusive aspect as in the lead photograph. Or just a mood or memory.

I have driven the road to Raton a lot of times. Even written blogs about revealed truth on the road to Raton which appear in Side Tracked Charley. Truth seems easier to find than the vastness of these high plains which spread between the mountains and our county seat. The clouds and the shadows they created helped define the distance and emptiness I was always trying to capture.

Light through the Aspens

And what western photographer is not trying to capture the ultimate fall aspen photograph. For me it was not so much about the crowning glory of these golden trees but their transition from green to gold and they way they seem to capture the very light and use it as their own. The colors in this photo belong to the earth and not a photo editing program.

Monte Verde Lake Reflections

I pass this little resort lake often. During tourist season in the summer it will be filled with paddle boats and fishing families along the shore. And because of its location it rarely seems still enough to offer up a reflection. I captured this one because I had the camera in the truck.

The photograph below was on a trip to the Valle Vidal shortly after I got my new camera. I was running it through its paces by clicking the shutter at everything. I took a lot of Shuree Pond reflections that day. The depth of the reflection accented by the algae bloom on the surface makes this one of my favorites. And obviously reflections are a favorite as three out of four of my favorite landscapes are pondscapes.

Deep in Shuree Ponds

On the Road to Ojo

Light is what photography is about. I am constantly on the lookout for just the right lighting on the landscapes as I drive. I like the empty roads of the back country of New Mexico because I won't create a traffic accident pulling over to try to capture the fleeting light. The landscape above was taken on a hill overlooking my favorite Spa, Ojo Caliente. I was down for a day to meet up with another photographer friend and we were killing time before dinner so had driven to the top of the hill. So this may be my favorite because not only the light but the company.

And the last of my choices is a still lake; no ripples, no company. And what makes this a favorite is the silence. A silence which is translated into a digital medium.