Week 17 - 2017 in Photographs

Day 113

More doors, windows and openings. The door on the right is contemporary and I believe being weather aged to sell as old. It is leaning against a real old double door which is not installed. It seems to be a match of the door below.

Day 114

And next to this shop of doors is an old log structure with a window looking through to a door. 

Day 115

The facade of the shop with the doors I have photographed. And with another unique door.

Day 116

Not a door or a window but these three trees lined up like a colonnade of arches.

 

Day 117

Arches were more common in constructions of the past. I miss them in modern design.

Day 118

Day 120

The AT&SF rail station in Raton is a celebration of arches and curves. It almost looks more like a eastern mosque than a southwestern building.

Week 16 - 2017 in Photographs

Day 106

For those becoming tired of trees this week is all about doors and windows and openings. I love old windows and doors, and old architectural elements like arches and cornices. At one time I wanted to be an architect but the University of New Mexico was not allowing women into that degree path. So I settled on Fine Art with an emphasis on architecture, especially historic architecture as found in art history courses.

Most of this week's photographs are from the old town area of Raton, New Mexico. It is undergoing a revival spurred by some government grants available to keep the centers of our old town vital.

Day 107

The archway below is a new addition to this historic area. The park framed in this arch was the site from a Fred Harvey hotel which fell to the bulldozer in an era where we did not prize our history as much. It was in the same architectural style as the train station featured in Day 111.

Day 108

Day 109

Day 110

Day 111

Day 112 is from Arroyo Seco which will have its doors featured next week.
It is leaning against an old log wall. On the Taos side of the mountain history is for sale ins pieces you can add to your fake adobe to look historic. Buyer beware because some Indonesian countries have become very good at faking old doors. The one below, however, is probably real because it is missing a piece. And the photograph is real.

Day 112

Week 15 - 2017 in Photographs

Day 99

Snow has the ability to be able to transform any landscape. And, in my humble opinion, for the better. There is nothing like a spring snow to revive my interest in getting out with my camera and making first tracks. Spring snows are real gifts for forests because they are wet snows and add to the moisture level. 

Day 100

 Spring snows have melted ponds and water fowl pairing up for the summer.

Day 101

And they are gifts for photographers because they stick to limbs and trunks.

Day 102

Day 103

Day 104

Day 105

Yes, I love spring snows. That said I am in the mood for spring rains.

Week 14 - 2017 in Photographs

Day 92
The view from my front door

 I basically photograph the land in which I live. My photography treks are within my state or the Colorado Plateau/Four Corners area. This week is all about here. All photos taken from my front door or studio deck or within five miles of my studio/home. Yes, I live in paradise.

Day 93
The mountain in the middle

No worry about getting bored because the scenery changes with time of day, weather, light, bird migrations, and animal movements. familiarity gives me the best opportunities to capture the best image.

Day 94
Stellar Jay

 I have to go up into the trees to find Stellar Jays. I live in a meadow which gets the Mountain Blue Bird and the Red Wing Black Bird and other meadow dwellers.

But meadow living allows vistas of the clouds, dawns and sunsets.

Day 95
Lenticular Cloud on the mountain down the road

Day 96
Strutting wild Tom Turkey

Turkeys are another forest denizen. I rarely see them in my meadows. But the forest is just a few short miles. And the trees below are less than a mile. I have captured turkeys walking through this grove in previous years.

Day 97
More of my focus on trees

And Day 98 is familiar subject of mine. Like my sentinel tree in first picture it calls me to record its life through all the seasons.

Day 98
Ancient Ponderosa Pine

The Memory of Trees

The Memory of Trees #1

I have been taking pictures of trees lately. Most of these in this blog you have probably seen in my weekly 365 Days of Photography posts. These four I selected to have printed so I could enter them in the Ralph Solano Annual Exhibit at the Old Pass Gallery. They represent a departure for me because I am not the black and white photographer in the family. I am all about color.

The Memory of Trees #4

 And I have never before named a group of paintings or photographs with numbers. And it is possible I have the numbers in the series wrong. I submitted them to the show yesterday and was sure I kept a copy of the entry form but alas no.

There is supposedly a set of rules on photographing trees. Well, more like guidelines than rules. My current favorite guideline is never include the top and the bottom of a tree in a photograph. I was usually trying to frame both so this made life easier. I found myself liking the results so you will notice none of these pictures show both. #1 is the only photograph of the top of trees. I find I really like the bottoms best.

The Memory of Trees #2

Guideline number two about photographing trees is you don't need the ground. It is the least interesting part of the photograph. Only #1 follows that rule. I would argue the shadows of trees across snow are very interesting.

So why not crop the bottom of #2? It is just snow without shadows of trees. Believe me I toyed with that. But the white space accents the texture of the trees. So basically I have rejected that guideline. Especially in #3 which is almost half ground (snow) but it is still a photograph of trees.

The Memory of Trees #3

I debated printing #3 because I had tracked up the newly fallen snow before looking behind me. The sense of morning light through the forest begged to be recorded. I would argue that any photograph of trees is really a photograph of the interplay between light and trees. And black and white post processing shows that off the best. After all we know they are green.

Week 13 - 2017 in Photographs

Day 90

 A hodgepodge of photos this week. It was that sort of week. My focus was definitely elsewhere. There was the studio to clean, and a statement to draft for my appearance before the village council, and coordinating with others on that.

I remembered to snap a photograph when I could. Most taken while going to or from a meeting. And if you think my photography is scatter brained this week you see my efforts at painting.

Day 91

 Thankfully my best model was willing to strike a pose. He was my most satisfying photograph this week.

Day 85

Day 86

Day 87

Day 88

Day 89