Week 43 - 2014 in Images

Day 295

Last week was a busy week for the camera and the dry darkroom. The photography trek with Terry Rowe produced over 600 photographs which had to be sorted and processed. Then like a person addicted I grabbed the camera and went to Las Vegas, New Mexico to take more photos. 

The Plaza at Ranchos de Taos and the church of San Francisco de Assi dominates this week's photos, and yet of all the photographs they were the ones taken closest to home. But it is also an area normally dominated by tourists and thus prevents clear and uncluttered access to the perfect angle. And on this particular day it had rained all night and was still misting a bit. The water and wet and clouds added another dimension. 

Day 296

Of the ones I took that morning this is one of my favorites. I love the starkness of the bell tower in black and white. Thank you pigeons for your participation.  And in the photo below I even got one pigeon in flight.

Day 297

The rain added dark streaks to the sides of the adobe walls and highlighted the straw used in the mix. Modern adobes often used stucco for exterior finish because it is more maintenance free. But if you stucco both inside and outside you end up with what is called an eggshell adobe where between the two stucco layers the adobe bricks degrade and crumble. Sometimes mud is just better.

Day 298

Could not resist the picture of hollyhocks against the adobe wall. These seemed to be trying to grow as high as the wall. But the reason we had stopped was to get a photo of the church reflected in puddles. Geraint Smith of Taos had done a very stunning photograph of it recently. We had to stop and give it a try.

San Francisco de Assi of  Ranchos de Taos
Bonus photo for the week

Some weeks you end of with more pictures than you need. And this certainly was one. The folder for week 43 had eight photos in it. I could have shuffled it over to week 44 but that folder is filled too. It has been a fantastic fall season with rich images to record. So a bonus photograph for the week for those who came to read the weekly blog for the 365 Day Photography Challenge.

Day 299
Truck at Ojo Caliente

This week's photo selections seemed to be almost all vertical. Horizontal can be so much more restful for the viewer. And the photographer. You have no idea of some of the contortions you have to get into for a vertical image. With the red truck it was just a matter of where to take the picture from. I wanted the building and the dog and the pumpkins in there too. Sidestepping back and forth while holding the camera up to your eye begins to look like a dance, and feel like an aerobic exercise when you do it in a partial squat.

While taking pictures of buildings from the side walk in front of them means you have to lean backwards and twist for the right angle. Yes, one could cross the street but then you have all the cars in front. Besides where is the exercise in that.

Day 300
Building in Las Vegas, New Mexico

By comparison the below vista of the Chama River in Abiquiu was a piece of cake. Terry and I had just finished lunch and were wrapping up fixings and trash to move on when clouds and light conspired to illuminate the golden cottonwoods on the other side of the river.

Day 301
Along the Chama River