Week 38 - 2015 in Photographs

Day 260

Mother Nature gets top billing this week. Beginning with double rainbows so close to my house even my wide angle lens did not include them in their entirety. I did get all the bands of color at the apex of the inner bow. Never have seen so many bands on a rainbow before.

Day 261

And the colors of this rock in the Red River. And the little oasis of moss and grass growing in the crevices of the rock stood out against the white froth of the cascade beyond it.

Day 264

 The arc of the Enchanted Circle from Angel fire to Questa moves around the highest points in the state. They are eye catching on the best of days but quite frankly I love them most when there are clouds and shadows and rising fog. All the elements came together Tuesday including the first glimpses of color toward the top when the sun hit it just right. The others on the highway probably thought I was crazy given the number of times I pulled off the road to take another photo. 

Day 262

I have caught glimpses of the hidden cliff in between folds of mountain ridges, but on this particular day the sun breaking through clouds highlighted it like a mystical Brigadoon emerging from the rising mists. I could not pass up a single opportunity to capture this secret cliff and valley.

Day 266

The early morning jaunt over to Questa to the dentist office revealed the sun light breaking through the clouds and illuminating the cliff face normally missed because of the drama of the crest of Wheeler Peak. A few miles down the road I took another picture of this cliff nestled between peaks.

I always allow extra time to drive anywhere. You have to factor in camera time.

And at the computer when I got home I played with black and white to see if I could bring out more details from my photos taken with my long lens using the car as a tripod.

Day 266 in Black and White.

Day 265
Hondo burn scar

I still arrived in Questa early. I used to live there. I moved within months of the Hondo Fire which burned for 22 days within a half mile of my house. That was 17 years ago and the forest still has not recovered. The fire burned so hot it scorched the earth down three feet.

Day 263

To end this blog on a more colorful note I have posted Day 263 last. Fall brings color on the hills but before they peak it seems the colors in the clouds do. Been a great week for photography in the highlands.