Week 17 - 2018 in Photographs

Day 113 - X marks the spot

X marks the spot and that spot was close to home. I did get down to Santa Fe to buy stretcher bars I missed ordering for the stretching of canvas prints for the Trinidad Photography Gallery exhibit in May. But I didn't bring the camera along. Next week it gets to go with to Trinidad. Love photographing Trinidad. 

Day 114 - Homesteading Geese

But the camera went along on my other errands. The geese were setting up house keeping in local ponds I passed. BTW while they may be called Canadian geese because that is where they breed, according to sites which should know, they also breed in the mountains of New Mexico. So are these New Mexican Geese?

Point of truth on Day 115. I was lucky to have on the big zoom (only to 300), and because of training in my youth to lead the dove with the shotgun. I was able to capture this photo. But I also quickly snapped about ten.

Day 115 - flyby of intruder

Day 116 - Standing Tall Together

More trees. I am putting the digital files of Day 116 into the folder for the next round of prints. It missed the deadline for this show.

Day 117 - the crowd on the shore

While in Santa Fe I picked up a vintage mirror for the studio. The studio is becoming a bit of a cabinet of curiosities. That is good with the upcoming Angel Fire Studio Tour, September 29th and 30th. Check the linked site for updates coming soon.

Day 118 - Selfie of the artist in new mirror

Once photographs were all printed and prepared and boxed for transport I turned a weather eye to the horizon as I prepared the raised beds for planting.

Day 119 - First rain clouds; practice run

Week 17 - 2015 in Photographs

Day 113

This week also has a lot of water. Hard to pass up all those beautiful reflections not to mention the things on the water like the geese. Expect more geese because soon there will be goslings. But I made an effort to get out and about with my camera. But just because you take a picture does not make it note worthy. Water photographs were just turning out better this last couple of weeks.

Day 114

The sculpture above stands at the United Church of Angel Fire up church road. It is suppose to be the three crosses. I am, however ever unclear about the tubular bell shape. Do they ring? But the rusty iron before the purple mountains gets me every time.

Day 115

Herons slipped into the migratory pattern this last week. They never seem to stick around long enough for them to get totally used to my camera. So my shots are always from a distance. I like this one among the willows with the almost mirror like reflection.

But the black and white photograph below of sun rays slipping through the trees is one of my favorite reflection photographs. The sun makes the trees look ethereal. I said in last week's blog that rules were made to be broken and three of the watery reflection photographs in this week's blog does that. The waterline in these two is really close to center. And in Day 116 and Day 117 the sky is included. In the black and white I do not have to worry about the difference in the color of sky and water.

Day 116

And in Day 117 the clouds break up the lighter blue of the sky. You can tell spring time in the Rockies because of the nature of the clouds. No longer the low hanging blanket of cloud.

Day 117

The clouds are above the tops of the mountains and have tops and space unless it is actually during a snow storm. This may be the winter of snow-capped mountain photographs. I seem to have gotten Old Mike and Wheeler Peak often and from many different angles. I like it best with clouds and with the snow fields broken up by wind and melt. It gives the mountains more definition and depth.

Day 118

And back to water and reflections. And this one with absolutely no land. With post processing I think it looks like the water in a Cezanne or Monet painting.

Day 119

Week 29 - 2014 in Images a day at a time

Day 197

The lush but brief mountain summer continues. And because of the gift of rain things are green. Because of the drought of past years every thing is rushing to reproduce in the short time allotted. Great news for nature and for the photographer.

Day 198

I first noticed this wild mountain rose growing through the sign post a couple years back. I figured it was a fluke but every year it works its way up higher through the square sign post. No good angle for a photograph without wires and signs but then that is what this is about - Life going on against the odds and man.

Day 199

The geese this year also did very well. Getting three of their four goslings to fledging stage. No doubt the wet spring and summer has also helped them.

Day 200

And my poppies, oft ignored, managed a wonderful display this year. At one time 17 of my salmon colored poppies were blooming at once. No mean feat because heavy rains can destroy the delicate flowers. Yesterday I took a picture of the last boom for the archives.

Day 201

And the birds have been everywhere this year. Good bugs and good seeds and good wild flowers. That does not keep the hummers from emptying the feeders daily. I have out three. And mornings there can be thirty waiting their turn. So hungry they hardly notice me and the camera.

Day 202

I have taken a lot of goose pictures this summer of my local pair and goslings. The one below is one of my favorites because Mom and Dad are paired up while the brood does their thing close by. All summer long they have swam or grazed in goose step as it were. One adult in back and one in front for protection of the three in line between them.

Day 203

Some time in August, toward the middle, the breeze will change direction and the air take on a hint of crispness. Fall will have arrived. A killing frost usually waits until September, hopefully toward the end, but migration will begin during that Indian Summer in between.

Week 26 - 2014 One Image a Day

Day 176

And the year is now half over. All my paintings for the Meraki Show at Gallery Main in Trinidad, Colorado are packed up. Today I will load them in the UHaul Trailer and take them tomorrow up to the gallery to hang. And all the focus I have had on painting will be over. Or Not. I already have three more canvases to stretch. And two different ideas dancing around in my head for what to paint on them.

But there is no doubt I will have more time to give to photography. And I look forward to that. The land has a fullness about it, a lushness which you can breathe in. The monsoon season is setting up and this next week has a chance for thunderstorms every single day.

Day 177

First poppy photograph of the summer. My plants are heavy with buds. They do not fare well in heavy rains so you have to dash out with the camera to quickly record them. And I will. The orange/red ones have a fire to them but I love the light and delicacy of the salmon colored ones yet to bloom.

The ponds I photography are blooming too. Small delicate blooms which rise above the water level on this stalks in vast numbers. It has been an interesting challenge trying to record the feel of this blossoming of the waters.

Day 178

Day 179

Summer is not all about flowers. With the monsoons building it will be a lot of clouds like the opening photograph of dawn. But it is also about trucks and bugs. The weather is more pleasant for long walks and drives with the camera. The truck is Eagle Nest but the Volkswagen is just down the street.

Day 180

And the gazing ball is on another walk. Nice weather allows you to linger and see what is around you.

Day 181

Like the family of geese gliding across a still pond in the early morning light.

Day 182

And there is more wildlife out enjoying the fruits and grasses of summer. I have captured a lot of photographs of elk and geese. They have not made my 365 Day Challenge photos because while they are good photos their specialness is only that they are great captures.