Turbulence (21/366)

Descanso por dos, Highway 550 near mile marker 12 (Sandoval County), Jan. 2012

I finally got a weekend off from everything and was able to spend some good time hanging out with and roaming around with a particularly enjoyable travel buddy (he even drove!). Although yesterday's destination was Jemez Springs and beyond, this descanso along the road offered a compelling reason to stop, and the shifting light made for an especially emotional shoot. I'll need to start researching these, perhaps visiting local newspapers to comb through their archives, because each descanso embodies a deeply personal story that a photo can only hint at.

This one, for two people named Laura and Cordy, is clearly tended throughout the year but appears several years old; I find it visually interesting but also sad that the Madonna figure has had to be cabled and chained to one of the crosses. On the other hand, the presence of numerous figurines large and small suggests frequent tending and a good degree of respect for what this descanso embodies.

Edit, 1/29/12: Here's another version of the first photo, rendered in "Opalotype" filter of Topaz Labs' B&W Effects: