Moody

Just another Magdalena sunset, May 2012

Coming up Highway 60 from Socorro around sunset often means driving into the sunset. Last night, it kept changing, becoming more dramatic as I crested the big hill to the flats along the northeastern flank of the Magdalenas. Clouds seemed to building up a bit in the west, and as I came up the final hill towards town this sunset suddenly took over the whole sky. It was dramatic enough that I didn't just shoot this out the car door but actually got out of the car to consider and set up a few shots.

I need to go hiking soon. Maybe on Sunday; a storm system is moving in on Monday and could bring us some real rain. If it does, this is the time of year when a deep soaking rain wakes up the "ditch frogs," the New Mexico Spadefoot Toads that hibernate underground for up to 9 months waiting for rain. Falling asleep to the soft patter of rain and the frogs' singing is just divine....

Horseplay

Drago and Precita, Magdalena, NM, April 2012

The New Guys (still getting used to the camera, and to me)

Here are a few more photos from yesterday, including a tender moment between two of the herd's sweetest -- and most spirited -- steeds. I have many, many photos of Doc's horses and keep taking more both to work on shooting technique and because they're so much fun to watch and interact with. When Doc first put them out on Dad's property last summer they watched me warily from afar, then slowly approached (nosing my pockets for treats) but shied away again when I pulled out my camera.

Bringing apples and carrots and just letting the camera hang around my neck helped them get used to it, and now they don't seem to notice it at all. They do get curious when I get down on a knee for a wider-angle shot; yesterday Goliath (the mule in the bottom shot) kept sticking his nose in my ear and nudging the camera. Maybe he was jealous that I wasn't taking more pictures of him... When I was composing the shot at right Goliath had his giant mug on my shoulder. I guess he did me a favor when he snorted right in my ear because it compelled the light grey horse to turn towards me. These two guys are part of Doc's outfitting crew but have been living on another ranch till recently and still don't let me get too close. Time to bring out a bag of apples, I think.

Precita and Goliath (he's annoyed I didn't bring feed out with me), under a beautiful spring sky

Perspectives

Scapula, Magdalena, NM, April 2012

My photo mojo dropped by today, bringing me some inspiration not only to get out and take some shots but also to spend a bit of time exploring perspective. This was a great day to do that because our sky, usually a boring (hah!) solid blue, became more interesting over the morning as a front moved in with broad swaths of lacy clouds. The image below is my usual style of close-up with just enough background to suggest context. I usually get as close as I can to flowers because their detail is always so fascinating. Today, though, as I moved around for a different view, the sky that came into view behind the flowers offered amazing texture and color, compelling me to zoom way out (from 55 to 18mm) to get the shot at left.   Looking at this one I realize I need to expand the depth of field because landscapes, unlike close-ups (I hesitate to say I do macro because I don't have a true macro lens), seem to require clear focus from foreground to background. In both landscape shots, especially that on the left, the clouds would have better detail and the shot would do more justice to their beauty.

For the shot shown at the top of this post I'll confess to moving the bone, a weathered scapula from one of the many cattle that roamed this land before my parents bought a parcel of it in 2006. The daisies have sprung up in the past few weeks thanks to a few good rains, and I like the contrast between new life and old. I am happy with all of these, and to improve the landscape shots I'll finally read my camera manual to get the aperture and shutter speed settings right for full depth of field. I'll also need to work on light since a landscape naturally has a much broader range of tones that I haven't yet learned how to manage in the camera and in post-processing. So, more experimentation -- and I'll hope for more clouds (not usually on my wish list; I came to New Mexico for the sun!) to make my experiments more interesting and fun.

Mas Flores

Irises, Albuquerque BioPark (aka ABQ zoo), April 2012

This has been a lovely spring so far. Aside from a few days of cold (including an apple-bud-killing frost two weekends ago) and some wind, the weather has been quite mild and pleasant. As I think about changes I've been through from year to year, I see that what looks like dramatic change in this past year started long before but did not become visible until quite recently. A garden metaphor obviously applies here: roots must grow strong and deep for the flowers to bloom in their full glory. Bring on some sunny, warm weather and watch the beauty arise, beauty arising from deep within the dark, damp earth where it waited for the sun and warmth to welcome it into being.

Happy Springtime

Tulips, Magdalena, NM, April 2012

My spring bulbs have all bloomed so beautifully this year, more than doubling the number of blooms from last year. This has given me enough to cut and bring inside while leaving plenty to brighten up the garden.  I was going to buy myself flowers yesterday on my way home from Albuquerque but then remembered I have just what I want right here at home. How often that is true, for so many things.

Spontaneous Genius

A horse's eye view (by Maggie), Magdalena, NM, March 2012

I wish I could say I took this picture (the second one is a closer crop of the first) based on careful planning and composition, but I didn't even take this. My Maggie picked up my camera and started snapping away yesterday while I was helping to unsaddle the horses, and this shot, as spontaneous as it was, seems to perfectly express her creativity. She sees me doing close-ups all the time, so I'm fairly certain she did choose this perspective on purpose, and we could attribute the cool lens flare and amazing reflection in the horse's eye to luck. Still, Maggie saw something through the viewfinder that compelled her to release the shutter and capture this moment. And so, in yet another medium, my little sprite expresses her creative talents. Maybe I'm biased (ya think?) but I'm awestruck.

Breaking Beautiful

Red Flame Tulip, Magdalena, NM, April 2011 (photo edit March 2012)

I was digging around in my photo archives tonight and found this image I took last spring with my D3000 and the f1.8 lens for super-shallow depth of field. Truth be told, I forgot I'd planted this kind of tulip and can't wait for them to bloom again; in the meantime I really enjoyed playing in Photoshop and Topaz B/W Effects. (As you can see, I mostly re-colored the image... I love color too much to go black-and-white, I guess.) This variety's red flame petals mimic the patterns that ignited tulip mania and are now known to have been caused by tulip breaking virus (TBV). Proof positive that sometimes "bad" things lead to unexpectedly beautiful results.

Revisiting

Still life with tangerines and late-winter sunlight, January 2011 (re-edited March 2012), Magdalena, NM

Memorial, July 2010 (re-edited March 2012), Philadelphia, PA

Four days into my vacation I'm feeling more energetic and creative. A few days of wintry weather have kept me indoors, where in addition to spring cleaning I'm revisiting some photos and trying new processing techniques, in this case vintage-like renditions combining effects from Topaz Labs' B&W Effects and Detail 2 plug-ins.  I like this new version of my tangerine still life better than last-year's original; now that I have B&W Effects I find it much easier to desaturate images and then selectively re-tint, and I especially like the vignette and grain effects. Here's another image, from my mom's memorial service in July 2010. The theme lends itself especially well to the vintage rendering... I got a bit emotional while working on this image, which I suppose will always happen. I think Mom would have liked this.

Doggie BFFs

Blue and Riley, Magdalena, NM, March 2012

The kids' dachshund Blue (who lives at their dad's house) comes over to play sometimes, and she and Riley are inseparable when she's around. Last week we took her with us to the property and she fell in with the pack, even swimming with the kids in the little pond out there. The horses did not know what to make of her till she started yipping; then Precita lowered her head near Blue's face and snorted loudly as if to say, "Really, Blue? Is that the best you've got?"

It's snowing here right now -- I guess that's appropriate for the last day of winter.... The forecast called for up to half a foot but then the storm started pulling north so we'll probably just get an inch or two. Later in the week we'll be back to warm sunshine and will surely be back at the "swimming hole" by the weekend.

Sunny Day

My daffodil garden, Magdalena, NM, March 2012

Spring-Like

Daffodils, Magdalena, NM, March 2012

We've had a wonderfully sunny, warm week that ends tomorrow with what may be a nasty winter storm, so I brought my daffodils inside to continue enjoying them. These will always be my favorite flowers. I hope you all have a lovely weekend.

Touching Base

Dad and Riley at the ranch, Magdalena, NM, March 2012

So, um, I'm not quite sure what happened but I can definitely say I lost both my photo mojo and my writing mojo, and... well, in the spirit of being kind to myself I will simply accept that I had to let blogging go for a bit. Internship and coursework have drained me and, as this current quarter progressed and I took on more clients and a group, my creative energy ran dry. I know this isn't permanent; while I will be working more hours (for money, yay!) in a few months, I won't have coursework anymore...

Yesterday, warm sunshine (after a snowy 3 days last week!) did recharge my batteries enough to get out and about, take a few pictures, and even play with Photoshop and my Topaz filters. I've had no energy or inspiration for post-processing lately, hence the lack of posted photos. Can't say I'm "back" but with the current quarter ending this week I do hope to get more photo time during my break.

Peekaboo (35/366)

Crocus, Magdalena, NM, Feb. 2012

Spring may be some time away, but February always feels better than January, if only because the sun is stronger and the days a bit longer. And now that I have bulbs in the front yard, I get a surprise when the first crocuses push up despite the cold to give us some early color. We've had a few nice days of sunny, 50-degree(F) weather, but today was  windy and chilly, making the flash of color all the more surprising, and heartening.

Bedtime? We shall see. (34/366)

"Password, please." Magdalena, NM, Feb. 2012

Morning Light (33/366)

Descanso, Highway 60, mile marker 122, Socorro County, NM, Feb. 2012

I've lived in Magdalena for almost nine years and don't recall seeing this descanso until this week. The bright, recently placed holiday decorations probably made it stand out, but I also think I've become more attuned to these memorials since I started looking for and at them more closely. This one, which I'll try to learn more about from local residents, is beautiful in its raw simplicity and its setting, shown more fully in the photo below.

Nap Time (32/366)

Riley and Dad, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

I so need my home days; I got a lot of computer work done but was happy to do so from my lounge chair and, later, right from bed. I'll admit to taking a short snooze this afternoon, too; given yesterday's 10 hours of nonstop work and 4 hours of commuting, I think I earned it. And you know what, even if I hadn't, a nap is always a wonderful thing.

King of the Hill (31/366)

Billy Goat, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

Thunderbird (30/366)

1958 Thunderbird detail, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

A warmish sunny day led me outside with the dogs for a walk around the neighborhood and a long-awaited photo shoot of this 1958 Thunderbird hardtop resting in an empty lot. It's a classic beauty despite the neglect and decay, and as I circled it and focused in on details I was amazed at how well the chrome has survived the elements. The headlights are intact, even, and the body shows some rust but hardly a single dent, a testament to the steel construction. What a sweet ride this must have been in its day.

Horseplay (29/366)

Precita and the boys, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

Damacio, being shy

Many thanks to all who commented on yesterday's post; your kind words and support helped me pull through kind of a rough day. I knew the photo stuff was bothering me, but there seemed to be something deeper, something more pervasive... Last night as I was journaling it occurred to me that yesterday marked 18 months since my mom passed away. I know anniversary reactions can be strong, but the 18-month mark? Well, as soon as I started thinking about it, a lot of feelings came up and within moments I was in tears; and a half hour later, I was feeling a bit better. I miss my mom. Most days I can deal with it, think about it and let it go; maybe lately I haven't really been letting myself think about it, which is how things build up. Oh, and I haven't been getting out for walks on the property or anywhere else lately... that's never good for morale, right? I finally got out there today to let the dogs burn off some energy, and as always I left feeling so much better. It was dusk, so I only got a few shots of the horses, but they seem used to my camera now and don't shy away as much as they used to... well, usually.

Mundane (28/366)

Winter afternoon, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

I'm linking up with Third Eye for Saturday Sareenity; today's photo definitely needed to show serenity because the day started off chaotically, both at home and in my head. Nothing major, just drama with my boy child, and I woke up feeling gloomy and out of sorts so nothing really seemed right today.

My photo mojo is also low these days; I submitted some pieces (several of the descanso images) to a small local show and received a tepid response: "the photos are pretty basic... easily accessible locations... not technically difficult..." Now every time I pick up the camera I think, oh, more pedestrian, mundane shots, no one wants to see these. No, I don't take criticism well, at least not that kind. They did accept three shots, but today I decided to withdraw because, really, who wants to show to a less-than-enthusiastic reception?

So I'll go back to photographing my world just for myself and forget about the Art Scene. Today's shot is about as mundane as they come, and actually I like that. Beauty isn't exotic or inaccessible or difficult; it is all around us for the taking if we can just see it. Head over to Third Eye to see some other beautiful photos -- I love these virtual gatherings.

Cutie patootie (27/366)

Maggie at the Socorro County Courthouse, Socorro, NM, Jan. 2012

I love that my girl wears cowgirl boots with her dresses. I love that she cheers her brother on when he does things like today's county-wide spelling bee, and that she tries hard to cheer him up when he doesn't win. He did make it to the 5th round and was the shortest one still in it for a while, and he wasn't at all hard on himself for not winning because we kept telling him it was awesome just that he made it to county and had the courage to get up in front of all those people. So it was a good day.

New Moon (26/366)

New moon on a telephone wire, Albuquerque, NM, Jan. 2012

No time for photography today, and not much inspiration either. I grabbed this shot before getting in my car to drive home from internship, and instead of pulling out and setting up my tripod I just rested my camera and long lens on the hood of my car and hoped for a good shot. That's not "good photography practice," but I'll cut myself a break because a person can only do so much in a day.

I'm very tired this week. I'm wishing I didn't have to commute to and from Albuquerque twice a week, 2000 miles per month, 22,000 miles by the time internship is over in June. I wish I could move up there and live a more normal life... maybe because the past six weeks have brought water outages and crippling snowfall and a long Internet outage, maybe because it's winter and Magdalena's charms aren't so apparent, maybe because I'm just tired. I'll keep going because I know it's worth it, and because when I'm with my clients, in the moment, I feel energized. For now, that is enough. It has to be.

Juicy (25/366)

Pomegranate half, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

We finally have Internet at home again! Eleven days after the outage started, our ISP got around to sending out a technician who fixed the problem in a little over an hour. So now I can get my 366 project back on track, not to mention my coursework and client documentation, and go back to my free-wheelin' surfing' 'round the InterWebz. Today's surfing took me to a Flickr 365 project that I really am enjoying, where I found some wonderful food photos by Andrew Potter. His photo stream inspired me to seek out something yummy to photograph, which led me to this pomegranate rolling around in the back of the fruit drawer. It looked beaten up on the outside, but the kernels (or whatever they're called -- pips?) were still juicy and sweet, and the kids and I devoured both halves of this beauty right after I finished shooting.

Snow, again (24/366)

Surprise! Snowstorm, Magdalena, NM, Jan. 2012

Why does it always seem to snow on or just before my internship days? Luckily it was a wet, brief snow and I was able to make it to Albuquerque for my six clients... half of whom cancelled.... Oh well, it has been a good day, and I'm actually glad I got to go to work today! (Go figure...)

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: