Sunset in Abiquiu (and some travel updates!)
My family and I spent a recent week in Abiquiu, NM - in this wonderful casita perched high on a hill with a commanding view of the surrounding countryside. It was beautiful, and of course I took a lot of photos. Today's post has 14 pics that I took on the evening we arrived, so dive on in and enjoy the sunset and the pics!
The last 2 weeks have been crazy - in a good way! I have been traveling and shooting (and shooting some more).
The family and I went over to New Mexico for Spring Break back on March 13, returning on March 20. I then frantically washed clothes, charged batteries and then repacked, leaving March 22 to Copenhagen, Denmark. I just got back from there on Sunday afternoon this last weekend. So needless to say, I have been taking a LOT of photos over the last two weeks - in fact, I took over 5000 photos total on these two trips. Fun!
Oh yeah, and a bunch of iPhone shots too, in case you want a preview. You can find them all on Flickr here. I've been sharing a lot of them there. Go have a look. I put everything on Flickr now - and I mean everything. Even stuff that I don't put on the blog here. Flickr has become my "holding spot" for lack of a better word (because "dumping ground" doesn't sound good, and gives the wrong connotation). It's a great way to get my work on the web, quickly, easily, and in a well-organized fashion. You can follow me on Flickr here.
And in case it isn't obvious - taking that many photos in two weeks times is quite AWESOME, and it inspires me to do even more. I love this stuff. It's so much fun.
I have so many photos to process and share from these two trips (not to mention the incredible backlog of stuff in the library), and so many individual parts of each trip to write about, that these two things will likely keep me busy for a while. And part of the fun is that they are just SO different. New Mexico was about hiking and hanging out enjoying the landscapes and exploring, while Copenhagen was about castles and palaces and all that wonderful European culture and beautiful sights. Cool stuff. I can't wait to share all these pics.
However, I have more travels arriving soon so it will be a while before I can sit down and really process a lot. Sorry for the tease. :-) But I do promise to share some wonderful stuff here from these trips. And in the meantime, I do have some great photo posts planned, so you won't be totally bored. :-)
In fact, I have barely even reviewed my shots from Copenhagen, but I know for sure there are some real winners there. I mean, I can feel it, because I stood in some great places and pointed the camera at some amazing things. Assuming I didn't totally screw up the settings, we should be all set! :-) Anyways, more on that later. This post is about the first night we spent in New Mexico on that recent family trip. So, onto that!
We rented a wonderful house out in Abiquiu, which is about an hour drive northwest of Santa Fe. It's best known as the little town where Georgia O'Keeffe, the great American artist, lived and worked for many years. In fact, you can take a tour of her home and studio. It's pretty awesome and quite interesting as well.
Mostly what we did that week was hang out around the house, perched high on a hill overlooking the lake, and hike (and well, I took some photos - and processed quite a few as well). It was wonderful, and relaxing, and the area is very beautiful to my eyes. I had a great time. I caught sunset and sunrise every day. That just never happens at home - there isn't time for it. That's the beauty of a holiday I guess. You get to change your routines and aim them at your goals. It's refreshing.
Out here it's a rugged sort of beauty, with wonderful colors in the earth and mountains visible in the distance. I love it there. Being a resident of Austin, I don't get to see this "Southwest" sort of stuff very often, so it was quite fun to shoot there. Some folks that haven't been to Austin may think of us as "Southwest" but we aren't even close to that look or feel here. It's vastly different.
It was probably around 5pm when we arrived on that first day, and after we unpacked and got settled, I could see the light starting to fade, which is code for GET THE CAMERA JIM. The great thing about this place was that I literally just walked out the door and could point the camera in ANY direction, and find something I wanted to shoot.
So these pics show you the view, the house, and some of the "decorations" that dotted the yard (that would be the animal bones I am referring to, which I found really interesting - and again, something I never get to see or shoot). I will be back as soon as I can with more - and believe me, you will want to see more of this area!
We also headed out to a few very cool spots nearby - and I caught an AMAZING sunrise the first morning - so I will be back with many more photos and things to share from this trip. Be on the lookout!
Thanks for stopping by and come back soon for more!
The simple beauty of the mountains
Today I wax a bit poetic about my love for the mountains. There's just something about them, in addition to the generous amounts of beauty and staggering landscapes. And of course I share a bunch of photos from a trip to the mountains last summer - when I caught some wonderful clouds over an alpine lake. Good times!
"Mountains are not stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion." - Anatoli Boukreev
I can't possibly come up with a better way to describe how I feel about being in the mountains. They are awe-inspiring and glorious. They are beautiful and photogenic. Simply put, they fill my soul.
And while my bucket list of "hope to get there" spots is populated with places that are surrounded by mountains, or in the midst of them (a sample off the top of my head: New Zealand, Iceland, multiple spots across Europe, a return to Banff...the list goes on), the truth is that I live in central Texas, and apart from some hills here, the mountains are not even close.
What that means is that I rarely get the chance to go explore them. However, when I do, it's often in New Mexico, where we tend to go when we have the time. The key parts of New Mexico that we gravitate towards are a good 12 hour drive from here in Austin, so to be clear, this is not a regular occurrence. This is not a long-weekend-getaway thing. This takes planning.
So last summer, because we had the time (and we planned it), we headed up to Red River, NM which is sort of in the far north central part of the state, nestled deep in the Carson National Forest. It's about 3 hours north from Albuquerque, if that helps. It's way up there, and it's a hell of a drive from home (though well worth it!).
We've been there many times, and will surely return again some day. Some places have a tendency to draw you back. While there, we do all the usual things that people on a summer holiday do in the mountains: fishing, hiking, overeating which results in more hiking, you know - all the good stuff.
One day we had been out past another nearby town known as Questa, where I spent some time shooting this cemetery, and then capturing this road shot that ended up being a pretty popular blog post. Anyways, en route back to Red River (about 30 minutes), we passed this little lake.
I have passed it many times - and even shot there once a few years back - but never had anything that I liked, and thus never did anything with the pics. But on this visit things were different.
There were some incredible clouds out that day (as you can see in the other two blog posts highlighted above as well as in today's post), and so the sky was literally just insane. I would take a sky like that EVERY SINGLE DAY for the rest of my life. I love things like that. Such drama. Such beauty. Such intensity. The light was coming through and sprinkling itself across the scene in all the right ways. The water was as still as glass, and the reflections were crisp. It was perfect.
So we pulled over, and I hopped out to grab a few shots. I would love to tell you that I struggled to climb over a steep ridge, scrambling with my gear the whole way, nearly slipping a few times, and finally arriving to a pristine alpine lake buried deep in the mountains...but that would be complete bullshit.
I may have walked 10 yards from the car to take these shots. No, I'm not lazy - it's just that the parking lot is RIGHT THERE. It's next to the lake. So I climbed out, took these shots, and climbed back in to the air-conditioned car. It took me less than 10 minutes, by a wide margin. I might even have been able to shoot from the car, had I thought of that. It's that close.
That's an easy day in the mountains - and a wonderful one, at that!
By the way, all of these photos are from single exposures - no HDR today. Although I still enjoy HDR, I am doing a bit less of it as I continue on this creative journey. But more on that later. Thanks for stopping by, and hope you enjoyed the photos!
Hiking to Middle Fork Lake
Today's post is a collection of 20 photos from a summer hike up to Middle Fork Lake in New Mexico. It's a beautiful and secluded spot, and well worth the effort to get to it! I shot landscapes, waterfalls and even little fairy mushrooms - good fun! Have a look, and thanks for stopping by!
A little gem of an alpine lake in Northern New Mexico
I just love the mountains. They are so beautiful, peaceful, and photo-friendly of course. However, I live in central Texas (Austin), so I'm not exactly able to see them very often. In fact, it's pretty infrequent that I get to, which is a cryin' shame....because I am definitely a mountain man, as opposed to a beach guy. Well, not a mountain man in the sense of not ever bathing or shaving - just a man that loves the mountains. That sound better?
Anyways, my family has a habit of going West when we can, which is not a cryin' shame, because I just love the West, and hey guess what? There are mountains out that way! :-)
I just loved this view of the lake with that big log laying there
Same as the last photo, but converted to a painting in Topaz Impression
In particular, we seem to be in New Mexico at least once a year. There are some very beautiful parts of the state, and I'm glad that I get the opportunity to visit. There's a little town way up in sort of the northern central part of the state known as Red River. It's base elevation is about 9,000 feet up, so it's rather high. And it's rather quaint, as small mountain towns tend to be.
But, it's nestled high up there and that puts me in a great spot to shoot some great stuff, which I'm rather obviously a fan of! Last summer, we spent nearly 2 weeks up there, and I shot to my hearts' content. Well, maybe not, but I did take a lot of photos LOL.
One day we decided to hike up to Middle Fork Lake, which we have done before, and I hope we can do again some day. It's basically a two hour hike up some mountain trails, ending at the beautiful lake that you see in the pics today. Along the way, you pass by a few waterfalls, and you stop for a lot of water breaks, because hiking at that altitude is EXHAUSTING. But as you can see, when you get there it's well worth it...especially when you are the only folks there.
We always pack a lunch, hang out for a bit, walk around the lake some, and then head back down. It pretty much takes the whole day, but what a way to spend one!
I don't shoot much in portrait mode..but here I did...and I like it.
just had to make this one a painting too!
When you get to this waterfall, you are halfway there. Sit down and relax - or take some photos!
same as the last waterfall, just stepped back a bit to capture a little more of it.
just a tree stump with a nice rock and some flowers
a small waterfall i heard from the main trail, and ran off into the woods to find
this little waterfall is on the edge of the lake - small but pretty!
i was pretty stoked to find these little fairy mushrooms!
This was my favorite mushroom - I half expected a fairy to fly out from under it!
A week in the mountains
A week in the mountains is never enough for me, but as an escape from the Texas heat, it sure goes a long way! Here's a collection of 10 photos from our family trip up to Red River, NM last summer. Great waterfalls, sunsets, and more! Oh my!
I just love New Mexico - it's so beautiful!
I have been to New Mexico many times over the years. As a neighbor state to Texas, it's pretty easy to get to in the car (and by pretty easy, I mean it's still a 9-12 hour drive, depending on which part of the state you are headed to! Yep, Texas is pretty large.). In particular, I love the northern parts of the state, from Santa Fe up to around the town of Red River, an area known as the Enchanted Circle. It's all just so beautiful.
In fact, I created a list of great spots to shoot around Santa Fe, if you are ever heading that way.
This past summer, our family went up to Red River for about a week or so. It's always great to get out of the Texas heat and escape to higher altitudes for a break! We spent the week hiking, fishing, relaxing, and in my case, taking a lot of photos! That's no surprise, is it? :-)
What all did I shoot? Waterfalls, mountains, some fabulous sunsets, several road shots (including this one) and of course, we went tubing down a mountain one day, so I had to shoot that! Thanks for stopping by!
(click any photo to view in a lightbox)
Hanging with the dead in Questa, NM
I stumbled across a little church and a cemetery along an empty road in a deserted corner of New Mexico. So I stopped and took a few pics! That's what you would do, right?
I don't usually go shoot at a cemetery - but in this case, it was hard to resist!
I was in Red River, New Mexico for a vacation with the family last summer, and of course just had to get out and shoot a bit. (Ok, a LOT.) But anyways, one thing that I wanted to shoot was the Wild Rivers Recreation Area outside of Questa, NM - basically, about a 30 minute drive from where we were staying. Close enough to squeeze in one afternoon!
So I headed out that way and did a fair bit of shooting, though my favorite part of that area was the road shots I was getting. With mountains in the background and amazing clouds overhead, it was hard to resist, and pretty easy to get some amazing photos. In fact, I wrote a blog post about the road shot, where I took the same photo but adjusted it with 8 different software packages, with lots of different results. Check that out and let me know what you think!
Anyways, once I was done there, I started heading back to Red River, and before I got very far I was upon this little church and cemetery, which are just outside of Questa. Actually, they are pretty much in the middle of nowhere. Questa was a couple of miles away.
So of course I stopped to pay my respects and once again, that amazing sky and mountains in the background just had me drooling. Coming from Texas, this is not stuff I get to see too often. So even though a cemetery and a fairly plain church may not be my usual subjects, I am a sucker for wicked clouds and looming mountains.
In some ways, this just screams "the old West" to me, as though it's something you would find on a wagon trail 200 years ago. Well, except for the paved road and that shop in Questa, of course!
Shooting the Taos Mountains
Ah, the mountains! Cool breezes, fresh air, and wicked cool clouds! I do love the mountains, and whenever I get a chance to visit and photograph them, I'm like a kid in a candy store. It's just what I love. Perhaps I should move?
I just love mountains - aren't they incredible?
It seems to me that you can categorize people in two ways: mountain people or beach people. For some reason, it seems folks lean heavily one way or the other. It's kind of like The Beatles or Elvis Presley - one is favored over the other. Or Coke vs. Pepsi.
While there are some beaches that I do love (like the Oregon Coastline), I am definitely in the "mountain lover" camp. I just can't get enough when I am near them. I want to photograph them, hike up them, clamber over them, dig around in them, bring home a few rocks and do whatever else to just hang around them. They're massive. They're beautiful. They're awesome.
So on our trip to New Mexico this past summer, I was able to do all of that quite a bit! We stayed in Red River, a nice little ski town which sits nearly 9,000 feet up in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range. This range extends from southern Colorado down through a good chunk of northern New Mexico. There are a lot of peaks in the range, with Wheeler Peak at over 13,000 feet being the tallest and thus best known (though not visible in today's photos).
About an hour drive from Red River is Taos, which is fairly well known for it's ski valley, a thriving art scene, and of course the Taos Pueblo. I just realized I need to process and share my photos from our visit to the Pueblo - it's a very interesting place. It's the ancestral home of a Native American tribe, and has been around for over 1,000 years. That's impressive! So let me come back to that one - I have a lot from there!
Anyways, after a day in Taos doing some touristy things and taking a lot of photos (and a fabulous lunch at Michael's Kitchen!), we hit the road back north to return to Red River. The Taos Mountains pretty much dominate the surrounding area (hence the popular ski valley) and literally feel like they just burst out of the ground, rising substantially in front of you. It's awesome.
So I was taking some shots from the passenger seat, and at some point just couldn't stand it any longer. I had to get out. So we pulled over, and I was able to grab these shots.
The shape, the light, the shadows, the clouds - mountains have it all!
I saw a bumper sticker there that simply said "Taos is a four letter word for steep." So true.
Below I did a little experiment, sort of like what I did in this post. I took this photo below from the car, before we stopped. I thought it would be fun to try out different software packages on this one, just for fun. The software used on each photo is included with it. Do you have a fave?
(click any photo to embiggen)
This was edited with Color Efex Pro.
Intensify Pro by Macphun was the software of choice here!
I used Topaz Simplify to turn this one into a painting.
And here it was Topaz Adjust.
Thanks for clicking by today!
One photo, a million possibilities
Today I share 1 photo that I have process 8 different ways - and I share some thoughts on breaking free of routines and experimenting to broaden your creativity.
Some thoughts on creative possibilities, experimentation, and the benefits of changing your routine
I am having a lot of fun lately with photography. It's always been fun - and I hope it always is - but lately something else has been going on. I think I am going through some changes (no hot flashes thankfully though LOL) and taking a new, different and better approach to this craft that I love.
If you read my recent post about curbing my usage of Facebook, you may understand why I am having more fun. I stopped wasting time scrolling mindlessly there, and instead am investing that otherwise free time into my creativity. It's incredible.
I don't have to have hours of dedicated free time to get creative - I just need little bits of time. And I am taking them, thanks to Facebook generally just driving me nuts over the last few months. It's amazing how freeing it is to not be logged into that site very often. And I am ashamed to admit that I have wasted precious hours there just scrolling for no good reason.
I was a creature of habit, and it was a terribly wasteful habit.
When it came to photo-processing, I had become a creature of habit too. I used to go into my library, decide on a photo (or 2-3 at times), and process them. I followed the same general routine each time (using the same software product) partly because I liked the results (and still do) but partly because I didn't have enough time to learn anything new. And why did I lack the time? Well, partly because I wasted free time on Facebook.
Well, that's no more, and I feel great.
I have been embracing software that has lain dormant on my MacBook Pro for years (Topaz Simplify) as well as picking up some new software that I enjoy so much I am using it more and more (Macphun Intensify Pro), and even experimenting with something that is completely and utterly new to me (OnOne's Perfect Effects). I am growing, learning, expanding my skills, and generally having a hell of a good time.
Isn't that what creativity should be about?
So today's post is just an idea I sort of stumbled across while processing the photo. I actually had the time (and the idea) to process it in several different styles and in several different software programs, just to see how different I could make it look (and still like it). Sure, I could do a whole lot more than I did here, but the point was just a creative exercise.
It really made me realize how fortunate we are as photographers to have these wonderful and diverse tools at our disposal. You really can take a single photo and take it a million different ways.
Isn't that awesome?
So if you are like I used to be, take a break from your routine, try something new, and see where it takes you. You might just learn something, but at the very least you will have fun trying.
And by the way, this was a road shot I took earlier this summer in New Mexico. I love road shots, and with the mountain range and those ABSOLUTELY INSANE clouds ahead, well...I just couldn't resist.
All of these were built on the same base HDR, which is a 3 frame shot merged to HDR in Photomatix. Editing was done in the software product mentioned with each photo. Final touchup for each was done in Aperture. (Yes, I still have Aperture, even though Apple is killing it. You can read my thoughts on that here.)
By the way, do you have a favorite version?
(click any photo to enlarge)
This version was edited with Nik Software's Color Efex Pro.
This version was edited with Macphun Intensify Pro.
This version was edited in Topaz Adjust.
This version was edited in Topaz Simplify.
This version was edited in OnOne Software's Perfect Effects.
This version was edited in Nik Software's Analog Efex Pro.
This version was edited with Topaz ReStyle.
This version was edited in Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro.
A waterfall in the woods
How about a little waterfall that I found by walking OFF the trail? I recommend that when hiking. If you hear running water - go look for it! You might find something beautiful.
Doesn't that just sound nice?
I love waterfalls - but that's not exactly a revelation. I shoot them when I come across them, which isn't too often, considering I live in Texas. It's not like we are famous for that sort of thing. I'm not sure what we're famous for, other than barbeque. But that stuff IS good.
Anyways, we all love waterfalls. I think it's a combination of the motion and the lovely sound, but I'm no psychoanalyst...I just take pictures. I personally also enjoy the effort that usually comes with getting to them. Often it requires a hike, which is always good for the mind and body. Then when you get there, in addition to the pleasing beauty, you get that pleasing sound and sight.
So the family took a trip recently up to Red River, NM which is a quiet little mountain town. It's beautiful there. I asked a local about any "awesome waterfalls" that he knew of (this was a hiking and fishing guide, mind you), and he said there really weren't any. Hmmm.
One afternoon we hiked up to Middle Fork Lake, which is about 2 hours one way (it's a gain of about 2,000 feet in elevation, ending at nearly 11,000 feet up). On the trail during the hike, there is a creek that the trail sort of follows the whole way. You can't always see it or hear it, but many times you can (and you cross it a few times too).
Whenever it was near enough to hear or see, I kept heading off into the woods to get a closer look. I knew there had to be some nice waterfalls. There's no way a creek comes all the way down a mountain without SOME waterfalls...even if they're not big.
So, this is what I found on one of my off-trail explorations. It's not large, but I sure thought it was pretty. These are both single exposures shot at a tight aperture (around f/22 if I recall) and I also used my ProMaster Variable ND filter. Those two in combination allowed me to drag the shutter for a bit (it was mid-day and thus pretty bright out) and get that nice silky water effect that we all love. Or at least I love it. I hope you do!
Instagramming a trip to the mountains
Today I share a collection of Instagram photos from my recent family vacation up to the little mountain town of Red River, NM. Lots more to come from this trip!
Do you Instagram? I'm enjoying that site quite a bit!
I’m just back from a family vacation to Red River, NM - a great little mountain town that sits high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. It’s small, peaceful, and beautiful there. It’s also a great place to take photos, which as you can imagine I did a fair bit of while there (with both my Olympus mirrorless camera and my iPhone).
I have done a lot of iPhone photo posts here before, showing a summary of a trip as captured by my iPhone. I haven’t done one in a while though, mostly because I have changed the blog format a bit and instead of 5 posts per week (each with a single photo), I am now concentrating on 2-3 posts per week but each with multiple photos.
So I thought it was about time to share another iPhone post, but this time, with a twist: these are all photos that I shared on Instagram while on the trip.
If you are interested, you can find me on Instagram here.
I hope you enjoy the shots! I have a bunch of shots that I took with my Olympus camera that I will start to process and share, as soon as I get time to catch up on things.
Stormy skies at Fawn Lakes - Red River, NM
At the Taos Pueblo - Taos, NM
Crossing a creek - loved this little bridge!
Fairy mushroom I found on a mountain hike.
The wild open road out West
Tubing down a mountain - Red River, NM
The long shadows of sunset
There's just something about sunset in Santa Fe...it's always gorgeous.
Sunset in Santa Fe - always a treat!
I love shooting in Santa Fe, and it always seems that the sunsets there are special. I don't know what's happening out there, but it usually ends up being quite a beautiful sight. Today however, I have some shots to share from before sunset.
I was up on a hill just outside the "ring" around the historic plaza area of Santa Fe. There's a big cross up there and you get a decent view of things. And since it's hard to find a good sunset spot in the city, I chose this place one evening and it worked out well.
But of course, prior to the sunset is the period known as "waiting for the sunset". It can often be quite beautiful, especially around the golden hour, but sometimes it can be pretty bland. This evening offered up some nice golden light, although the sky didn't produce anything spectacular.
But I was interested in the view over the adobe houses, and of course that tree was pretty cool. I like trees. So I wandered around on the top of this hill for a while, shooting this and that, and watching the long shadows that the failing light was creating. Not a bad way to spend some time, actually!
Doors on Canyon Road
There's something about the earthy tones of adobe that gets to me - well that and the nice pop of color on the door!
Sorry for the post and run!
I am just back from a trip to Amsterdam and London, and playing some serious catch-up on all things work, family, and photography-related. So more to come on that trip real soon - or at least as soon as I can process some of the photos. And I took some nice ones, I think!
I only took my new Olympus mirrorless camera on this trip, and really got to put it through a lot of tests. Verdict? I believe we have a winner here, folks! :-)
Ok, on to today's shots - these are some of the many doors that you can encounter when wandering along Canyon Road in Santa Fe, NM. It's a beautiful, winding street full of art galleries and such. I enjoy the galleries, but I enjoy the photography even more! Thanks for looking! And for my American readers, enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!
Santa Fe sunset
There's just something about sunset.
I know I rattle on about sunrise here quite a bit - and I do love my sunrises - but when you get the perfect light and clouds over a mountain, well then sunset is hard to beat.
One of the reasons I love sunrise so much is that most of the time I am traveling to cities, and as such they are really busy around the sunset hours...but the streets are frequently empty at sunrise. So, sunrise it is for me when I travel to cities.
But when I am in Santa Fe on a vacation with the family, well it's all about the sunset. Plus, I'm convinced there's something going on with the skies out West in New Mexico. It seems the sunsets are fabulous every time. It makes it pretty hard to take the family out to dinner!
A gate in Santa Fe
I figured I was WAY overdue for a Santa Fe shot!
Due to my recent travels, a lot of my recent photos have been of Europe (darn!), especially Dublin and Glasgow. And while I love those places (and still have a million shots to share from there), I also have another million from a bunch of other places still to share.
Take Santa Fe for example. I am not looking at my library right now, but I would guess I have a few thousand photos in total from Santa Fe and the area around it. We have vacationed there a few times over the years and really enjoy it. There's just a lot of beautiful stuff to see there. It's quite a photogenic town.
One part of Santa Fe that I particularly love to photograph is around Canyon Road, which is their "artist's road". Basically, it's a street that completely filled with art galleries. And while that can be fun and interesting at times, I can only do that sort of stuff in small doses. I get overloaded with art and it all runs together.
But, if I am there with the camera, well then it's all different, isn't it? ;-)
One thing I like to do there is to wander some of the other streets that are just off of Canyon Road. There are some incredible homes in the area, and if you are a fan of adobe and Southwest architecture, it's a great place to wander with the camera. I found this gate while doing just that!
St. Francis Cathedral, Santa Fe
This is the interior of St. Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe, NM. It’s a beautiful place. Normally I shoot the exterior when I am in Santa Fe, but on my last visit I made a point to try and shoot the interior, which was my first chance to do so.
I arrived late in the afternoon, which is my preference for shooting church interiors. I find the afternoon light can help illuminate the interior a bit and bring the stained glass to life, but also they are generally not too crowded at that time of day (at least in my experience).
It turned out that the afternoon that I arrived was also the day the new Pope of the Catholic Church was decided in Rome...and he chose the name Francis. So yeah, there were a few people around, but surprisingly it wasn’t too bad. Also, it seemed everyone there was in a good mood, so they let me shoot all over the church without incident!
The Inn and Spa at Loretto
Santa Fe is a wonderful little town. If you haven’t been yet, I definitely recommend a visit. There is just something relaxing about being there. It must have to do with the vibrant artistic community there - seems art abounds at every turn, which is great.
But also the food is fabulous, especially brunch at Pasquale’s. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it! Ok, enough of that, I need to focus here.
The other thing I enjoy immensely about Santa Fe is the architecture and thus the photo opps. I find something beautiful to point the camera at every time I go there. I was never a big fan of adobe or the whole Southwest look, but after spending time in Santa Fe it has really grown on me.
As far as hotels there go, The Inn and Spa at Loretto is a great one, and has a perfect location. It’s just a short stroll from The Plaza, and offers up an incredible restaurant of its own: Luminaria. And of course, it has this most beautiful entrance. I just love everything about it, and it’s on the list of “shoot it every time I go”, regardless of the fact that I already have hundreds of shots of it! Repetition is a complement, as far as I’m concerned!