the winner is...
June 15, 2015
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When rain falls on the mesa, magic happens. Even the sagebrush comes alive, showing a brightness and depth of color that normally is hidden under the surface. This year, because of unusually abundant spring rains, the wild phlox, goatsbeard, mat daisies, bladderpods, claret cup and prickly pear cacti, and blue flax have had a season of abundance. B...
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flexibility
June 08, 2015
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It was slightly more than a fleeting thought, a lark as it were, that took us over the pass in search of that stunning force of nature I love to photograph - the wild iris. But as all of us who are paying attention have discerned, this has not been a "normal" year as far as weather is concerned. The iris have just begun to send shoots out of the gr...
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illumination
June 01, 2015
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The first of June it is, and summer is starting to make an appearance on the mesa after a record-setting, wet and cool May. With warmer and more predictable weather as well as drier roads, you will see more results of my environmental portraiture project on future blog pages.
I spent Saturday afternoon with Paule Marx at her home in Taos. Paule an...
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challenge the photographer in you
May 24, 2015
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I have the people who put the BBC News website together to thank for this week's blog. The website features a section titled "In Pictures" and within that, I discovered Photo Challenge: 12 x 12. The idea is to challenge and develop your photographic skills. Each month, a different challenge is presented. Here it is nearly the end of May, but becaus...
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inside out
May 18, 2015
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As humans, our eyes bring settings into stereo view, which enables us to see broad vistas and take in the "big picture" before we zoom in on details. Sometimes, we don't see smaller elements of that picture at all, which is one of the reasons I love the details of which the setting, person, animal, or flower are composed.
So I frequently look at f...
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the beauty of erosion
May 11, 2015
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The word erosion, from the Latin erodere (meaning to eat away), carries negative connotations, particularly in the western United States where overgrazing has created severe cases with frightening consequences. But erosion is also nature's way of shaping and forming the earth, eating away at the strata. You can witness the effects of water and wind...
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Rose is a rose is a rose
May 03, 2015
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Gertrude Stein had a way with words. When she said "a rose is a rose is a rose", she was speaking the truth, to a certain extent. Roses are roses but the variety of colors, shapes, and sizes is astonishing as you will see later in this blog.
But I need to begin at the beginning. On Friday afternoon, my husband, Fred, and I attended the grand re-op...
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fast forward
April 27, 2015
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The spring festival at Tierra Wools in Los Ojos was held on Saturday, and although it was snowing near the pass on Highway 64 between Tres Piedras and Tierra Amarilla, the weather worked. Sun and shadow led the day. Many locals and out-of-towners showed for the event. Had it been on Sunday, however, the situation would have been much different. We...
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serenity
April 19, 2015
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Wind is one of those forces of nature that effects almost everything and everyone. It churns the water in lakes, refreshing them for a new season of growth. I have recently been told that certain wine regions in France such as the Rhone Valley and Provence gain their success because of the "mistral winds". But wind also drove people literally mad d...
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splash of color
April 13, 2015
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Although Española, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and points south have already seen fruit and nut trees blossom, and other bulbs and flowers are blooming in profusion, the high mesa and high country flowers are still yawning and stretching, taking their time in presenting themselves for their closeup. They know better. Late frosts are the norm. There are...
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of sheep and humans made
April 06, 2015
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Since images of sheep and people have been in the forefront of my brain and digital development this week, I will continue the theme of last week's blog. The images included today represent what might be considered environmental portraiture, although they were more spontaneous than staged shots. To my untrained eye, the fleeces on these two ewes lo...
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In the thick of it
March 30, 2015
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Signs of spring are many and varied. Seasonal changes bring different birds. Fruit and other types of flowering trees and shrubs begin to bloom, and with the longer days, the earth becomes warmer. Hearts soar. For those who make their living from farming and ranching, the seemingly brief winter period when machines are repaired, fields are plowed a...
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O'Keefe country
March 22, 2015
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A year in New Mexico is not complete without a drive to or hike in the area I and many call O'Keefe Country. There was a reason artist Georgia O'Keefe planted herself on the land around Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch, and photographer Ansel Adams found it compelling. Layers within geological monuments hold their own color palettes and shapes, constantly b...
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signs of spring
March 15, 2015
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At 22:45 UTC (coordinated universal time) this Friday 20 March, the Vernal Equinox is upon us. According to Wikipedia, "On the day of the equinox, the center of the Sun spends a roughly equal amount of time above and below the horizon at every location on the Earth, so night and day are about the same length." There are a good many signs of spring...
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traps of reflection
March 09, 2015
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I love the substance and power of the polished surface and its ability to reflect any number of subjects. As a photographer, windows provide endless material for serious work and play. A leader of a photography workshop I once took opened the first session by saying "light is everything", and that is true in every element of photography. The camera...
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© Daryl A. Black