Photogenic sites in New Mexico?

My parents moved to Albuquerque about a year and a half ago, and when I go to visit them the first week of October, 2000, it will be the first opportunity I will have had to really spend time making photographs in NM. I'd like get out and make some LF landscape photos while I'm there, and would appreciate recommendations from anyone familiar with NM for sites and subjects that would be worthwhile, preferably not more than a few hours from Albuquerque. I have been to the Bosque del Apache, and White Sands may be too far. I will be attending the annual balloon festival one day (using only 35mm), but would like to hear other recommendations as well. I'm open to shooting both the well-known and the out-of-the way areas.

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Thank you for any recommendations you can provide.

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Dan

If you like aspens, they should still be good at lower elevations in

the Sangres, around Red River and Eagle's Nest. Should be nice color

up around Chama, and always nice color in the Mesozoic rocks between

Abiqueque (sp?) and Ghost Ranch, northwest of Espanola.

You can get sites and locations from those who have been there, look

at their images and then go to the same old places and shoot the same

things others have done. Or, get a New Mexico map & look at place

names that sound interesting and go there without looking at others

work or finding out if the locations are 'photo favorites'. Use the

map & go to these places & shoot your way. Maybe they have been

photographed by every famous photographer to ever vixit NM, maybe

not. But you will find them and the exploration will help to

stimulate your creativity and get better images than you would when

going to 'the same old places'.

Drive back roads and dirt track and hike up small, un-named canyons

and gullies. Go to the overlooks & don't be afraid to get away from

the car. We have too many images already of the

overphotographed 'same old places' done by those who have seen what

has already been done and go to get their version. Just drive and

look and find your own version of photo paradise.

El Morro National Monument, Chaco Canyon, Acoma Pueblo, Gila National

Monument.

Dan:

What subjects do you like? B&W? Color?

Try Tent Rocks. It's has a narrow canyon and is near the Cochiti

Pueblo about 50min. north of Albuquerque. Very accessible and some

great photographic subjects in B&W or color. You really can't go

wrong anywhere in NM. Let me know where you went and how you liked

it. Good luck.

Dave

I don't necessarily agree with Dan Smith's comments. If you are

relatively new to art or photography or large format, you might do

well by re-photographing subjects shot by acknowledged masters. For

instance the church at Rancho do Taos as been photographed by all the

"brand name" masters each in a different way. No reason on earth not

to try it your way or some one else's way just for practice.

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Besides, the church is re plastered every year or so and always comes

out looking a little different itself.

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Some people assimilate and synthesize by imitating. Nothing wrong with

that as long as you realize the process.

Taos, Ranchos de Taos, try the high or the low road from Taos to

Santa Fe, Chaco Canyon, Bandelier Nat'l Monument, White Sands Nat'l

Monument, Canyon de Chelley, etc.<br><br>

Stop in and see Dick Sullivan at Bostick and Sullivan, Albuquerque;

I'm sure he'll make plenty of recommendations.

You might want to try the petroglyphsto the west of ABQ. The

road to the North of ABQ that goes through Cerillos and mAdrid on

the way to Santa Fe is also interesting (I don't remember the number).

South of ABQ there are some dramatic desert mountain ranges,

specifically the Ladrones North of Socorro. If you are willing to

go as far south as Socorro you could take 64 to Magadlena and

beyond: The plains of Saint Augistine have a very wide open feel

which is made surreal by the presence of an array of large

radio-telescopes. The Gila has some incredible and little visited

spots, but it is worth a separate trip.

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Dave

My two cents worth:

West of ABQ on the interstate go to Acoma Pueblo. Restrictions on

cameras apply; no tripods at all, but the pueblo is neat. North of

Santa Fe San Ildefonso, a charming puebo. Taos: Taos Pueblo, the

above mentioned church; church at Las Trampas. Also: an alternate

project is to photograph contemporary New Mexico in ABQ, Santa Fe,

etc. In 30 years or less those contemporary areas will evoke the good

ol' days nostalgia that the historcally photgenic areas now evoke. In

other words become your own Paul Strand and Ansel Adams a nd

photgraph your time.

Alex Harris: Red, White and Blue in NM (imprecise title, but Phot

eye.com caries it give syou idea of what you might try.

Enjoy the state. Your parents live in a wonderful area.

Bob

The real answer: just about every square inch of the state. The

suggestion on looking at how New Mexicans of from 10-20 years

ago and now have re-interpreted traditional forms for their

homes, stores, churches is an excellent one. If you had the time

to go past Taos all the way to the Raton Pass and then turned

back to New Mexico, you are eyeballing one of the extraordinary

landscapes-I would submit-in all the world.

Dan, you are going to one of the most photogenic areas of the US.

Just get in the car and go North, South, East, or West, it won't be

long before you stop and pull out the camera. My suggestions: in

Albuquerque, at Old Town after you have photographed the front of the

cathedral (like everyone else)go to the rear parking lot of the

church where you will find a very large cottonwood tree. Photograph

the Madonna that was carved into the trunk about 60 years ago. To

the West of Albuquerque: Laguna Pueblo, Acoma Sky City, El Morro

National Monument, Petroglyph National Monument, Chaco Canyon. To

the Norteast of Albuquerque: take the Old Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe

through Madrid an artist community now and very unique. Pecos

National Monument, Las Vegas, Fort Union. Drive from Fort Union

through Mora over the mountains to Rancho de Taos and try to

photograph the rear of the cathedral without the gas meter in your

shot. Taos pueblo is nice but get there early it closes at 4:30. If

you are planning to visit Ghost Ranch forget it, they usually require

a two month advance reservation but the landscape in the surrounding

area is worth the drive. A word of caution, if you stop to

photograph Camel Rock on the north side a Santa Fe there are two

small hills that offer a good view shooting from the west but this

summer there were swarms of flying ants that didn't like tourists.

As I said earlier, just get in the car and drive, there isn't any bad

location in new Mexico. Have fun and good shooting. Pat.

Added to many great places - go SE and see the missions on E side of

Manzano Mountains, go NW to include the paved/dirt loop S of

interstate past Acoma around to Ventana arch and El Moro. (parts of

this may be wilderness since I've been there - lava tube ice caves

and cinder cones in area called El Malpais), If time permits, Angel

Peak is a nice side trip or overnight campout to combine with

entering Chaco Canyon from the north. Enjoy your visit - you'll want

more!