We had a break from the rainy weather! I took the opportunity to head out and visit a spot on Ghost Ranch that I had scouted back in May.
What caught my eye at the time were these three strange old dilapidated hogans with their rounded roofs. Only one of them is visible here. I have no idea what their purpose was. They are certainly not used anymore and are slowly decaying. I thought they make a nice subject in conjunction with the enormous Mesa in the background.
There were some clouds earlier but they all dissipated once it was dark.
The spot isn't that far from the Ghost Ranch facilities, yet it felt really remote. Thoughts of bears and mountain lions started crossing my mind. What if...?

Tags:   LensTagger New Mexico night astro photography landscape landscapes dusk blue hour stars nature outside low level lighting landscape astrophotography

© All Rights Reserved

Made from 10 light frames with 10 dark frames by Starry Landscape Stacker 1.8.0.
Those were for the stars alone.
I wanted to photograph the old looking but in reality not so old cabin for quite a while and I finally made it out to ghost ranch to get the shot(s).
In addition to the frames mentioned above, I used fourteen separate shots in which I light painted different parts of the house, the grounds and the corral.
It all blends together because the camera does not move between shots.

Tags:   night photography Milky Way astro photography New Mexico Santa Fe ghost ranch light painting dark sky landscape stars ngc Rokinon-16mmf2

© All Rights Reserved

My friend Greg and I hiked a little ways past all the buildings that comprise Ghost Ranch and came upon this scene. The rock is called "Kitchen Mesa". Looking at it doesn't make me think of a kitchen, so, although I don't know for sure, it must be that there is a view of it out the kitchen window of the Ghost Ranch facility.
I could have also called the image "heavy clouds but no rain", which would tell the story of New Mexico these days. But what really attracted me was the lush cottonwood tree tapping down into the water table, while all the surface plants are struggling to get any moisture.
Shot with vintage Tamron SP 70-210 mm f3.5 CF zoom at f8

Tags:   LensTagger New Mexico Abiquiu landscape landscape photography outside sunset dusk red rocks blue hour Kitchen Mesa Tamron SP CF Macro 70-210mm f 1:3.5

© All Rights Reserved

I went back to Ghost Ranch and on the way there I saw this scene. Thunderstorms had moved through the area and I was waiting for the clouds to clear and free the sun to illuminate the landscape. It took a little while but finally the sun peeked out from the clouds behind me and my patience was rewarded.
Those boulders fell from the huge cliff behind me.

Tags:   New Mexico Abiquiu landscape landscape photography outside sunset dusk red rocks blue hour nature Ghost Ranch

© All Rights Reserved

Another shot from my archives. A short hike near Ghost Ranch will reveal this small arch, but it is hard to see and only from a certain angle, you have to be positioned just right. Otherwise it is easy to miss.

Tags:   New Mexico landscape landscapes landscape photography outside nature sandstone arch

© All Rights Reserved