El Vado Lake a hidden gem in Rio Arriba County New Mexico
Rio Arriba County New Mexico is one of my favorite places to visit for my rural land real estate work in particular because of the spectacular scenery of and around El Vado Lake. This lake is part of a state park (open seasonally). The water level changes radically with the seasons. I have been at the lake and was shocked at just how low it was at that time. In these photos and drone video I would say the lake is pretty high and near its full volume. Another unique thing about this lake, is that if you are coming from the south, one option you have is to take a 16 mile dirt road right to this southern point of the lake. The dirt road is well maintained, so pretty much any vehicle with a little ground clearance could do it in the dry, and is my recommended way of visiting El Vado Lake. If you are looking for a hidden gem of a lake in New Mexico, use the map below to visit El Vado Lake yourself.
Telephoto lens for mesa landscape photography in New Mexico
At the end of a rural land real estate shoot in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, near Abiquiu Lake, I noticed some mesas in the distance. I did not need to get photographs of them for the client, but one of my axioms is a real photographer always stops to get a photo if he/she sees an opportunity. So I got out my Sony a7 III with Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 G Master lens attached to get these shots, as the mesas were quite far away and they would look tiny in a wide angle lens one might normally think to use for landscape photography. The sun was going down, and there were good clouds in the sky, a recipe for near ideal landscape photography conditions.
This was a return for me to both Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, and also Sierra Negra mountain. I was first in this area over 18 months ago and made one of my favorite landscape photos of New Mexico, so much so I had a print made and it is hanging on the wall in the dining room. The skies were of a different level of drama this time featuring bold clouds, and therefore made the mountain look totally different. Also, I have drone video this time featuring the mountain in the background.
Back out on assignment for Hemingway Land Company in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico near a small town called Tierra Amarilla, I was treated to the beginning of some fall foliage and distant snow capped mountain views. Rio Arriba County is my favorite in all of New Mexico for its majestic beauty ranging from mesas to lakes to mountains to forests. It was peaceful out here and the sweeping landscape was not a bad office for one late afternoon’s work! The only thing was the mud! See the photo at the bottom for what the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk looked like after just a brief drive in down the dirt/mud road!
Revisiting the photographs I made at Echo Amphitheater in Abiquiu, New Mexico I found some more that I wanted to edit and offer as fine art prints and commercial license usage for businesses that want to display a unique view of New Mexico natural wonder in their home or office for friends and clients to enjoy as well. Standing in the base of the curved rock formation that produces the echoes the place is named for, I found the shape of the rock wall to be fascinating and photographed it from multiple angles. If you have received a business card from me you have already seen my favorite angle of it (check it out here), but I like these for their partial views of the upper edge as well.
I was back in Rio Arriba County New Mexico shooting two rural land properties for Hemingway Land which brought me to the Navajo Dam area with Navajo Lake on one side of it and the San Juan River on the other. Naturally I had my DJI Mavic Pro drone with me, but only had a little time to shoot some flyover video of the dam.
My work photographing rural land properties in New Mexico has taken me to Rio Arriba County many times. I have passed by Echo Amphitheater at least twice before, but did not have time to stop. Third time being the charm, on the return from a property shoot on the way to another, right there was Echo Amphitheater with time on the schedule to explore this great natural wonder, and if I may say so, produce some stunning images of a place that is certainly New Mexico True.
