In 2020 I visited the Art Cartopia Museum in Trinidad, Colorado where I was treated to views of the most creatively decorated cars you can imagine. One year later I was back in Trinidad, and just happened to be there the very day that these cars and many more took part in ArtoCade ArtCar Festival 2021. Seeing the cars out in broad daylight and in motion is a very different experience than seeing them parked in a dimly lit museum. This was the way these artcars were intended to be seen! After the parade, they parked on the closed off main street so you could go and get a closer look and see all the details that went into making each car a unique expression of automotive art in motion!
White Sands National Park outside of Alamogordo, New Mexico is easily the most photographed natural wonder for me in the state. I have had the opportunity to visit this amazing place three times in the past seven months alone. Each time I go the views and the sands are different. This time I did not have the chance to wonder very far to some little trod on area, but I made the best of this near parking lot location by looking even more for the dance between shadow and light and the sunset. As it has been since I got it last year, the Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master lens is an absolute rock star at White Sands. Which of these views is your favorite this time?
Consistent Professional Product Photography in Albuquerque
Even though Tavis of Morrison Outdoors has moved from New Mexico to Washington, I am very flattered he continues to choose me as his product photographer for his innovative kids sleeping bags. He shipped the latest sleeping bag to me and I made the same series of photos of the product like I had done for him in three past shoots. Providing consistent results over several years is something I am proud to offer clients here at Jason Collin Photography. This time Tavis wanted a few extra shots of the sleeping bag “dancing” that he could use for a fun gif. So the four photos above if you swipe through them quickly give the illusion of the orange sleeping bag doing a little dance! Thank you to Jessica for assisting on this shoot, and a big thanks to Tavis for continuing to choose me as his product photographer, even halfway across the country!
New Mexico is not generally well known as an area of volcanic activity, at least not in this millennium! However, the state’s volcanic past is highly visible in Cibola County where a large swath is covered in lava fields, and in this particular spot I visited recently, Lava Falls. You can drive right up to this area and then explore on foot acres and acres as far as the eye can see of lava in all forms. An alien landscape that you can touch right here in New Mexico! I provide a map below so you can go check it out yourself.
Standing for 160 million years hidden in New Mexico
The vast open spaces of New Mexico are actually filled with hidden gems, like La Ventana Natural Arch, a 160 million year old rock formation that spans 135 feet and gets down to only 25 feet at its narrowest point. Amazing something make of sandstone has survived that long, though eventually, it will return to dust in who knows how many more millions of years! Check out the map below to see this natural wonder in person.
Smokey the Bear spokesanimal for preventing forest fires!
A recent commercial interior photo shoot took me to Ruidoso, New Mexico for the firs time, which in turn by taking the scenic route took me to Capitan, New Mexico which to my great surprise is the home of the real Smokey the Bear! Who knew? Smokey has his own historic park detailing his life story. His life definitely started out very sad, being orphaned in a forest fire and being found burned and clinging to a tree (see photo below). This early tragedy led him to a life as an ambassador for the forest serivce and a spokesanimal for preventing forest fires. He served in this role for 25 years! What an amazing story and to discover it right here in New Mexico.
Abandoned in part Lamy Train Station in New Mexico
Even in very, very small towns in New Mexico, one can still find active train stations picking up and carrying passengers in a more relaxed way of traveling long distances. Such is the case with Lamy Train Station that still has two Amtrack trains stop by each day. However, much of the station is now abandoned and is the final resting place of rusting train cars, engines, and cabooses. I have long enjoyed exploring abandoned places, or haikyo, so it was a very pleasant surprise to get to glance through the window of an old train car and wonder when it was last in service, and as always, what stories would it be able to tell?
