Rockhound State Park New Photography New Mexico True

February 10, 2022 in Nature & Wildlife

A state park just for hunting rocks in New Mexico

Tucked away in the far southeast of New Mexico, Rockhound State Park is a place you probably have seen in the distance if you have ever traveled on I-10. The mountains standout from all the dozens of miles of flatness. The first few times I was in the Deming area, I thought to myself, what an odd name. What is a rockhound anyway or who is it? Only very recently did I learn that a rockhound is a person that goes out looking for rare rocks. Who knew there was an entire state park for such a thing in New Mexico!

Catwalk Recreation Area New Mexico True Photography

October 21, 2021 in Photo Story

Get on the catwalk!

Some four hours away from Albuquerque, hidden in the small town of Glenwood, there are catwalks that elevate you over a creak along the side of sheer rock. Free and dog friendly (though holes make it tough on some paws), this is a real hidden gem for the dedicated New Mexico True fan who wants to visit a unique place well off the beaten path.

Sunset Mesas of Rio Arriba County New Mexico

November 12, 2020 in Nature & Wildlife

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.

La Ventana Natural Arch New Mexico True Photography

October 13, 2020 in Nature & Wildlife

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.

Bottomless Lakes State Park New Mexico Drone Video 360 Pano

June 03, 2020 in Nature & Wildlife, Drone

Bottomless lakes to a point in New Mexico

If you find yourself in Roswell, New Mexico and you want to do some non-alien exploring, nearby Bottomless Lakes State Park is a hidden gem worth seeking out. The lakes are actually sinkholes filled with water, and as always, to my disappointment with such things, not truly bottomless! Some are up to 90 feet deep though, which for the desert, is pretty far down. You can hike all along the ~6 lakes even circumnavigating the rims of each which offer unique views adding even more to the sense of bottomlessness of the water. I had both my camera and drone with me to capture these lakes from all angles. Let me know in the comments if you have been to this state park, or after seeing these images, if you will be planning to visit.

Cabezon Peak New Mexico Drone Video 360 Panorama Photo

May 28, 2020 in Nature & Wildlife

Drone views of Cabezon Peak at last

Many times I have driven up and down HWY 550 in New Mexico on my way to and from home in Albuquerque to Navajo Dam or Farmington in northern New Mexico. Each time I stared at this mesa, or rather a volcanic plug as Wikipedia describes it, off to the west visible from great distance. This rock formation is named Cabezon Peak, and finally, I had the time to actually drive right up to its base. From this vantage point I sent up my DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone to capture 4K drone video, a 360 panorama drone photo, as well as regular aerial drone photos, before finishing with sone telephoto shots of the peak with my Sony a7 III mirrorless camera. I actually found viewing Cabezon Peak from a little bit of distance to be the more impressive view than standing right before it.

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Hoodoos Toadstools Rock Formation New Mexico True

May 21, 2020 in Nature & Wildlife

Hoodoos for the adventurous in New Mexico

For those with enough adventurous spirit, and the right vehicle, and the in the desert with not-so-accurate-GPS navigating skills, somewhere far south of Bloomfield, New Mexico, some 18 miles down dirt roads, you can find Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah Wilderness Area and its amazing hoodoos. What are hoodoos? They are a rock formation that look like toadstool mushrooms. This was actually my second hoodoos rock formation site to visit (check out the first). What an alien landscape this was to explore with the hoodoos forming on the banks of an arroyo, very, very far from any civilization. This is a fantastic New Mexico True site to visit. There is a map at the bottom of this blog post, and be sure and watch the video below I made right in the middle of the hoodoos!