Fine Art
Many times when I am out on a rural land photography shoot, it is just me and a cactus passing the time waiting for the sun to set for me to get my final shots. Such was the case on a recent shoot in remote northwest Rio Rancho, New Mexico where this cactus kept me company and allowed me to make this photo featuring a sky full of floofy clouds.
Read MoreAfter 20 years I returned to the Grand Canyon to find quite a different landscape. In March 2000 there was only patchy snow/ice along the south rim, and as I hiked all the way down via the Kaibab Trail to the Colorado River, the temperature actually increased as I descended. Visiting now in December 2019, the winter season presented Grand Canyon views dominated by white. Snow blanketed all the trails, viewpoints, and even the walls of the canyon itself. In fact snow was all I could see at first because the entire canyon was filled with clouds, or mist, or cotton candy for all I could tell. Finally, after several hours the clouds lifted and the Grand Canyon in its winter colors were revealed!
Read MoreGetting a new rural land real estate shoot in El Morro is extra special to me because it is one of my favorite places to visit in New Mexico. Once off of I-40, you seem to leave the modern world behind and escape to this hidden hamlet via Ice Caves Road. El Morro is home to the best bagel in New Mexico, in addition to a national monument. These views are from a 20-acre property that has no cell phone signal. I spent over 2.5 hours off the grid and it was fantastic.
Read MoreWhere is Regina, New Mexico? It is tucked away on a small country road that eventually becomes 16 miles of dirt road that ends at a lake. It is one of my favorite areas of New Mexico. I returned there to photograph a rural land real estate property for Hemingway Land just in time to get these blue skies and scenic clouds as the forecast for the rest of the week there called for rain and snow! If you would like to own these views for real, check out the property listing. If you’d just like to see these views from your desk or sofa, use the buttons below to get a fine art print.
Read MoreI tell my photography students that for something to be a photograph (and not merely a snapshot), you have to show the viewer something that cannot be seen standing there with the naked eye at eye level. There are many ways to accomplish this, one of which is to use a very shallow DoF (depth of field). For the first time, I own a f/1.4 lens, the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 ART lens that I bought to pair with my new Sony a7R IV mirrorless camera just to be able to create shots like the one above. Because the DoF is so shallow, an ordinary tree branch,, helped by the colors of autumn and warm golden light, looks like an alien world. You cannot see that just by standing there and looking at it. Therefore, the photo shows something different that can attract the eye of the viewer.
Read MoreIf you have never driven down Southern Blvd in Rio Rancho, New Mexico all the way west until it becomes a dirt road, then may I suggest taking a little road trip so you can be treated to views of the Sandia Mountains from the open desert.
Read MoreAs soon as I saw the above old corral, I knew what shot I wanted to make once the sun went down a little more. I was out on a rural land photography shoot, very, very far off the beaten path, some 16 miles down dirt road, in an already remote area to begin with near Ramah, New Mexico. I like to wonder when I come across these abandoned things far from anyone things like, “when was this last actually used?” What do you think when you look at these photos? Let me know in the comments below. If you would like to have this view every day, prints on canvas, metal, or framed are available to bring the remote high desert to your home.
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