On a rural land real estate photography shoot for a new client, Three Rings Property Solutions, the skies in Valencia County that evening were very dramatic, making for rural land photos with impact. As regular readers of Jason Collin Photography will know, I am the most prolific rural land real estate photographer in the entire state of New Mexico. I am always glad when a new land buyer chooses me as their photographer, thanks Mike! The clouds made for a lot of drama to add to the high desert scenery with distant mountain views. This trio of properties were captured by both my Sony mirrorless camera and by drone in aerial photos and 4K drone video too. Including drone video really helps to show off rural land real estate in a maximum attention grabbing way to potential buyers.
Small, but beautiful, Monte Verde Lake in Angel Fire, New Mexico greets you as you arrive from the south. Surrounded by a walking path that points you to various mountain views and tall timber, it is a small haven for those looking for a Nature escape. I share all forms of media of Monte Verde Lake: 4K drone video, 360 drone panorama photo, high resolution mirrorless still photos, and aerial drone photos. Which is your favorite media of the lake?
Three visits to photograph just two rural land properties
It had been a long time since I was last in San Miguel County New Mexico on a rural land real estate photography shoot for Hemingway Land. This time it was a double property shoot going between both pieces of land to get sunset shots of each. This is a science of sort staying at one property as long as possible to get the best sunset shots of it, while still leaving time to get to the last property for its sunset shots before the sun dips below the horizon. As you can see though, I was also at these properties during the day time to capture the best clouds possible per the client’s request. I actually went back to the property a third time the next day because just as I arrived all the clouds disappeared from the sky on that first, very carefully planned and timed visit for clouds! That is the level of commitment I bring to delivering the best quality rural land photos I can to my clients.
Basically by accident I ended up at Sandia Crest for the first time in 3+ years of living in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I have previously shared on Jason Collin Photography views from South Sandia Peak, which I earned by hiking all the way up there. For these views from North Sandia Peak, I have no sweat equity invested as I took the M3 up there. I was actually intending to go somewhere else in the East Mountains area, but found out it required a dirt road to reach that place, so I just continued along the paved road I was on and found it led right to the top the Sandia Mountains! This was also the first time I ever went to the top of a mountain without earning it by hiking up there. It was an odd feeling to enjoy a view that should have come after hours of effort. However, it was still a nice surprise and fortunately it was a clear day.
Cold Winter Sunrise at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon
The first day in the Grand Canyon was mostly covered in clouds overhead and fog within the canyon. Up early the next day for the sunrise I was worried it would be for nought, but the canyon was clear of fog and the clouds opened up to let some light in to highlight this natural wonder. It was very, very cold standing on the snow of the South Rime despite sunset coming relatively late after 7am on December 28th. I could not see the actual sunrise directly from this point on the South Rim, but I was still pleased to have several vantage points of the canyon and the opportunity to use foreground tree framing and clear shots into the canyon itself.
Photo Tip: take just one lens with you to focus on one type of shot
When I go out with my camera for personal photography, I like to take just one lens with me so that I am really focused on making one type of photo. For a hike along the Tunnel Canyon trail in Tijeras, New Mexico, on my Sony a7 iii was the Sony 90mm f/2.8 G Macro lens. Before I left the house i was thinking what type of photos did I feel like taking that day, and despite possible being out in wide open space, having distant views, I was feeling getting close up, so I chose the macro lens. That said, there were not that many great macro subjects on the trail, but there were some large boulders with moss on them that caught my eye. The lighting was not the greatest, but the macro lens is about showing small details anyway and getting really shallow DoF.
Ideal clouds for rural land real estate photography in New Mexico
On another rural land real estate photography assignment in Socorro County New Mexico for Hemingway Land, the clouds were finally close to ideal! It was a long 8-mile drive down dirt roads to reach this property, which is already in a remote area west of the town of Belen. I actually know this area very, very well having photographed at least 10 properties in this general area before, but never quite this far south. With that much dirt road to reach the property and that far from where I have been previously, it always makes me nervous about what the actual road conditions will be, or if someone will have put up a gate! Fortunately, this was as smooth as a rural land real estate shoot gets and I had time enjoy the views in between getting these fantastic photos for the client, which is my aim for each and every client of Jason Collin Photography.
