More stars in the night sky in Colorado??
It was over 20 years ago I saw the brightest stars in the night sky in my life, and ironically it was the furthest I had ever been from the stars themselves as I was at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Now, I unexpectedly have seen the second brightest night sky in my life here in the tiny town of La Veta, Colorado. Strolling outside the Airbnb it was like the Universe had suddenly created 5 times as many stars in the heavens. It was a spectacular site and a nice bonus on what has been a hard photo & drone work trip.
Read MoreFor smaller town life in Colorado checkout Walsenburg
Visiting rural places is a common part of being a rural land real estate photographer. In the past four years I have been to nearly every part of New Mexico, and now this work is taking me into southern Colorado, which is where I found the town of Walsenburg. The client wanted photos from the town, so I actually got paid to walk the historic streets and wonder when the heyday of these places were. I strolled past diners long closed, new stores in old storefronts, and a movie theatre that must have been a lot more exciting in 1961 than 2021. I really like having the opportunity to see places I never normally would, and try and feel the memories of what used to take place in decades past.
Read MoreA Trestle that is part of Cloudcroft History
The drive to Cloudcroft, New Mexico from Alamogordo is one of the best drives in the entire state. Winding up a canyon through tiny villages, the final sight to see before Cloudcroft is the Mexican Canyon Trestle, a bridge built in 1899. There is a pull out to stop and observe this old wooden structure from a time when this area had a very different life. I finally happened to pass it by at sunset time, and with my new Sony 12-24mm f/2.8 G Master lens, that ultra wide 12mm focal length was just enough to get most of the trestle and the sunset in the shot. There are many reasons why Cloudcroft is one of my favorite places in New Mexico, and the Mexican Canyon Trestle is one of them. For more info, check out the Wikipedia page for this trestle.
Read MoreTrains and big skies in Columbus, New Mexico
“Live life on the borderline” greets visitors on the Columbus, New Mexico website. This very small town is after all very close to the border with Mexico, the closest I have been for sure. Some time ago my rural land real estate photographer work took me to this village in the far southwest corner of New Mexico. The most common way to get to Columbus would be to head due south from Deming, but I was coming from Arizona to the west. That drive redefined the middle of nowhere for me and a near complete lack of civilization and gas stations. Columbus can be a destination though, as it does have museums, parks, and a great hotel (Los Milagros Hotel) to stay at. I even found a good place for vegetarian food, the Borderland Cafe. If you have been to Columbus let me know in the comments below! If not, check out the map and take a visit for yourself.
Read MoreWalk around The Last Supper
Road trips are often dotted with stops suggested by the website Atlas Obscura. Such was the case for a recent trip to Tucson, Arizona where in an open air park, one can find a life sized sculpture of The Last Supper. The sculpture is part of the Garden of Gethsemane in Tucson, Arizona which can be reserved for special events. I was wondering what type of event you’d want such a sculpture for the background of? The original painting is of course in color and seems so active. The sculpture in white is much more stark, without that sense of movement so much. Scroll to the map below fro the location of this unusual garden sculpture.
Read MoreDinosaurs of the Arizona Desert
There was just enough light left as twilight was arriving to get a few photos of the amazing metal dinosaur sculptures of Rattlesnake Ranch in Benson, Arizona (see map below for directions). These near life-size dinosaurs, though rusting, show their personality, their ferociousness, and some their peaceful nature. For a dinosaur fan, this is a must see and worth going off of the interstate to find. I recommend going near sunset time to get the most out of their desert setting.
Read MoreKeeping New Year’s Sunset Sunrise Custom
My custom started long ago on the other side of the world of watching the last sunset of the year bookended by the first sunrise of the new year continued this year from high up on a hill in Tucson, Arizona. The clouds opened up just in time for the sunset and I made it to a clear viewpoint just in time for the sunrise.
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