While I was in Cloudcroft, New Mexico on a rural land photography assignment, I took notice of these very unusual flowers that I thought looked like rocket popsicles that a hummingbird was having breakfast at. I had my excellent new Tamron 90mm f/2.8 Macro SP lens on my Nikon D750. There was no way to track this fast moving bird through the air. How to get this shot then? Pre-focus on a flower you hope the hummingbird will land on, and wait. I studied the bird's flying patterns a bit, noticing it kept coming back to this particular flower. I approached slowly, very slowly, and then froze waiting for the hummingbird to return. The focus point is not perfect, and I wish the hummingbird had chosen a prettier flower to drink nectar from, but I like the bokeh enough to share this photo with you.
Out on a rural land photography assignment in Edgewood, New Mexico, I was warned by the land broker that access to this 5-acre property might be challenging. It certainly was! Barbed wire and gates blocked the first few access road, and the last, "legal access" point was down an eroded incline even too extreme for my Jeep Renegade Trailhawk! I had to park at the top of the incline, then carry about 40 pounds of photographer gear, drone gear and my tripod for about a third of a mile first down that incline then up a rocky ridge.
There was a time just a few years ago I was quite taken with the BMW M3 E46. It is a hardcore sports car that can be had on the used market for the price of a regular new car, but maybe just for now as it will only start to go up in value for low-mileage examples like the one pictured here. The original owner is selling it via bringatrailer.com so I traveled up to Santa Fe, New Mexico to photograph it for him.
The most fun you will have networking in Albuquerque
The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce did it yet again with another amazingly fun, energetic and informative networking event right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The first Thursday of every month is the Get Crafty With Your Biz event where three local business owners briefly tell their own personal business story and the conclude with a piece of business advice for the attendees. It is a great format that let's one network and mingle, but also here a real local business success story.
I met this new friend in the Valley of Fires. It was hanging out on a metal grill by a picnic table (see photo below). I only now learned it is a New Mexico whiptail lizard. Let's just say the lizard was female for convenience sake. She was on the aforementioned metal grill first, which is not the best backdrop to photograph a wild creature on. I got a few quick shots though because I wanted to fly my drone over the lava fields. When I was done flying, the lizard had moved onto to some twigs -- a much better background! I was using my new Tamron 90mm f/2.8 SP Macro lens for the latter shots, which can focus less than a foot away from a subject. I just kept getting closer and closer to the lizard, and she did not move at all! Thank you friendly whiptail for hanging out and letting me make your portrait!
Penny, the 18-year old dog of Cloudcroft New Mexico
My rural land photography work recently took me to Cloudcroft, New Mexico, which is about 30 minutes east of Alamogordo. It is a small mountain town, almost like a place you might think is hiding up in the Alps in Switzerland. The town has a lot of charm and while there I stayed at The Crofting Inn B&B. The is where I met Penny, the 18-year old dog.
Return to the San Juan River in northern New Mexico
The very green and beautiful San Juan River flows for miles through New Mexico. This portion of the river is near Navajo Dam, an area I first visited in February. I only had time for a quick drone flight over the dam area itself, but on this trip I was able to fly over a large stretch of the river! I was out on another rural land property assignment, but now since I have my own off road capable vehicle (Jeep Renegade Trailhawk), I no longer have to rush back to Albuquerque to return the rental truck to Enterprise so I can stay in places like this with Jessica and the dogs at our leisure!
