Learning through photography with the Water Utility Authority
My last two days of photography for 2022 were spent at various Water Utility Authority of Albuquerque sites, both inside and out! This was actually my second shoot of the year for them, as I worked on making photos of award winning residential landscaping that you can see in their 2023 calendar. I learned a lot during these days of shooting about where our water comes from, how it is processed, and just how far ranging the duties of the Water Utility Authority are! As you can see in the photos, for the inside shots I was in testing labs and huge pipe filled caverns, and then outside from retaining tanks right to the banks of the Rio Grande River itself! Thank you to everyone at the Water Utility Authority willing to be models in the photos!
An annual event I photograph in Albuquerque, New Mexico is the River of Lights. The past two times I have had a chance to test out a new lens. This time it was the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lens, which I liked from the very first shot I took with it! This lens was as close to the ideal one lens solution as you could get both in terms of focal length (85mm) as many of the light creations are a fair bit away from the walking paths, and the fast f/1.4 aperture for great low light performance and for creating bokeh when possible. Which is your favorite River of Lights display?
Continuing the CNM Founders photo series (see this, and this, and this) I went to Electric Playhouse in Albuquerque, New Mexico to photograph the owner, Brandon, right in the settings customers can see when they visit! Talk about getting unique backgrounds for personal branding photos! Brandon cycled through various light projections. We settled on one that is actually straight fire and another Van Gogh-esque surreal blue swirl. If only I had these projectors in my own photo studio! Thank you to Brandon for the opportunity to shoot in Electric Playhouse itself.
Creative real estate photography of a creative property in Nob Hill
When a house is well designed and exquisitely stage, it really makes my job as a real estate photographer easier! Such was the case with 310 Wellesley in Albuquerque, New Mexico owned, listed, and decorated by Renee. From the outside of what looks like a typical adobe style home in the Nob Hill area of ABQ, you could be nothing but surprised at what awaits inside. Further, Renee wanted editorial style featuring photos of the interior as well. I always highly recommend adding this special kind of photo besides just the usual wide angle interior shots. Thank you for choosing me as your real estate photographer Renee!
On the drive to Alamogordo, New Mexico, a stop at the Valley of Fires is always a must for me, even if just for a few minutes. Any chance to behold lava as far as the eye can see is special. On this particular visit, for the first time, I walked the entire paved loop into the main lava field. What I saw from that view that I could not from high above, are all the fissures in the lava surface that conceal small lava caves below. Fascinating in another regard is how plants of all kinds grow in each crack, groove, and rupture in the lava surface. What an amazing place. Check out the map below to plan your trip to the Valley of Fires.
It’s not every day a princess visits the JCP Home Studio right here in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but such was the case when Sarah arrived for her headshot session. She was after all the princess in the Princess in the Frog at Shanghai Disney no less! Back in the U.S. and with a new haircut, she wanted updated headshots for an upcoming audition. Shooting tethered Sarah was able to see in real time what her headshots looked like. We worked together to create just the right smile for each headshot on several different background colors. Thank you Sarah for choosing me as your photographer!
Exploring the wealth of photography in White Sands National Park
The best place to make photographs in New Mexico is unquestionably White Sands National Park. It is the Grand Canyon of New Mexico in that you could go to the park every day for a month, and still makes hours of photos without running out of subject matter. The topography of the park actually changes day to day with the wind! This is at least my fifth visit to the park. I brought just one lens, the Sony 24mm f/1.4 GM. I focused on finding angles. I wanted to include the flora of the park in each shot too. This was also the real world debut of using my new mirrorless camera. The results of the photo above are unlike any photo I made at White Sands before. That is the amazing thing about the park, visit after visit, there is no end to the photos one can make.
