2014 Winter Solstice

The 2014 winter solstice (when the sun stands still) on the Taos Valley

And in the opposite direction the sun setting over the Jemez Mountains.

Thanks for looking … 

Geraint

Some fog, the Gorge, the mountains and a few tipis thrown in for good measure.

Yesterday we made a spontaneous drive to the west rim of the Rio Grande Gorge. Driving in from San Cristobal we stopped to get some shots of the trees and the sun breaking through the heavy early morning fog which blanketed, from what we could see, most of the Taos Valley.

Trees and sun through the morning fog

When we reached the bridge the whole area was under a shroud of thick fog. It was the bridge that appeared first, as if magically, from the stuff.

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge detail

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

Heading on to the bridge at a fair clip as the atmosphere began to change rapidly I took this moody image looking south from the middle of the structure as the fog lifted and the river revealed itself 600 feet below. There were virtually no colors in the scene so I made a black and white of it. 

After a quick trip through the canyon to Orilla Verde and Pilar we saw a few eagles perched in old snags at various points along the river. At 11 am we headed back to town which was still under a thick cloud of cold fog. From a mile or two south and west of Taos we could see the mountains start to appear through the clouds. 

Vallecito peak was the first to pop up.

Followed by Pueblo Peak (Taos Mountain).

And last but not least the tipis with Taos Mountain.

Thanks for visiting,


Geraint Smith
San Cristobal, NM

Chicago Magazine spotlight

Wow I just got another nice mention for my photo tours and my book, in the featured article "Magic Mountains" alongside the Taos Ski Valley in the current issue of Chicago Magazine … A big thank you to Nina Kokotas Hahn for including me.

Coyote and a Red-tailed Hawk and fresh snow in the meadows of Taos this week.

Coyote contact during it's hunt for food in the irrigation ditch.

This hawk was intent on breakfast as the snow began falling.

Both shots taken with a Canon 7D and 300mm f4 IS lens

Wow … I got a very a nice write up here in Canada's National, The Globe and Mail Paper. Very exciting international press for Taos and New Mexico. Thanks to Shelley White for including my photo tours and workshops.

You can read the article here

You can read the article here