I have a few new images to share from my outing to the Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve, and the southern tip of the San Luis Valley. The weather was less than cooperative for most of the day with strong wind and some smoke from wildfires in New Mexico and Colorado.
At Great Sand Dunes, Medano Creek has begun to flow and was creating some very interesting patterns in the sand. With the wind blowing sand everywhere I elected to shoot with one lens to avoid lens changes and introducing sand into the camera body. For the two shoots presented here I used the Canon 24-70 f/2.8L which allowed me to frame compositions from wide-angle to short-telephoto. I had planned on photographing at the dunes all day and staying for sunset, but the wind continued to get stronger and I quickly grew tired of getting sand blasted.
After leaving the dunes I headed for a spot that I have photographed once before, the Lobatos Bridge over the Rio Grande River near the Colorado – New Mexico state line. I spent the afternoon hiking along the river looking for petroglyphs and enjoying bird watching. Near sunset I moved up into the San Luis Hills just west of the river and scouted a location to shoot across the hills looking back towards the Latir Range of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Mother Nature cooperated and provided me with nice clouds, some sweet pink light, and the wind subsided for a few minutes.
After sunset I packed up and started the long drive across the desert back to Taos. Along the way I had to cross back over the Lobatos Bridge just as the moon was rising over the distant mountains. With my headlights illuminating the bridge and the moon ahead I had to stop and create one more photo. This last image was shot with the 24-70mm lens, ISO 100, and the exposure was 30 seconds at f/11.
All things considered I think it was a successful day. I love to hear what you think.
Adam Schallau is a photographer whose work explores a variety of topics that
include the landscape, culture and people of the American Southwest and Rocky
Mountains. It is with a profound respect for the land, its people and their
history that Adam sets out to recapture the spirit of a place to tell a story
through his photography.
Adam is a recipient of the Luminous Landscape Endowment Award and was an Artist-in-Residence
at Grand Canyon National Park.
I wish you would you were going to day trip up to San Luis Valley. I would have went along, as Ive been thinking of doing the same thing for some time. In any case, if I would have been there you would not have gotten such great clouds/light at sunset, so it worked out for you. Every shot is great. I especially like the black and white of the bridge at night. That is simply an amazing image. So simple, yet so powerfully a western shot. By west, I do not mean monument valley cliche, but the pioneer spirit of the west. Could be your best work ever. But that is getting harder and harder to say, as you keep topping yourself every month.
I was up there with a co-worker that will be moving soon and had never visited the dunes. I’ll be going back in June or July to photograph Medano Creek again, and to hopefully shoot up at Zapata Falls. Maybe we can plan to get together then?
I really need to show you the area I found up in to San Luis Hills, it’s very interesting.
Thanks for the comment.
Sounds like you had a great day despite the weather. You certainly came away with some great shots! The bridge is fantastic. Kind of eerie, but I love it!! The moon really adds something to the spookiness.
You need “Twilight Zone” music for that 3rd shot…really edgy. Love it.