brettjrob Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Figured I'd post something different from my usual storm-related fare for once. It's interesting what chasing has done to my perception of photography. When I got my first SLR in 2005, I was obsessed with all sorts of nature photography for a couple years: landscapes, macro, wildlife, you name it. I always pined for better lenses and better subjects to shoot for all of those specialties. Chasing changed everything, though, because it gave me the opportunity to shoot subjects that only a handful of others would ever witness (in terms of one particular storm on one particular day, of course). After getting into that, I found it much harder to stay motivated about "regular" nature photography. You have to work exponentially harder to get a shot that isn't already played out, and in many cases, it's simply impossible. Absolutely every iconic landscape scene in the American West has been covered by pros and/or semi-pros with far better equipment than mine and in far better conditions (lighting, weather, season, etc.) than I can ever hope for on a planned trip. Even more remote and obscure landscapes, at this point, have all been worked over by at least a handful of backpacking hobbyists with high-end SLRs. My idea for this little trip I did a couple weekends ago was to attempt a small semblance of originality by focusing primarily on night shooting. The full moon made both star trails and standard "nightscapes" (single, long exposures) possible, in theory. In reality, blowoff from monsoon storms challenged my plans a bit more than I'd hoped, but it could've been worse. I had three vague destinations in mind for three nights: 1) the "Ghost Ranch" area of north-central NM, 2) the Bisti Badlands and Shiprock in northwest NM, and 3) the Great Sand Dunes and surroundings in southern CO. Nights (1) and (3) turned out relatively well, while (2) was more problematic thanks both to clouds and an unforseen obstacle at Shiprock -- namely, impassable dirt roads that didn't allow me up to the base of the formation. I also shot a bit during the day while driving, but not much. Anyway, here are the results. Unsurprisingly for a spur-of-the-moment trip that had me rushing between destinations, there are a lot of things I'd do differently in hindsight... but then again the exploration and surprises are half the fun, I guess. Echo Ampitheatre, NM: Near Abiquiu, NM: San Ysidro, NM: Bisti Badlands, NM (night shoot wrecked by widespread clouds): Shiprock, NM (good luck reaching the base without a tank): Mineral Co., CO: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brettjrob Posted September 12, 2012 Author Share Posted September 12, 2012 Great Sand Dunes area, CO: Huerfano Co., CO: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sock Puppet Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Gorgeous shots. I remember driving through that area years ago. Loved it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowtie` Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Fantastic images. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voyager Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Stunning images! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quakertown needs snow Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Awesome Brett. Having a brother that lives in ABQ I have been lucky enough to visit many locations in the area. A+ part of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Chill Posted September 12, 2012 Share Posted September 12, 2012 Brilliant! The CO stuff really takes me back. Lived in Summit Co for 7 years. Camped at the dunes a couple of times and 4 wheeled all over the place. You can ski on the dunes. It's alot of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePhotoGuy Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 WOW! Great Job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mnweather Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 excellent job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avdave Posted September 14, 2012 Share Posted September 14, 2012 Fantastic series of photos Brett. Such a gorgeous area out there, thanks for sharing them with us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baroclinic_instability Posted October 8, 2012 Share Posted October 8, 2012 Simply incredible. I only saw these shots now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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