TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
This month, I am focusing on factors to consider when visiting famous, iconic places. I have chosen Taos, New Mexico, as my example. I have visited Taos at least three, maybe four times.
Yes, there are always those well-known iconic must-see places we hear about or see on the Internet. In the case of Taos: The Taos Pueblo and Ranchos Church. The latter was photographed by Ansel Adams and painted by Georgia O'Keeffe. They both captured it from the backside.
I encourage all photographers and tourists to go beyond the obvious. Look for those hidden gems that quietly and silently lurk around the corner. Talk to people, the natives, the locals--they can offer lots of valuable information about history, places, and subjects of interest. Capture the culture, the architecture, and those off-the-map places. And, if you can, go at different times of year.
As far as how and when to get your photos, I urge you to get out of the habit of always taking photos at eye level and landscape (horizontal) mode. Additionally, photograph at all times of the day, including twilight and nighttime.
Now that you have a list of factors to consider, let's look at some examples from historic Taos, New Mexico.
Let's get one of the most obvious and well-known subjects out of the way: the San Francisco de Asis church, also known as Ranchos Church. It is, indeed, a beautiful church, constructed between 1776 and 1818. Both Adams and O'Keeffe captured it in landscape (horizontal) mode. Although I have images like that, I am sharing a "portrait" mode image that highlights the shapes, forms, and texture.
When I looked at the church from the front, several options became apparent, including the structure's front facade. I liked this scene below, however, because it captures the religiosity of the place.
One of the years I visited Taos; it occurred to me to photograph it from the back again, but this time a tighter shot and at night. I converted the original image to black and white. In the original high-resolution image, the stars are visible.
Now, for the other iconic, must-see place in Taos--Taos Pueblo. It's an incredible, and occupied village, if you will. During one of my winter visits, I captured this image with the snow-capped mountains in the background. "Why no people," you ask? One of the most rewarding attributes in photography is patience. It takes patience to be patient.
A close-up of the amazing way this pueblo was built. As I was getting this shot, I heard a deep, manly voice say, "We charge for that, you know." I turned around and saw a resident behind me. He was joking, of course, but for a second there, I thought he was serious.
Look for the unexpected. If we get rid of labels- in this case, "Adobe" and "Pueblo," our minds open up to see the non-obvious. Leave yourself open to these opportunities.
Talk to people. Some residents in the pueblo are artists, and some leave their home front doors open, as an invitation to go in. I did just that during one of my visits and met Meko. We talked about art for a while. Before I left, he allowed me to take his picture in his home gallery.
I walked around the downtown Taos Plaza at night to see what I could find. I wasn't disappointed. I loved the artificial lighting against the turquoise and adobe backdrop. The red chile ristras added a punctuation mark. That ladder had been there for a while. 😊
I discovered three other areas around Taos from my research and by talking with the locals. The first is a historic site called Hacienda de Los Martinez. It is a really cool place to visit, to go back in time, and to photograph. I have only one of many to share with you-- a black-and-white rendition of a mysterious passageway in the hacienda.
Outside of town is an old bridge that crosses the Rio Grande. It's called the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. I went over the bridge with a friend, who is a town resident. When I asked him to stop after going over the gorge, what I liked more than the bridge was its shadow falling on the gorge and the Rio Grande.
A few miles out of town is an extremely unique place that is totally opposite the Taos Pueblo. It's known as the Greater World Earthship Community. The 300+ acre solar and wind power community is quite a curiosity. Put it on your must-see list. Here is just one of several images I created.
I hope I have given you enough ideas for your next travel photo adventure. Have fun and go back home with more than just those famous and well-known iconic places.
