Sometimes in photography, as in life, things just come together perfectly.
I recently had the opportunity to spend a few days at the Valles Caldera National Preserve, located in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. The Preserve lies on one of the largest volcanic calderas in North America; this supervolcano (as it’s classified) has the capability of altering weather patterns to the point of causing a small ice age if it ever erupts. Try to imagine 1,000 km³ of rock and debris spewing from the earth–1,000 km³–I can’t quite wrap my mind around that.
The land was acquired by the federal government in 2000 as a trust, with a board of trustees making decisions about its management. Still a working cattle ranch, the Caldera is administered using a combination of those policies used in national forests, as well as in national parks.
The thing that strikes me the most is that any event on the Caldera–whether it is hiking, sightseeing, or even hunting–is kept very small. The idea is to give the visitor a sense of solitude. Quiet contemplation. Can you imagine if only 25 people were allowed into Yosemite Valley at a time? That’s a very novel idea indeed.
Visiting this historic place, I knew I wanted to come home with both memorable and meaningful images. First of all, I knew I may never get to visit here again, and second, it was important to me to make images of my home state that carried a sense of belonging. Not knowing exactly what to expect, I hoped for dramatic light, and the time to let the landscape present itself. Great light is often caused by crummy weather. Fortunately, I got it.
Arriving late in the afternoon, rain was already beginning to fall from the thunderheads that had been building strength all day. After looking at the map, we decided on a small pond that looked like it could get good sunset light. By the time we drove up the mountain to our location, the rain had turned to sleet, the ambient temperature was in the mid-30s, and it was indeed beginning to feel a bit like autumn.
The rest of that afternoon was spent watching the fog rolling through the trees, constantly evolving, moving, transforming the landscape. I thought of Sigurd Olson as the fog galloped through the trees like a herd of white horses. The hauntingly beautiful bugles of bull elk looking for a fight came out of the mist from all directions.
A feast for the senses.
White Horses, September 2012
As sunset neared, the clouds cleared just a bit, and as I’d hoped, the fog settled in on our little pond, our small corner of the world. All ours…tonight anyway. The sky lit up giving us a perfect sunset. Few things could have made it better.
New Mexico sunset, September 2012
So it went for the rest of the weekend: New Mexico autumn. Wildlife abounded. Rain brought a last bit of summer life to the forest before winter’s grip tightens. Light danced at the perfect times. And, of course, green chiles were on the menu. Thank you, New Mexico, for the perfect start to my favorite season.
Autumn Rainbow, September 2012
Aspen Grove, September 2012
Redondo Peak, September 2012
Fog & Trees, September 2012
Well done, Greg! These images are exactly the kind of stuff I’d be hoping for from a trip to the Caldera. Those first three are all just marvelous images with excellent conditions, and the others are very fine gentler shots. Glad it all worked out so well for you!
Thanks, Jackson! It was a great trip, and we really did have fantastic sunrise and set conditions, with very nice fall weather during the day. Your prediction was good by the way…I spent most of my time with a medium telephoto on the camera.
Greg, wonderful images. How fortunate that you were able to return with so many in such a short period of time. A homecoming, indeed!
Each of these images has its own enjoyable qualities — I don’t think I can name a favorite. Maybe Fog and Trees, maybe White Horses – a toss up for now.
Thanks, Wesley! Sometimes really nice light happens, and if you’re fortunate you’ll be present when it does. I feel very fortunate that we got the conditions we did.
I’m looking forward to making some prints of these images…
Alright, that’s it. The next time you go to New Mexico, I’m going too. Really great photos, especially considering that NM is sometimes hard to photograph. Wow.
:)…Thanks David! I thought about the Jemez Mountains being one of your favorite places…it would have been fun to have you along. Next time.
Great photos, great piece of writing Greg. I can almost feel that autumn weather and hear those elk bugling…
Like Wesley said, you were sure able to home in on it in a short time. Very well done. Gotta appreciate your Sigurd Olson reference…
Well, thank you for turning me on to Sigurd Olson and his ‘white horses.’ I was thinking about that a lot, then the image above presented itself…it was almost too perfect to pass up.
Congratulations Greg. You not only came away with enviable, rewarding images but you shared your experiences in your usual elegant style.
Many thanks, Andrew!
I enjoyed reading about this trip Greg. It is nice to read about places that are still kept as they are naturally meant to be. I’d say you captured that very well with these shots.
Thanks, Mark. As you know, management of a place–any place–for both recreation and conservation (preservation?) is a really difficult balancing act. In the past there had been some exploration here as a possible site for geothermal energy and you can still find small remnants of that throughout the preserve. But, by and large, the staff is doing its best to maintain a sense of wildness here, for which I am grateful.
Incredible images, Greg! Especially the first two. New Mexico is such a magical place.
Thanks, Steve–as a native New Mexican, I agree with you that it’s a very magical place. I’m grateful it’s an overlooked state by many photographers. 🙂
Greg, what an experience captured with remarkable images. Truly a sublime venture. Your description makes me feel like I was there with you if only vicariously. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by to comment, Dee! It really was a great time…I’m happy it worked out the way it did.