APOGEE PHOTO MAGAZINE: Photographing Historic New Mexic

Apogee Photo Magazine

Photographing Historic New Mexico

By Andy Long

Before the Americans moved west and had confrontations with the natives that changed the lives of the Indians forever, the Pueblos had encounters with others coming into their areas who shaped their culture almost as dramatically.

While there aren’t many places to visit to step into the pages of a history book regarding the encounters between the Indians and the American settlers, New Mexico has plenty of places to see how the Spanish influenced their lives. Missions, ruins and Pueblo villages around the state provide opportunities to see how the natives lived.

Whether planning a weekend or a weeklong trip, options are available for whatever length. A weekend trip can be based in one city or lead to working numerous areas. For a weeklong trip, the extra time allows for being at locations when the light is best for the angle the structure is facing. It’s no fun to show up at a place early in the morning only to find out it faces to the west. This is the case when photographing some of the states’ missions, ruins and Pueblo sites.

To visit a number of areas, a loop can be made from any direction the state is entered. While photography is usually more than an "I came, I saw, I took a picture" proposition, some of the sites are little more than this, while others take time. One area deserving several days for a good photo experience is Taos.

The San Francisco de Asis church in Ranchos de Taos is the primary reason for the extended stay. It is east and west facing and both directions deserve attention. The church, located south town, was made famous Ansel Adams’ and Georgia O’Keeffe’s work. Because of their style, the back is more famous than the front. In the evening there’s a nice mixture of shadows, light and patterns on the back side of the church. Power lines and tree shadows make compositions a challenge, but they can be eliminated with a little work.

Morning brings warm light to the church's front. There’s no need to be there for sunrise as it takes awhile for the sun to crest the mountains. Allow plenty of time to work all of the angles and isolated parts. One of the best things about working this and all adobe buildings is the rich color when the sun is low on the horizon. Another subject here is a house next to the church with its blue doors and windows. According to Indian legend the blue keeps evil spirits out and the good spirits inside. Early morning is best for the house.

After working the church another good morning subject is the Town Plaza. Before the shops open you can work the square and surrounding blocks getting parts of the buildings. Most buildings in town are made of adobe in the traditional Southwest style and interesting designs are abundant. East of the Town Plaza is a historic residential plaza few people know about that has some really interesting doors and building lines.

North of town is Taos Pueblo, home to the native Indians. There are great photo opportunities here with the buildings and ladders between the levels but be aware photos can’t be sold or used commercially of this or any other Pueblo reservation without permission.

Fees are assessed for each camera brought in and if you appear to be a pro (with a vest or tripod), they have you read and sign a release. To use photos commercially, permission must be received from the local Tribal Council with fees being involved. When special events such as a ceremony or dance are taking place, photography is not permitted.

Due to a late opening time, sunrise and the rich colors are not available. Winter with its early sunsets will provide some nice light shortly before the gates close. Photography of the natives inside the area is not permitted unless you first ask their permission.

Heading out of Taos, take the High Road towards Santa Fe. On this road are several missions worth working. The first one encountered is the Church of San Jose de Gracia in Las Trampas. The front of the church faces west so planning a trip towards Santa Fe from Taos is better in the afternoon and early evening. It was built in 1750 and has some great architecture for creating different compositions.

Another famous and highly visited church is the El Sanctuario de Chimayo in the settlement of Chimayo. This church is off the main highway, but signs lead to it. A setting of trees and mountains surrounding this church make for challenging and rewarding images.

Using Santa Fe as a base can provide several day trips in addition to the buildings and churches around town. Santa Fe is a living history and learning about the city can help bring more feeling to the resulting photos. Many buildings date to the 17th and 18th Centuries and information about them is displayed on plaques.

At least a morning and evening are needed to work Santa Fe. Maps of the old town and its buildings are readily available and a necessity to getting around. Early morning is a must downtown. Before offices and businesses bring the crowds, light is good and lots of time can be spent exploring and taking images. Several buildings worth working include the St. Francis Cathedral, Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace of the Governors. Along the Old Santa Fe Trail are the San Miguel Mission Church and the Loretto Chapel, which houses the “miraculous staircase,” a staircase with no visible support.

Days could be spent photographing the architecture in Santa Fe with hundreds of historic buildings having been preserved from their original state. Newer buildings offer unique chances as all structures in parts of town have guidelines on how they are built. Some of the shops downtown provide some interesting potential as they have rugs hanging over ladders and one show has lots of colorful chili and fruit, ceramics, and papier-mâché flowers.

Day trips from Santa Fe include excursions to several national monuments. Fort Union is the farthest away at about 90 miles northeast off of the interstate. Home to the first Army base in the state, its ruins include an old cannon and wagon parts. With the fort being in ruins, any time of day will work to take photos.

Pecos National Monument is located about 20 miles east on the interstate. The mix here is unlike any others in that they include an ancient pueblo, a Spanish mission, a cattle ranch and a Civil War battle site. Within the main walls of the mission are some entranceways which form arches that offer the best photography. Combining a trip to Pecos then Fort Union works well.

Bandelier, northwest of Santa Fe near Los Alamos, is one of numerous cliff dwelling sites in the Southwest. The main hiking loop offers views of a west-facing wall of dwellings that can be photographed in the morning hours, but is better later in the day.

Between Santa Fe and Albuquerque are seven Pueblo reservation sites with similar scenes to Taos Pueblo. West of Albuquerque about an hour is a Pueblo unlike any other - Sky City. Set high on a bluff the views of and from here are quite dramatic. Rock formations in the area also provide good photography.

None of the pueblos open early in the morning so the chance for morning light is not an option. And with needing extra permission for selling images, time spent at these is more for enjoyment and learning about their culture. Some pueblos, like Taos, allow unescorted visits while others, like Sky City, provide only guided tours. Photo fees vary at each Pueblo reservation.

Venturing south will provide more ruin sites. Around Mountainair, 45 miles east of Belen, are three ruin sites that make up the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument and all of them can be covered in a single day. Photography options are few at these, but like other sites, the more you look around,s the more photos you can find among the brick ruins.

Near Albuquerque, at Isleta Pueblo, is one of the few white adobe missions. This west-facing building with a rich blue sky as a backdrop in the afternoon or evening hours provides great contrast.

West of Albuquerque is Petroglyph National Monument. There are more than 15,000 images carved in the rocks of this park on the west edge of town, including kokapeli images in a couple of locations. The park is in three sections with hikes of varying lengths.

Depending on when a trip is planned, other opportunities exist. During the winter migration season, one of the top birding locations in the country is located about 90 miles south of Albuquerque at Bosque del Apache. Snow geese, sandhill cranes, eagles, roadrunners and various waterfowl winter at the refuge. Another option, in fall, is the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival which draws people from all over the world.

Whenever a trip is planned, most of the places visited on a trip to New Mexico challenge the photographic eye. Seeking out striking compositions is the key and a fun challenge on a trip to these sites.

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First Light offers workshops to prime photographic locations in the country.
Each year new locations as added as 20-year professional Andy Long travels
the country finding great spots. All trips are educational with hands-on help
in the field and instructional slide programs. Visit www.firstlighttours.com for more information.