Pueblo de Taos

Taos, Nuevo México
Pueblo de Taos, fotos 1, 4, 5. Talpa, Nuevo México fotos 2, 3.

NMGS March 2013 Program

The Highland Theatre in Nob Hill

The marquee of the Highland Theatre in Nob Hill evokes memories of when my Mom took us to see the Albuquerque premiere of "Superman" and of going with my brother and cousin to see a re-release of "Young Frankenstein." I shot some video of the marquee many years ago for a video I was working on at the time. I haven't completed that piece yet, but I will sometime. I was concerned that the Highland or the marquee would be taken down. Last Saturday I saw it lit up so beautifully on a cloudy evening that I wanted to shoot it again, in still images. Driving from this area, west along Central, was a beautiful view of neon lit Route 66.

Composition and framing

I have not been focusing too well on my composition and framing skills in my photos that I post. I have been using my iPhone to take photos, and they are really high quality, but lacks depth of field and focus at times. I'm not at a lack of time or creativity, but for some reason, I just  haven't been showing the best of my photos, and I am aware of that. Perhaps the perfectionist in me is telling me this, but then again, I have fortunately gotten away from being such a perfectionist in many aspects of my life, without eschewing integrity. I have been taking photos with the panorama aspect ratio with my iPhone, and that is fun. I guess I have also just been trying to do new things with photos.  I was taking a lot with Hipstamatic, and that is very fun and yields interesting results, but you never know what you're going to get.  So, I guess maybe that's why I switched back to just regular shots, and maybe I am noticing that.

Church of The Immaculate Conception at Tomé, Nuevo México

The church has been remodeled and is beautiful inside and out. The last time I had seen it was in December 2011 with the walls exposed. Also, my Mom had made a photograph of the church in the late 1990s during a snow day and I love that image. The bell towers are the outstanding visible feature in the remodel, and while I am not a fan of the actual aesthetics, it's more important to recognize the long term needs of the edifice, the parishioners and the Church, and the work that the community put into making this happen. Many of my ancestors of the late 1700s were married here including Domingo Sánchez and his bride Ma. Guadalupe Baca. The coupe was related to the third degree of consanguinity and the impediment was dispensed by the Bishop of Durango. Their Diligencia Matrimonial and marriage record are quite intriguing. Domingo Sánchez read and wrote and his record of enlistment in the militia cavalry is in the Spanish Archives of 1808, having enlisted at Isleta, NM. When I visit the church I imagine their ceremony and their presence in and around the church, despite various modifications of the actual building throughout the ages.

New Mexico Genealogical Society Program March 16, 2013

Please join us on Saturday, March 16, 2013 for the monthly NMGS program.  I will be presenting on creative insights and approaches to family history and genealogy.  Please see Robert Baca's blog regarding the NMGS Program on March 16, 2013 for more information.  Hope to see you there!

San Francisco de Asis en Golden, Nuevo México

Just some snap shots on a short day trip. This church, camposanto and surrounding areas speak for themselves. I do hope that the panoramic shot of the actual entrance and path (walking away from church) to the church shows in its correct aspect ratio. (Plus an additional panoramic facing the church.)   Addendum 26 February 2013: Little did I know that it would snow over 6" later that night! But because of the heavy clouds and cold weather, I was not surprised. It would be great to photograph this in snow.  With I-40 backed up (closed) for a couple of days now, I imagine by the time I would have time to drive out there again, the snow will be gone. Notwithstanding, I guess this is why it's important to be in the moment. We can recover, record and memorialize, and everything else seems to fleet, as time goes on.