Incredible clouds in New Mexico

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I saw this old trailer on a ranch along US-285 just west of Encino, New Mexico. I wanted to stop in Encino and photograph some places that I remembered from when I lived in Santa Fe, but the light wasn't coming from the right direction to photograph those buildings, so I had to go back to Encino another day. It is a very interesting little town that is nearly abandoned. We were on our way to Roswell the day that I made this photograph.

8-13-11

 

[Richard G]

Beautiful clouds. I'll bet it was 90% plus humidity. Those straight lower edge clouds are tropical. A German walked into my office from which there is a great view and instantly said 'Tropical clouds.' I asked 'Are you a photographer?' 'No. I lived for some years in Sierra Leone.'

 

[Ezzie]

I like big skies and clouds. Nice.

 

[jsrockit]

F the clouds, great photo overall.

 

[ooze]

Don't see what's so incredible about those clouds. Sorry.

 

[Jack Conrad]

They look like Florida clouds that wandered off to New Mexico.

Clouds are like sheep.

 

[Ezzie]

Don't see what's so incredible about those clouds. Sorry.

That may be the case, but the picture overall is pleasing to the eye, the clouds are a contributing factor. They add to the emptiness of the scene, accentuating how all by itself the trailer seems to be.

 

[uhligfd]

Yes it was moist up there that day, even where the clouds are not. See the jet-trail in front which occurs only when the humidity is high in the part of the sky that the jet flies through.

Why is the grass up front so unsharp? Did you focus at infinity? Closed the lens to f/16 or f/22? You used a medium format camera, right? What ISO? What film ISO, if film?

 

[loneranger]

I live in Encino, a suburb of Los Angeles. Did not know there is this other Encino, NM. nice clouds.

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Yes it was moist up there that day, even where the clouds are not. See the jet-trail in front which occurs only when the humidity is high in the part of the sky that the jet flies through.

Why is the grass up front so unsharp? Did you focus at infinity? Closed the lens to f/16 or f/22? You used a medium format camera, right? What ISO? What film ISO, if film?

This was one of the few parts of New Mexico getting any rain during this summer's drought. It actually began to sprinkle after I made this photograph!

The reason the grass looks unsharp is that it is. Its in focus, but the lens is not very sharp. I used the 150mm CF Sonnar on the Hasselblad, coupled with a Vivitar 2X teleconverter. When Photographing things like buildings that do not have the extremely fine detail of a landscape, it works well. This is the first time I'd used it for landscapes and found it really reduced the Sonnar's sharpness A LOT. I'm going to have to find the money for the 250mm Sonnar now!

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Here's another one. This lonely landscape is in central New Mexico on US-285 between Vaughn and Roswell, looking north in the direction of Santa Fe. This area was one of the few places in New Mexico getting much rain, as the green landscape shows. Most of the state has been hit hard by the 2011 drought.

 

[Paul Luscher]

One of the problems with living in No. Calif, at least between May and October. The skies are pretty much clear--not a cloud to be seen. Can make for blah landscapes--clouds add flavor, so to speak, and a dead blue sky is generally pretty boring.

 

[nikon_sam]

Loving the Clouds...
Hey Chris...did you happen to get all bit up by "Chiggers" from standing in that grass...???
It would happen to me when I was photographing old barns in Kansas...that's one of the first things I think of when I see grass like that...

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

Loving the Clouds...
Hey Chris...did you happen to get all bit up by "Chiggers" from standing in that grass...???
It would happen to me when I was photographing old barns in Kansas...that's one of the first things I think of when I see grass like that...

No, I never saw chiggers, ticks, or fleas in New Mexico's tall grass, but those are all common in Indiana. New Mexico has its own hazards, like Rattlesnakes, Scorpions, huge Centipedes, and Black Widow Spiders. I keep a close watch for those things when walking in grass out there.

 

[robklurfield]

Chris, you couldn't have painted two more beautiful sky shots than these. Really nice work. Makes me want to take a road trip.

 

[filmfan]

Pretty normal clouds for the West if you ask me. Nothing amazing here.

 

[claacct]

Pure awesomeness, in an incredible sort of way.

 

[newsgrunt]

This scene screams for panoramic format. 7x17 would work well here

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

This scene screams for panoramic format. 7x17 would work well here

I wish I had the money for a pano camera. 😉

 

[newsgrunt]

this thread has some McGuyver ideas going on

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=111000