First Steps

A few days ago, my friend, the photographer and painter John Farnsworth, did an Instagram post about the beginnings of the digital photography age. He harkens back to a whopping one-megapixel unit that could store all of 70 images. My own baby steps came with a Nikon Coolpix 5000, so named because of its stellar 5 megapixels of resolution. I did a search yesterday that told me my sweet little point and shoot weighed in at a hefty $1, 095. Holy crap, batman. Today we can pick up a mirrorless unit with a one-inch sensor and 20 megapixels for, oh, $450.

The cool Coolpix entered the market in November of 2001 and I, trailblazer that I am, owned one shortly thereafter.  It was this darling unit that gave me my first inkling of digital’s promise. Shown above is a shot of an agave plant at famed Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, California. I was impressed from the get go. My fate was sealed.

In late March 2002 I had a ski trip to France planned and, as misfortune would have it, Canon announced the first truly high resolution DSLR, the 1Ds with 10.1 megapixels in a body the weight and size of a mainframe computer. And they had the audacity to charge $7,995 for the monster. Naturally, I needed one for my trip and embarked to Zurich, Geneva and Chamonix $7,700 lighter. The image above is from that legendary machine. My skiing was much improved as you can imagine.

To those who have slept through this movie before. Deal with it.

Trio of trucks in the snow

This truck and its two companions are arguably the most photographed in all of Taos County. And Taos county is the national capital of abandoned vehicles. Cloaked in a snowy blanket the truck in the foreground makes a wintery statement, one that Taos and famed Taos Ski Valley would like to be making right about now. Up at TSV the snow pack, like that of California’s Sierra, is 4% of normal. The paltry number bodes ill for our rivers, streams and acequias.

But Sunday we were blessed by six inches of fluff, even more up at the Ski Valley. Temps dipped from the mid-fifties on Saturday to a predicted high of 28 Sunday. And that’s a good thing.

And the winner is

Presbyterian Church, Taiban, NM 48 points

My highly sophisticated research project designed to reveal the most liked blog images from 2017 has informed us thusly. Two photographs Millwork, Taiban, NM and Abandonado scored zero, zilch, nada. And one that I loved, Porcelain Doll, got on the scorecard with a resounding four points thanks to a last minute reprieve. 

Thanks for your feedback.

Pickets, Point Reyes, CA 37 points

Bent to the Task, Antigua, Guatemala 28 points

Afternoon Delight, Winslow, AZ 27 points

Hard Charging, Mortenson Ranch, NM 27 points

   

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Year of Years: 2017. Click here to see full screen.

Vendadora, Antigua, Guatemala

Here's a look back at the images that bring the past year into focus for me. These selections are about the photographs themselves; some may be well crafted and others may tell a compelling story. Maybe some do both.

I hope that you will take the two extra steps of, first, clicking on the title line you see above. That will take you to the blog. Second, click on the first image. That will create a row of thumbnails through which you can click to fill your screen with wonder and amazement.

Would you be so kind as to choose your favorite three? You can comment below or email your choices. Thanks very much.

Maria, Antigua, Guatemala

Presbyterian Church, Taiban, NM

Millwork, Taiban, NM

Lap Chicken, Rayado, NM

The Citadel, Ghost Ranch, NM

Sanctuary, Coyote, NM

Silky Tresses, Taos, NM

All Things Wool, Taos, NM

Pickets, Point Reyes, CA

Abandonado, Des Moines, NM

Bent to the Task, Antigua. Guatemala

Mesa sin Sillas, Antigua, Guatemala

Afternoon Delight, Winslow, AZ

Homage to Lenny, Taos, NM

Winding Eastward, Tucumcari, NM

Cliff Rose, Grand Canyon, AZ

Hard Charging, Taos, NM

Buckaroo, Taos, NM

The Blessing, Antigua, Guatemala

Porcelain Doll, Taos, NM 

Gracias y Feliz Nuevo Año.