Just Drivin' up the Hill

Carol Freshley May 22, 2016

With a camera, of course! While I enjoyed a day with my sister (gads, we can still giggle a lot when it is just the two of us), Tom and Steve headed out for some photo adventure. Here are some of their photos. I would imagine, from looking at the images, that they were up above Albuquerque on the mesa and then along I-40. Enjoy.

When they guys said they were going for a drive I did not realize they were going to shoot pavement.  LOL!  Nice clouds too. — When they guys said they were going for a drive I did not realize they were going to shoot pavement. LOL! Nice clouds too.

Getting off the road!  That is Steve and his Jeep. — Getting off the road! That is Steve and his Jeep.

When you tire of pavement you can shoot the Rio Puerco Bridge with a really wide angle lens!

This is Rob. He purchased his rare Jeep pickup sight unseen and was driving it from Boise back to Dallas when he stopped to shoot this bridge right after Steve and Tom arrived to do the same thing. Rob had found the bridge (same bridge as above) whi… — This is Rob. He purchased his rare Jeep pickup sight unseen and was driving it from Boise back to Dallas when he stopped to shoot this bridge right after Steve and Tom arrived to do the same thing. Rob had found the bridge (same bridge as above) while re-tracing the old original US Route 66. He showed the boys his copy of of the book "EZ 66 Guide for Travelers" by Jerry McClanahan. If you ever take this trip, the book appeared to be a definitive and detailed guide.

Lunch at Laguna Burger, which by the way, I have deemed to have the best green chili cheeseburger EVER!  According to Tom, it is on par with the green chili cheeseburger in San Antonio (off I-25 on the way to Bosque del Apache).  I give th… — Lunch at Laguna Burger, which by the way, I have deemed to have the best green chili cheeseburger EVER! According to Tom, it is on par with the green chili cheeseburger in San Antonio (off I-25 on the way to Bosque del Apache). I give the Laguna Burger an extra point because it is close to where we park and not a 90 minute drive to San Antonio. So, if you head west on I-40 you will find it on the access road that leads off at the Casino at the exit to Tehachapi. We just noticed on our way to Cortez that there is another Laguna Burger location in, of all places, Laguna, NM.

At the entrance to the RV park we stay at there is a collection of vintage cars and the trailers they might have pulled.  This one is a favorite with Tom and each time we stay he tries to get a better image. — At the entrance to the RV park we stay at there is a collection of vintage cars and the trailers they might have pulled. This one is a favorite with Tom and each time we stay he tries to get a better image.

The guys had fun and I always enjoy sharing their images. Hope you enjoyed them.

Storms on the Mesa

Carol Freshley July 18, 2014

As we loaded the Jeep my mother stood by anxiously announcing how close the lightning was to where we were standing. "How do you know?" I inquired. She replied that she had an app on her iPhone that told her how close it was! At 88 she is still mom and a techno mom at that!!

But off we went, much against parental advice, to Black Mesa. There were storms all around us and I kept tracking the lightning. We had an exit strategy . . . get in the car and close the doors and windows. If needed we would leave our gear outside. Put simply, we are nuts!!

You will soon see that the guys did the bulk of the individual shots. I set up both cameras to do time-lapse sequences, one facing the Sandia Mountain and one facing west toward Grants. I have processed one of them so far. The momentary 'guest' is my brother, who in all the excitement managed to run right in front of a camera doing a time-lapse!! Here is just one still photo shot at the beginning of the time-lapse sequence facing the Sandia Mountain.

This one finally sent us into the Jeep. It came on like a mighty engine that could and it DID!!

Poor Tom. All this weather stuff to shoot and he is stuck in the Jeep! Wah, wah! No problem. He solved it . . . LOL.

Mom was glad to see us when we returned home. We have survived to shoot another day! Next up is Old Town Albuquerque.

Stay tuned. Stay cool.

Sunset Sunrise

Carol Freshley January 28, 2014

Steven sat across from me at mom's table on a quiet late afternoon, looking out the patio door. "Let's go to Black Mesa and shoot a sunset," he said. I was in.

Black Mesa is the name given to a plateau to the west of Albuquerque, about 5 miles from my mom's. It offers a view of the Sandia Mountains to the east and a wide expanse of high desert grass to the west. It is an ideal location for a good sunset or sunrise.

We set up our tripods in a very cold wind. We compared a few notes on settings, etc. Then we waited. The sunset did not disappoint. When we got home we were shocked at the difference in our images. Were we at the same sunset?

First up. Steven shot his with his Canon EOS 700D and a Sigma EX 10-20mm lens. The first shot was taken in back of us (east) towards my beloved Sandia Mountain. The next one wast taken to the north and seconds later he got a shot to the south. All were shot at ISO 200, f/14 and 1/30. Later, as I fell in love with his photos, I realized a subtle truth in composition. I shot the sunset. He shot the sky.

I shot towards the west.

Two mornings later I started my return drive to Phoenix and was treated to this sight as I turned the corner from my mom's. "I am going to miss my Sandia," was my first thought. My second thought was to get my *** moving and check it out from Black Mesa!

As you can see below, the plateau hides most of the city. I left in just a couple of lights so you could imagine where the glistening bowl of lights (jewels) were down in the valley.

By now it was looking pretty interesting. So I got out of the car but was still handholding, keeping my ISO high and using exposure compensation to keep my shutter speeds somewhere in the range of not quite sharp but OK. Did I really want to unpack my gear? Not yet!