Portraits of Wildflowers

Perspectives on Nature Photography

Pictures of a different nature

with 19 comments

 

Every once in a while I show pictures that don’t feature nature. While the previous post about the Pecos National Historical Park did deal with nature, most people visit the place to learn about the cultural interchange between Spaniards and indigenous people that took place there several centuries ago.

 

 

The site is home to the remains of various structures, including a pueblo, a kiva, and most notably a church.

 

  

In my treatment of the church I mostly emphasized light, shadows, and textures while
going for minimalist compositions. In other words, I was playing art photographer.

  

  

Oh, what pretensions.

 

© 2022 Steven Schwartzman

 

  

 

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Written by Steve Schwartzman

December 12, 2022 at 4:27 AM

19 Responses

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  1. I really like your artistic approach to this site Steven.

    picpholio

    December 12, 2022 at 4:35 AM

    • Once I saw how the shadows and light played together, nothing was going to stop me from experimenting with recording them.

      Steve Schwartzman

      December 12, 2022 at 6:03 AM

  2. what interesting structures

    beth

    December 12, 2022 at 4:45 AM

  3. Very artful, actually! And I think with the vivid blue skies and the bright sunlight, these stone(?) structures really lend themselves to light and shadow geometric images.

    Birder's Journey

    December 12, 2022 at 7:41 AM

    • Thanks for your confirmation. You know the old saying (actually mine): Shadows and light, photographer’s delight.

      I believe the structures are adobe, which would have been readily available there.

      Steve Schwartzman

      December 12, 2022 at 7:53 AM

  4. Beautiful art! 😎

  5. I don’t mind the occasional departure from the trodden path. Great images, Steve!

    Peter Klopp

    December 12, 2022 at 9:43 AM

    • Variety is the spice of life, right? I’m happy you like these images, which are of a type I was pursuing long before I knew anything about native plants.

      Steve Schwartzman

      December 12, 2022 at 11:43 AM

  6. I don’t think these look pretentious, they look great. I like that doorway in shadow, looks very intriguing.

    Robert Parker

    December 12, 2022 at 5:15 PM

    • I invite your imagination to go through the shadowed doorway to the land of mystery on the other side.

      Steve Schwartzman

      December 12, 2022 at 7:21 PM

  7. The structures seem artfully created so it seems appropriate that you should photograph them most artfully.

    Gallivanta

    December 13, 2022 at 12:58 AM

  8. Art is in the eye of the beholder, so it’s not you being pretentious but us who are viewing it, right? 🙂

    Todd Henson

    December 13, 2022 at 2:52 PM

    • I was being a little snarky about the pretentiousness. For half a century photographing light and shadows has appealed to this beholder, who is never far from it.

      Steve Schwartzman

      December 13, 2022 at 3:26 PM

  9. A first glance suggested the Taos church: the smooth, angular construction of buildings in that area always reminds me of children’s blocks: albeit in adobe/clay rather than wood. My favorite is the third photo; the arch with the bit of blue shining through is a perfect natural analogue to the iconic turquoise jewelry of the area.

    The ‘face’ formed by the shadows in the last image brought to mind a Kachina mask.

    shoreacres

    December 13, 2022 at 9:16 PM

    • Oh, I hadn’t thought about turquoise: good connection. Likewise for the “face,” which I also hadn’t seen. So many embedded symbols.

      Steve Schwartzman

      December 13, 2022 at 11:02 PM

  10. […] spending several hours at the Pecos National Historic Park on October 10th we continued on our way back to Texas. Along Interstate 25 south of Las Vegas (New […]


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