This was a return to Valley of Fires walking through a different area than three years ago (check out those photos and drone video). This time I observed how the flora of the desert struggled even more to live around and actually on the vast lava field. To highlight this struggle I converted the images to black and white for impact. On the side of a long empty, desert road, I think Valley of Fires definitely qualifies as a hidden gem of New Mexico. It offers exploring for all levels from just observing from afar and up top the vast expanse of this lava field, to walking as far as you want right through the jagged lava formations. If you really like Valley of Fires, you can even camp there. Check out the map below to visit this hidden gem of miles of lava in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico.
My first visit to Carlsbad Caverns was all the way back in 2000 during my first attempt to move to California. I have two standout memories from that visit. The first was that it was on a weekday in March with no school groups and the caverns were virtually empty and it was doubly amazing to have them essentially all to myself. The second memory was dropping my (film) camera into the toilet in the visitor center! Fast forward to 2021 and the caverns were filled with few people using the recommended whisper voice, and my camera was digital and mirrorless, and I did not even dare take it into the restroom!
This is another instance of how my rural land real estate work allows me to see places I absolutely never would normally. On the way back from an extended series of property shoots in Chaves County New Mexico, just northeast of Roswell, while actually looking for another nature area but never finding it, this was a true stumbling upon (remember that site?) of Cocklebur Lake, a very, very dry lake. The skies were overcast so I knew then while making these photos I would ultimately convert them to black and white as the landscapes themselves were already nearly devoid of color. Walking on the dry lake bed, under a wide open sky, one could feel the yearning of the land for water. In that sense this dry lake felt like an old memory that you could only 5% remember. That’s what I feel a dry lake is to me.
While on the Road traveling for my rural land real estate photography work in New Mexico, with often long drives to and from locations, I like to break them up by visiting some of the off the beaten path attractions of the area. This time it was Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, which judging by the very few other people there, is an overlooked natural landscape northwest of Roswell, New Mexico. I cannot say it was the most stunning wetlands area I have ever taken my camera too, but it was a nice break from the harsh desert and boring cattle land views on the long drive back to Albuquerque.
Time and opportunity to see rare sights in New Mexico
My work as the most prolific rural land real estate photographer in New Mexico takes me to many out of the way places one may never normally see. For example, Berrendo Creek is probably not on the itinerary of many people who visit Roswell. It is far from the alien themed main street and easy to not even notice driving by the country road it is on. I actually remembered from when I was last here over 2 years ago, and this time I had the time to stop by while there was still some light left in the twilightsky. Such is how I get to see many things in New Mexico in just four years of residing here.
Returning to Socorro County New Mexico for rural land real estate photography for the first time in 2021, an area I have been to many times before, I knew what to expect. It would be windy, very windy, Google Maps would show roads where there is only open desert, and eventually, the cows would come home. I experienced all of the above, but those challenges did not stop me from getting the results the client wanted with the right combination of clouds, light, and sunset. If you would like to own these views, check out Hemingway Land.
Infinite Sand for Infinite Photographs at White Sands
There are some natural wonders that a photographer could live at and basically photograph for the rest of their life. Places like the Grand Canyon are obvious. For New Mexico, there may not be an immediate obvious choice, but to me. the obvious choice is White Sands. I have been there three times and each visit I found something the same, but different to photograph. Then there is the unique, open world construct of White Sands. There are no set paths you have to walk on, no established iconic photo of White Sands, which frees a photographer to wander and find their own iconic view of this expanse of white sand desert, distant mountains, and endless sky.
