White Solitude

There. Deep in the hear of nowhere it sat. Just so, at an angle designed to carefully shield the sun. It rested jauntily upon the top of a dune, a splash of color in the other otherwise desolate landscape. Actually, it was the only splash of color there, apart from the white and the blue of the distant mountains.

White Sands National Monument in southern New Mexico is a place like no other. Trackless, endless dunes of white gypsum sand stretch as far as the eye can see, and beyond. The solitude and the silence deep in the dune field is like no other, and the only sounds heard are those that you yourself make… and even then you are just swallowed up by the vastness. It seems that no matter how far you walk, how many dunes you climb, or how many times your feet step forward there is one more dune ahead of you. Perhaps that’s true, but there is, of course, the mountains in the distance to provide contrast.

Being out among the dunes gives you, however, a deep sense of peace and tranquility. Intellectually, you know the dunes do not stretch forever, yet in your heart and soul you know that they must.

For those who crave solitude, this is the place to be. Just don’t forget your umbrella.

Yucca Dune

The emptiness, when seen from just the right angle, is absolute and complete. The white gypsum sands stretch on for an infinity, never beginning, never ending, always continuing, always stretching, endless emptiness.

And in the middle of this, life always finds a way. Growing in the middle of nowhere and everywhere, the Yucca, alone on its dune, perseveres. It is undaunted by the endless emptiness and continues its race against the sands. Make no mistake about it, either, for it is a race against life. If this Soapstone Yucca cannot grow quick enough or tall enough, the shifting sands of the dune will eventually cover it, overwhelming it and consuming it.

In the White Sands National Monument, this race happens throughout the dune field, with many victors and many losers. Some dunes have a lot of participants on them–others, like this dune, sport just one isolated yucca, which is leading the way, perhaps, for others yet to follow. For now, though, the race for survival continues on this Yucca Dune; the sands continue to stretch on to infinity, the silence complete and the outcome far from certain.

Copper Sunset

Every now and then in the desert southwest a magical sunset will happen. You’ll know it when you see it, too, for it is completely unlike any other sunset. Take this sunset, for example.

One moment the sun is heading below the horizon, just as normal as you please. And the very next moment the sky itself is breathtaking. The copper and golden colors appeared in the blink of an eye; and for an all too brief moment the sky deepened and took on even more copper.

But the moment was just that: a moment. For the darkness stole the color and the sunset was just a sunset. Luckily, the moment was captured and the Copper Sunset shall live on.

There are different sizes of this photo available at our portfolio. Copper Sunset is available for purchase, as well, and you can have this print framed and delivered right to your door.

The sun made a last gasp and without warning dove behind the distant mountain. The world wasn’t quite ready to see it go, but the sun was done for the day and it was time for it to go home. The clouds were caught wholly unprepared and their myriad colors bore witness to their outrage at being left alone so quickly. For after all, the sun was not supposed to go quickly, but rather with plenty of fair warning. The clouds glowered, and vowed to stay lit all night long, if need be, until the sun came back and apologized.

The tree, however, stood fast, for it had suspect that the sun was up to something sneaky; it lost its own color very quickly, welcoming the night with an inky blackness all its own.

And before anyone else could do much of anything about it, darkness claimed them all.

Cañada Camada

Hoodoos in New Mexico. Who knew? How cool.

And we find those Hoodoos in the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, located somewhere between Santa Fe and the middle of nowhere. Then again, that describes many different locations in our wonderful state, but that is just part of our charm here.

This particular shot is from the Cañada Camada Overlook, which is more or less just outside of the National Monument. Or maybe still in it. The lines are a little fuzzy out there, at best, and so it is hard to say exactly–come to think of it, the roads are a little fuzzy, too. Either way, however, the overlook gives one a great view of many of the hoodoos of Tent Rocks.

What do you think about Black and White? Like it? Hate it? Love it? Think it went out of style with Ansel Adams? Let us know in the comments below!

This photo is available for purchase, in a variety of sizes and formats.