Ghost Ranch (again)

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I'm afraid that many of my posts from Ghost Ranch will just be a lot of photos. I'm so taken with the light here, I can't seem to stop shooting.

Then I look around and realize that everyone is shooting the exact same pictures.

Other photographers stand in the same locations I do.

I look in the gift shop and see postcards and prints of the same subjects I'm shooting.

I look online and see shots that are so superior to mine, why do I bother?

I wish I could understand why I feel compelled to take pictures . . .

I guess it's to remind me of my own experiences of these places.

Whatever the reason, here are a few more shots. Remember to click on the umages, these black and whites in particular look better at a higher resolution.

As you probably know, the skull is the symbol of Ghost Ranch. In days gone by, there was no marker on the road. If you knew the secret, you turned at the unmarked gate with the animal skull. These were frequently stolen, so different skulls were used. When Georgia O'Keeffe painted a cow skull (although some say it is an ox, I can't quite be sure), this became the official logo for Ghost Ranch.

I'm sure this isn't the original skull, but I love the symmetry. It hangs in front of Ghost House (which I'm sure I'll get around to telling you about at some point).


Since I'm posting on Sunday Morning, I thought I'd include this shot I took inside the chapel. The windows face Pedernal, a striking landmark that is visible from most of Ghost Ranch.

Pedernal has a rich history, sacred to the Native Americans and beloved by Georgia O'Keeffe, who included it in many of her paintings.

This shot was taken
along the path
we walk every day to the dining hall.

New Mexico skies, what can I say?

My one color entry for today. I've been so immersed in black and white, I was sort of shocked when I looked at this shot. This is SOOC (straight out of the camera) except for sizing. I was going to transfer it to black and white, but the blue was so vivid I decided to keep it.

Again, these skies.
In the bottom of the shot,
you can see the skull hanging under the eaves.

A final shot.
I got up at 5AM and took this
just as the sun was brightening the sky.

As always,