It felt like it had been forever since I had just gotten away for a weekend. I quickly made plans and got everything together to head to the City of Rocks in New Mexico. This was a place that I had wanted to visit last year but was unable to because it was closed at the time.

After arriving and setting up camp, I had a look around. I found a large gap in the rocks with this tree growing in the middle not far from my campsite. I roughed out this composition and decided to return later that night to try shooting a timelapse. It was a clear peaceful night, and I enjoyed listening to an audiobook while my camera ran. This star trails image is one of my favorite photos I have put together yet!

The next morning I hiked some of the different trails and looked at all the different plant life that was around. The light was harsh, so I was shooting in black and white to help focus on the contrast between light and shadow, and the interesting shapes, textures, and patterns that I was seeing.

As I was hiking I came across a place where I could look through a gap in the rocks and see this windmill off in the distance. While this was a neat sight, I don’t think it translated well through the camera. A tighter, less complicated composition probably would have made for a better picture, but experimenting with the surroundings and trying to capture what I was seeing was still fun.

That evening I was treated to a great sunset! I was able to frame up this scene of the landscape leading away from the City of Rocks. I was standing at the state park’s welcome center, so I used my long lens to take advantage of its reach and not diminish the mountains in the distance. As the sun was setting it gave a beautiful glow to the hill and mountains while casting the foreground and rock formations in shadow. I love the colors and contrast in this image!

All weekend I had been eying this rock formation that resembles a rabbit. I decided to make it the subject of my final image on my last morning there. I like the little blush that the sunrise gave the sky, but I should have been more patient and waited for the sun to light up the rock formation. What can I say, I hadn’t had breakfast yet, and I was hungry.

The City of Rocks is a one-of-a-kind location, and this escape was exactly what I needed. If you ever get a chance, definitely give this place a visit. If you’d like to see more of the City of Rocks and my time there, then don’t miss the video below. Until next time, bye for now.