Sculpted Adobe: The Rear Buttresses in Black and White
The Sculpted Curves of Ranchos de Taos
Framing Form and Shadow
I must confess that I probably never would have had this location on my radar without Ansel Adams or Georgia O'Keeffe, who both captured it in their own ways in the mid-20th century. My goal was to go there and give it a go myself, and headed for Taos, New Mexico. This one had to be done in black and white, not because Ansel Adams did, but this is a study of form, texture, shadows, and light. Throughout the day, the shadows change and photographs turn out completely different from blue hour in the morning through blue hour in the evening.
History Etched in Mud
The iconic San Francisco de Asis Mission Church, located just southwest of Taos in the historic plaza of Ranchos de Taos, was built between 1772 and 1816. Constructed entirely of sun-dried adobe brick, it stands as one of the finest and most heavily photographed examples of Spanish Colonial mission architecture in the American Southwest. Its massive, undulating mud-plastered buttresses at the rear provide incredible structural support while creating sweeping organic curves that pull in the desert light. Every summer, the local parish and community gather for the enlucido, a traditional communal re-plastering of the exterior walls with mud to protect the building from the elements.
Looking Back Through a Closer Lens
Since my first time visiting this San Francisco de Asis Adobe Church, I've been back twice, and this is not my best attempt at capturing it, it is my first attempt. I spent a lot of time here looking at it from all angles, and while I like this version of the rear of the church, I think I like some of my more recent photos a little better because they zoom in a little closer and are much more abstract. It goes to show that sometimes you need to sit with a subject for a while before you really figure out what story you are trying to tell with your lens. More recent photos of this location will be in a future post.
Explore More of My Adventures
While hiking near the Fire Wave in Valley of Fire State Park, a striking display of colorful sandstone bands stopped us in our tracks. Read the story behind this desert abstract photograph.