“The Road Less Traveled” caught my eye one autumn afternoon. If not for the number 5 on the fence post, you would never know anyone lived at the end of this dirt road. The basics were all there - the long dirt road leading to an unknown destination; the late afternoon shadows; the coyote fence. All I did was crop, enhance the fall colors a bit, and then apply a sky shot as a filter to add to the mystery. My friend and mentor Ruth Butler taught me about using sky filters, a technique I have used often since. This image is one of my favorites - and one of my viewers’ favorites as well. It was chosen by Music in Corrales as one of their images for the web site, poster and program. Take a look here.

“Navajo Star Cave”: A large overhang in Sandoval County, NM. It contains a star ceiling 50' above the floor with birds, animals and numerous cross-shaped images that represent celestial bodies to the Navajo people (Diné). Starting in the 1700s, the Diné began creating these star ceilings in relatively inaccessible places. Stars are considered to be protective and these sacred sites are  still visited. The site is reached by four miles of bad road into the canyon, a challenge even in dry weather.