I WAS ALREADY in sweats and slippers when my wife, Kathleen, started seeing photos of the northern lights over Santa Fe on social media. “Should we try to see them?” she asked, somewhat unconvinced and rather comfortable herself. “Who knows when we might get another chance?”
It was after 10 p.m., and the November night had gotten chilly. I scrolled through a few of the images on Instagram and knew she was right. We should at least try. So we hopped in the car and headed away from the residential lights. Almost immediately, the faint glow of the aurora borealis appeared just over the horizon. We parked on the side of the road and began snapping away on our cellphones.
We each captured a few nice images of the aurora’s deep reds and purples. But I wondered if we could do better. Most of what I’ve learned about photography has come from working alongside some amazingly talented art directors and soaking up whatever advice I can during our annual New Mexico Magazine Photo Awards judging sessions.
As I looked at my camera roll, I could almost hear longtime judge Wayne Suggs in my head, urging me to find something more dynamic to include in the foreground. I remembered a little park off Old Santa Fe Trail that might work, so we headed that way.
Lauren Baca’s "Where Enchantment Dwells" took the grand prize in the 25th Annual Photo Awards.
At Amelia White Park, the tall, pale column of the Korean Conflict Memorial and long garden trellis offered some exciting points of interest for our amateur night-sky photo pursuits, though the final results hardly rival the images of this year’s winners. (Don’t miss Aaron Lewis’s shots of the aurora over the expansive Valles Caldera National Preserve.) But I definitely have a better understanding of the effort and talent it takes to rise to that level.
In fact, our little northern-lights endeavor offered just a small taste of the adrenaline fueled work of storm-chasing couple Lauren and Timothy Baca, who each earned awards in this year’s contest, including Lauren’s grand-prize-winning Where Enchantment Dwells.
“Living here in New Mexico, there’s so many amazing landscapes and subjects to photograph,” Timothy says. The true art, however, is what the Bacas and the other entrants bring to that breathtaking backdrop of New Mexico.
“There’s a difference between just taking a photograph and having someone really connect with it,” adds Lauren. “I think that’s what makes a good photographer—someone who can really create that connection.”
Don't miss our Photos of the Year, highlighting photographers who captured New Mexico at its best.
SEE FOR YOURSELF
For the 10th consecutive year, Tularosa Basin Gallery of Photography, in Carrizozo, will host an exhibition featuring the winners. The opening weekend, January 30–February 1, includes artist appearances and refreshments. As the largest photo gallery in the state, Tularosa Basin Gallery features the work of more than 40 New Mexico photographers. The gallery is open Friday through Sunday and by appointment.
