Perfect. Utterly classic. The Kit Carson Museum in Rayado, New Mexico is basically a restored working hacienda. All the rooms are set up like they would have been in the 1840s with period furniture, buffalo hide rugs, everything authentic. Not pristine at all, but dusty and dim, a little bit disordered. It looks like the residents just stepped out. I was so impressed.
Philmont Scout Ranch, just up the road, has owned the property since the 1950s. It’s a powerfully peaceful place. One reason is the staff, mainly scouts and local female hires in the summer, who wear period costumes and give private guided tours. These people know their history and speak in complete sentences. That threw me off a bit at first, but now I get it. They’re working in a replica hacienda, right? Well, it’s 1848 and no one has a phone! No one anywhere was scrolling through his messages or listening to music. These fine young men and women look you in the eye and pay attention. It was heavenly, I tell you. Kudos to Philmont and the people of New Mexico. One damn fine undertaking all around, and all completely free.
John Hamilton Farr lives at 7,000 feet in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, U.S.A. As New York Times best-selling author James C. Moore tells it, John is “a man attuned to the world who sees it differently than you and I and writes about it with a language and a vision of life that is impossible to ignore.” This JHFARR.COM site is the master writing archive. To email John, please see CONTACT INFO on .png)
Over the years you have offered us some truly fine photographs of your majestic and intimate environs and your wanderings. I have relished them. This photograph of the chickens in the doorway strikes me as museum quality. You have captured a moment and an arrangement that is quirky, evocative, indelible, eloquent and spare –I love it. I easily hear the sounds of boots and spurs on the old wood floors. Thank you.
You’re most welcome! In fact, you motivated me to add the “Buy This Photo” link. I’ve gotten lazy because believe it or not, no one buys any of these. No doubt I could stand to post the best ones at another photo-selling website or publish some photo books. All of this is in the hopper, so to speak.
This particular shot took a couple of hours to get right. You wouldn’t believe how many times I cropped and recropped, adjusted this and that… In the end, the eye is the final arbiter. Glad it worked for you this time!
agreed! you could sell large framed prints of this one, John. well, i’d buy one at least… 😀
haha, as i was typing that last comment you were typing your reply to Beckey and adding the link! heading over…
btw i should mention on the site when you select the different sizes/ratios for prints you get different croppings on top of what you already did that alter the composition of the original. just fyi…
Right. But some sizes do match my crop.
and i imagine that’s another extra factor of hassle in the whole “crop/recrop/adjust/this/that/eye” process is taking those options into account so the shot at least still kinda works in the non-original aspect ratios… or probably not? (great, now i’ve probably given you a whole new thing to fuss/obsess over! 😉 )
No, I’m only concerned for my best effort.
just ordered a 10×15 styrene-mounted lustre-finish print. i’ll send a pic & report when it arrives! 🙂
Why, thank you! 🙂
and goddamn hellzbellzonastick!!! now i’ve noticed all the other “buy this photo!” links!!!!! the thought of a nice big print of that Cloud Song one in metallic finish… and my bday is in a couple weeks… 😉
oh and speaking of, belated Happy Nagasaki Day to you! 🙂
Go for it! I get lazy putting them all in (the links), but all you have to do is visit the “PHOTOS” link in the nav bar.
Great picture of those cute Rhode Island Reds!
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