Music of a Sunset

Photographing the Morada at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, nr. Santa Fe   Photograph by ©Tye Hardison

There is something magical about making pictures by the golden light of a New Mexico sunset. Words fail to describe the beauty. I had the good fortune the other day, to be photographing the Penitente morada (a kind of chapel) and graveyard on its rocky outcropping at El Rancho de las Golondrinas. The image below, an aide–mémoire of that beautiful moment, was made with a DJI drone by my steadfast assistant Tye Hardison.

Sometimes when I am watching a sunset, I will hear music. It can stir powerful emotions in me that sometimes overwhelm. One of my favorite composers, Claude Debussy once observed that “there is nothing more musical than a sunset.” From listening to his symphonies, I am sure that Monsieur Debussy heard the music of a sunset too.

P.S. El Rancho de las Golondrinas–“Ranch of the Swallows” is an incredible living museum that celebrates the history and culture of 18th and 19th century New Mexico. It is located just outside of Santa Fe.