Category: Today’s Photo

Today’s Photo

This is a portion of the San Jose Bell found in the San Miguel Church in Santa Fe. The full inscription reads: San Jose, Rogad por nosotros Agosto 9 de 1356 (Saint Joseph pray for us August 9 1356). Was the bell cast in 1356 and brought to Santa Fe in 1812 as some claim — or was it cast locally in 1836 or 1856 as others say?

San Miguel Church claims to be the oldest church in the United States, built between 1610 and 1628 over a kiva that dates from at least 1200. Mass is still said in the church, which has been rebuilt several times, most notably after the Spanish returned to New Mexico following the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, and currently.

Photo taken with an iPhone 3G today.

Today’s Photo

This is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe. The cathedral was built from 1869-1887 under the direction of Bishop John Baptiste Lamy — it was constructed around the church built on the site in 1714. The spires were never completed.

The Cathedral of St. Francis was designated a basilica by the pope in 2005 (a basilica being a church of particular importance).

At its founding 400 years ago, Santa Fe was designated La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís (the Royal Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi).

Photo taken with an iPhone 3G this evening just before 8. The tones were much richer to the eye than those captured by this image. All the same, you might want to click on the image for the larger version.

Today’s Photo

A portion of San Felipe de Neri church at Plaza Vieja (Old Town), Albuquerque. The church was built in 1793 and, for the most part, stands pretty much as constructed. It is still a consecrated church and serves the parish of the same name established in 1706. Photo taken today with an iPhone 3G. The photo has not been edited.

Today’s Photo Bonus Photo

Playing around with Aperture 3, Apple’s advanced photo management software, I applied the faces feature to an album of photos taken at various zoos. Faces scans photos and identifies what it thinks are human faces. You can then identify the various faces to create collections for individuals among your photos. It’s fun, if imperfect.

The only “face” the application found among the zoo photos was this one, a tiger at the Denver Zoo. Gotta admit, an impressive face. The picture was taken in May 2004.

Today’s Photo

It was a beautiful night for a ballgame Tuesday — temperature 82º at game time, dropping into the 70s. Alas, the Isotopes left nine men on base and lost to the Reno Aces 3-0. Photo taken with an iPhone 3G from row L. Ticket price: $14. (Though parking at UNM across the street is no longer free. It was $5.)

Today’s Photo

The Statue of Freedom atop the United States Capitol. This photo was taken September 8, 2001. It’s not the sharpest photograph ever of the statue, though not too bad for a hand-held 10X optical zoom. I just happen to like the blue sky and that I took it three days before 9-11. It’s today’s photo because the inscription on the base is E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One). The phrase was once considered the motto of the United States, but alas is now forgotten by some Americans altogether.

Today’s Photo

Detail from Newspaper Rock in southeastern Utah outside the Needles entrance to Canyonlands National Park. According to the nearby sign, some of the petroglyphs date from more than 2,000 years ago. Photo taken March 28, 2010. (Beginning today, you make click on the Today’s Photo image for a larger version.)

Today’s Photo

It was 15 years ago that the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed, killing 168 people and injuring 500. NewMexiKen has been to the Memorial three times and recommends you go (and to the nearby museum). I created an album with 12 photos taken in 2006 at this striking, yet somber place; it’s just below. Today’s photo was one I took in May 2008.

[portfolio_slideshow id=10922 timeout=0 nav=bottom]

Today’s Photo

This photo of Delicate Arch in Arches National Park was taken 16 days ago. Delicate is the arch depicted on the Utah centennial license plate. We arrived too late to make the three-mile roundtrip hike to the Arch (you can see a few people who did in the photo). This was taken at the end of a half-mile uphill climb with a telephoto lens from another vantage point approximately 0.6 miles from the Arch. Hand-held, no tripod.

Today’s Photo

Good photos at the Grand Canyon are both easy to take — the place is after all Grand — and difficult to take — the scale is so great, the air is sadly too often hazy. This photo was taken from Yavapai Point just before sunset two weeks ago this evening. You can see the muddy Colorado River (just a triangle) deep in the Canyon, the green of the Phantom Ranch area toward the upper right, and the trail to Plateau Point (the scar across the Plateau on the left).