I haven't been to many inland sand dunes in my life, but White Sands National Monument seemed special to me. I love the miniature dune-like wave patterns in the sand, caused by wind. These aren't present the beach dunes I've seen, probably because they are usually accompanied by throngs of tourists. Here, in the relative stillness, the fractal nature of the dunes are revealed. In physics, a fractal means something that exhibits similar repetitive patterns even when viewed at vastly different scales. As the wind shifts around the sands, it creates giant piles of sands, with peaks and valleys -- the dunes themselves. It also does the same thing at a smaller scale, creating these mini-dunes on the sand's surface.

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The deserts of White Sands New Mexico may look barren, but they teem with life. If you are there in the heat of day, you will see almost nothing. Maybe a few bugs, if you're lucky. Most of the creatures are hiding in a burrow, to escape the intense heat and sun. As an aside, the animals don't have to burrow very deep, because the gypsum sand stays remarkably cool to the touch! But when night comes, the area becomes far more active. If you arrive at dawn, you can catch a glimpse of the normally-hidden wildlife, even if it's just their tracks in the sand. But you have to arrive early, because they soon get hidden by the wind and multitudes of trudging tourists.

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White Sands reminds me of going skiing. Do you remember how if you wake up early enough, and are among the first few people making your way up the ski lift, you can look down below and see the countless animal tracks of all sizes, forged in the stillness of night, soon to disappear under the myriad of skiers? White Sands National Monument, near Alamogordo, New Mexico, is the same way. The tracks which show up in the sand dunes overnight are just as varied in size as those on the ski slopes, though they tend to range from tiny to medium, instead of small to large. And instead of it being the skiers who will ultimately hide these tracks, here it’s the wind that comes with the scorching desert sun.

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In this piece you can see the rolling gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument, New Mexico, with the beautiful Sacramento Mountains in the background. This photograph plays a bit of a trick on you. The moderate brightness of the dunes, coupled with the dark sky, seem to convince the viewer that this is likely a nighttime photograph. But in reality, it's not. It's the only photograph where the title is intentionally misleading, in order to further the ambiance of the image. In reality, this photograph was taken at near midday, with the sun almost directly overhead. The gypsum is so reflective, that the dunes were far brighter than even the desert sky. Thus, exposing for the sand yielded a dark sky. You can tell orientation of the sun by looking at the dunes, where the shadows are only present on the vertical wall of sand.

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This was my first time visiting the Very Large Array (VLA), located in Socorro New Mexico, at sunset. I really had no idea what to expect. I mostly thought that I would only get to play with how the sun inter-played with the huge satellite dishes. But, to my surprise (and delight) there were some nice mountains in the distance. The sky was also rather devoid of clouds, which was a bit disappointing... except for some clouds hovering around the mountains in the distance. You can get a better feel for how far away these features really were in this photograph: VLA at Sunset – Socorro, New Mexico. This is a good example of why it's always important to bring long lenses. I was fairly certain the VLA would require the widest lens I have, but I wasn't expecting all the intrigue to be so far away.

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The Very Large Array (VLA) is located pretty much in the middle of nowhere. The nearest town is Socorro, New Mexico, but it is tiny, and fifty miles away. But the remote desert is the perfect place for radio telescopes such as this. The dry atmosphere leads to stronger extraterrestrial signals due reduced water vapor interference. It also makes the nights eerily lonely, a feeling only amplified by these giant instruments probing the depths of space. The VLA at sunset, and the surrounding landscape in general, comes to stunning life... but minutes from now a piercing darkness will take over, as if to encourage contemplation of the beyond.

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At the time I was taking this photograph, I had not yet learned the weather patterns of the Chihuahuan Desert. Actually, I hadn't learned much about Albuquerque at all. All I knew was that a storm was brewing, and bad weather is the time for good photographs. Albuquerque turned out to prove this mantra even more than usual. As I was racing to find a location, a famed New Mexico summer monsoon outpaced me overhead. Most of the precipitation did not even reach the ground, but rather evaporated in middair -- a phenomenon known as virga. As sunset neared, the sunlight reached just the right angle to be filtered by the virga, creating a bright desert double rainbow while simultaneously lighting up the clouds and the dramatic Sandia Mountains bright gold. It was one of the most stunning light displays I've ever seen.

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Believe it or not, you can find this beautiful scene of a dense aspen grove and blooming wildflowers only a few hours outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you never make it out of southern New Mexico, it's easy to believe the entire state is desert. However, just a bit to the north it becomes remarkably lush. The area pictured here is near the Valles Caldera National Preserve, an ancient volcanic landscape. Unlike the desert to the south, the volcanic soil here is quite fertile, and the landscape refreshingly green. Valles Caldera is a place I recommend to anyone visiting New Mexico. It's unlike any place I've ever been. In addition to being an ancient active volcano, there is still volcanic activity bubbling under the surface. In fact, it's classified as a "super-volcano" -- along with Yellowstone, one of only two in the USA. However, unlike Yellowstone, the shape of the volcano is still evident. A massive ridge from a previous explosion surrounds the entire park (the "caldera" which gives the park its name).

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"Land of Enchantment" is the state motto of New Mexico. It is truly a fitting motto, what with the state's remarkable sunsets, storied history, and phenomenal geology. Truth be told, I came away with many photographs that deserve this same title. There is enchantment around every corner. But if one scene deserved the title above all the others, this was it. As a summer monsoon swept through Albuquerque, I set out with my camera, racing the sunset. I found my vantage point - the base of the dramatic Sandia Mountains - and was just in time for one heck of a light show. The sun dipped below the clouds, and lit up the virga (rain which evaporates before hitting the ground) as if switching on a light. Then appeared the brightest double rainbow I've ever seen, seemingly only a hundred yards away. Combined with the golden foothills and towering Sandias, I felt like I was on the set of an epic movie. It was one of those experiences that sticks with you forever, whether you photograph it or not.

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New Mexico is very a good place for a radio telescope like the Very Large Array. Because the atmosphere is so dry, it doesn't interfere with the radio waves as much. This is why most large telescopes are in deserts or on tall mountains. But unlike some deserts, New Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert does get its share of monsoons in summer. The scene pictured here was after a string of several such storms. I headed down to the VLA from Albuquerque hoping for some interesting skies, not at all knowing that I would catch a glimpse of the normally-barren landscape teeming with new, green life. The landscape was so lush that for a few minutes, I even forgot that I was there to shoot the VLA!

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