New Mexico Photography: 6 Must-See Locations
New Mexico photography is a must for any landscape photographer. Known as the ‘Land of Enchantment’, and despite being one of the least photographed states in the western United States, it has some truly outstanding locations that are well worth a visit.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the best locations for photography in this fascinating state.
This vast desert state offers a wide variety of photographic opportunities for those willing to get off the beaten path of some of the more ‘cliché’ photo destinations in the rest of the West.
From historic cities to pristine landscapes, New Mexico has plenty of room for the curious photographer.
The summer season is hot but often cooled by afternoon monsoons. Winter is cold, with temperatures reaching below freezing, but it can provide beautiful photographic opportunities when snow blankets the desert landscape.
New Mexico is particularly well known for its stargazing and astrophotography opportunities, with a total of nine certified Dark Sky Places.
A combination of low population densities, high elevations, a dry climate, and plenty of clear nights allows this state to play host to wondrous night sky photography.
No matter what time of year you choose to visit, or what time of day you’re out with your camera, you’ll certainly find something to point your lens at in New Mexico.
Read more: Travel Checklist for Taking Your Camera Abroad
1. White Sands National Park
White Sands National Park is one of the most unique places in New Mexico. The gypsum dunes are the largest of their kind in the world and are certainly worth a visit.
Located just north of the Texas border, White Sands is most easily accessed by flying into the El Paso airport (ELP) and renting a car. The park is only an hour and a half from ELP.
Unlike most national parks in the U.S., White Sands has a gate that locks at night because it’s located within the White Sands missile range. The gate opening and closing times change with the season, so it is best to check the park’s website before your visit.
Once you’re in the park, you’ll find a wide variety of compositions, from long-range telephoto opportunities to ultra-wide landscapes.
White Sands is one of the most surreal places you will ever photograph, and it can be helpful to take your time when exploring the dunes.
Early morning and evening light tend to be the best, but the dunes can create some great results even in the middle of the day when there are interesting clouds in the sky.
Read more: Landscape Photography Guide to White Sands National Park, USA
2. Santa Fe and Taos
Santa Fe is known to be one of the most unique cities in America, and it also happens to be one of the most photogenic. From striking old adobe buildings to colorful gates and doors, walking through Santa Fe is like taking a step back in time.
While there are not many highly iconic locations in Santa Fe, there are countless photo opportunities throughout the city nonetheless.
The best way to explore Santa Fe is on foot, so you have time to notice the small nuances of the city. When downtown, don’t forget to check out The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi and the spiral staircase in the Loretto Chapel.
Taos could be described as a smaller version of Santa Fe with equally beautiful architecture and appeal. This quaint town has a variety of old buildings and wooden doors that are visually pleasing.
Perhaps the most famous landmark in Taos is the San Francisco de Asis Church, which was famously photographed by Ansel Adams. The building’s original construction began in 1772 and was completed in 1815.
If you make it to Taos, don’t forget to head over to the Taos Gorge for a fantastic view of the Rio Grande. This iconic location allows photographers to frame the gorge, bridge, and mountains into a single composition. The gorge is particularly photogenic at sunset during the monsoon season.
Read more: 10 Travel Photography Tips for Better Photos
3. Bandelier National Monument
Bandelier National Monument is just a short forty-five-minute drive from Santa Fe and is certainly worth a visit if you’re in the area. The monument is rich in history and protects a gorgeous canyon that was used for food and shelter by indigenous peoples for over 11,000 years.
The most recent inhabitants of the canyon were the ancestral Pueblo peoples, who built permanent dwellings within the cliff walls. Today, some of those structures still remain.
The park service has even installed a few photogenic ladders that make for interesting compositions, leading to irregularly shaped holes in the wall.
The park encompasses 33,000 acres, but the most photogenic features are relatively easily accessible via a loop trail. On this hike, you will encounter ancient dwellings, pictographs, and petroglyphs.
A short spur off the loop trail will take you to a well-preserved kiva, though the kiva itself has been closed, so you can no longer go inside. Access to the kiva is not for those with a fear of heights, as you will need to climb two very tall ladders to reach it.
Read more: Landscape Composition – Using Foreground to Create Depth
4. Bisti Badlands
The Bisti Badlands are one of the most unusual landscapes in New Mexico, and this area also has a rich cultural heritage. Walking through the area makes you feel as if you are on another planet.
Strange-looking hoodoos rise from hardened mud and are often capped with a large stone on top.
The badlands make for a great subject at sunrise as well as sunset. Astro photographers will also find plenty to shoot, with relatively little light pollution in the area.
A good wide-angle zoom will cover most photo opportunities within the Bisti Badlands, but you might consider bringing a mid-range zoom as well.
The Bisti Badlands are broken up into a few small sections of land and can be accessed with any high-clearance vehicle.
Do not attempt to visit the badlands if there has been heavy rain within the week because the ground turns to paste, and you will most likely get stuck in the thick mud. If you feel more comfortable, you can book a local Navajo guide to show you around the badlands.
Read more: How to Use Foreground for Better Star Photos
5. Carlsbad Caverns
Carlsbad Caverns has 120 known caves at present, with Lechuguilla Cave being the longest at a whopping 150 miles. Lechuguilla Cave is only open to researchers, so unfortunately, there will be no photo opportunities there.
Carlsbad Cavern (the name of the main cavern) is 32 miles long and partially accessible to the public. The park service has done a great job illuminating the cave with lights, making it relatively easy to photograph.
The Big Room is the largest single cavern chamber in North America. The Big Room trail is a 1.25-mile self-guided trail that allows photographers to take their time and really work the scene.
Tripods are only allowed on this trail and the ‘natural entrance’ trail, so this is a great place to concentrate your photographic efforts when visiting the park.
Tripods are banned from all other trails within the caverns, so you may want to brush up on your skills for photographing without one. Wide and mid-range lenses tend to be the most useful at Carlsbad Caverns.
Read more: Handheld Landscape Photography – Shooting Landscapes Without a Tripod
6. Chaco Culture National Monument
Located in northwestern New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Monument was a massive trade area for Indigenous Americans and was a thriving civilization for over three hundred years.
The ancient site was built to align with celestial objects, and its sheer size is impressive, to say the least.
If you’d like to capture the grand scale of Chaco, hike up the Alta Trail for a sweeping view of the entire pueblo complex, where you can see over eighteen kivas.
Once you’ve taken in the entire landscape, don’t forget to walk the ancient hallways of Pueblo Bonito, the best-preserved ruin in the monument. Repeating doorways make for some pretty incredible photographs.
Getting to Chaco Canyon is not easy. There are no major cities nearby, and Santa Fe is over three hours away. The dirt road leading to the monument can be washboarded quite badly, so you will have to plan accordingly if you want to photograph the park.
If you’re lucky, you may see wild horses on the dirt road leading to the monument, so drive slowly and keep an eye out for the beautiful creatures.
In conclusion
New Mexico is the fifth-largest state in the United States, so you can’t expect to see it all in one visit. My best advice would be to take your time and plan to visit one or two locations at a time to get the most out of your photography trip.
Think about the seasons and what type of weather is going to be the most conducive to the type of photographs you are trying to achieve—New Mexico has all four of them, and each one offers something special to the visiting landscape photographer.
From wild horses to rich cultural history, bold desert landscapes to magical dark skies, one thing is for certain: pick any location on this list, and you can be sure an “enchanted” photography adventure is waiting for you!
