Landscapes- Bonito Lake

My passion for photography started when I was 17. I remember random things in my life and the moment I wanted to be a photographer is one of those random memories. My family and I were driving back from a weekend trip in Ruidoso, NM. The trees were changing colors and every time we made a turn in the road, I had my mom pull over so I could take a picture. The changing of the trees in the mountains was my defining moment, my spark, my "aha" moment! Right then I asked my mom for a SLR camera. I had no clue what SLR stood for, but I knew it was a camera professionals used to take great pictures, and I wanted to take great pictures too!

For Christmas that year, I got a Canon Rebel SLR(film camera). I LOVED that camera! I used so much film the first day taking pictures of ducks at a wildlife refuge. They're weren't the "great" pictures I had planned on, but it was still exciting to use such an awesome camera! 1 year later, they created the digital camera-ugh! I hated the idea of a digital camera! They cost over $1000, they took the fun out of developing film, and they were too high tech! I refused to ever buy a digital camera! Well,3 digital SLR cameras, 4 digital cameras, and 10 years later, I think I like digital cameras!

The pictures below are of Bonito Lake outside Ruidoso, NM. I hadn't been up to the lake in years, so I stopped one day while I was working in the area. It was early January and had been a cold winter so far. I was in total shock to see the lake completely frozen. January-2010

While I was working in the Ruidoso area in June, I stopped at Bonito Lake again to see what it looked like without it being frozen. It was gorgeous...again! I loved the colors. It's now one of my favorite places to go and get away for a few hours.

June-2010