NM Snaps: Elaine A. Russell

Things in Light loves the sights and sounds of New Mexico. Our plentiful podcasts are an attempt to share our favorite sounds with y'all, but we recently realized that the sights of this beautiful, difficult land are underrepresented on the site. Inspired by the wealth of talented photographers in the land of enchantment, TiL presents the first in a new series showcasing the work of masterful Nuevo Mexicano shutterbugs, past and present. The above photo — of the volcanic West side landscape — was captured by local photographer Elaine A. Russell. Scroll on to read Russell's bio and enjoy a couple more of her terrific photos.

"Elaine A. Russell is a New Mexico photographer and artist. Since 2008, she has been writing a daily blog that showcases her unique vision of the world, as seen through her camera lens. She graduated from the New York Institute of Photography in 1990, and — although she was a nurse for over 17 years — has been focusing on her second career, art, since retiring in 2003. Her work has been published in magazines, calendars, and books. She was one of the original founders of The Wooden Cow Gallery in Albuquerque and has since moved to an online sales model. See more of her work at her blogsite, moonGipsies, and her Etsy store, moonGipsies Etsy."

The below smoky bosque sunset was captured by Russell in late-May. The contrast of the beauty of the bosque with oppressive wildfire smoke culminates in the emergence of the violet-pink blaze of the star we orbit, the sun. This photo seems particularly poignant given the Romero wildfire, which ignited during yesterday's summer solstice and has spread over 288 acres in the Corrales Bosque north of Albuquerque and on Sandia Pueblo land.

In the below photo, Russell captures remnants of the inner workings of the Albuquerque Rail Yards.