Blog Archives
candles (plan view)
There are some things I will almost always photograph; there’s not any particular thread that connects them (as far as I can tell) (and I don’t want to frighten any of you by sharing that list) so I’ll just mention that candles at religious places are definitely included.
el santuario de Chimayó
Chimayó, New Mexico
photographed 7.2.2024
in the weeds
You probably already know that if there’s a cemetery around I will definitely go and see what I can find. And here in Chimayó, the cemetery is bordered by two streets, one cliff, and a little farmyard that had a cow and a rooster and maybe a goat or two. And this weather-worn statue was so close enough to the cow that they could have had a conversation.
Chimayó, New Mexico
photographed 7.2.2024
javier y la virgen
At one of the shrines at the sacred place, I saw a pair of tiny socks hanging with a rosary, a cord bracelet, a safety pin, and a medallion that says “Italy.” And sorrow – there seems to be a lot of sorrow there, too.
el santuario de Chimayó
Chimayó, New Mexico
photographed 7.2.2024
covering all the (merchandising) bases
What a place! It’s like the WalMart of Chimayó, practically, with the availability of santos, woodcarvings, popsicles, t-shirts, art, books. I mean, what else could you possibly need?
Also, don’t those commas on the stucco wall look like they were added by some kind of ad hoc sign-corrector person?*
Chimayó, New Mexico
photographed 3.16.2019
*It wasn’t me. It was that way when I got there. I promise.
even the crosses had a graveyard
One of the things I’ve always liked to photograph when I visit the sacred site of Chimayó are all the offerings left by other visitors. This time, the fence that usually held hundreds of crosses and other mementos wasn’t even there and the other places were penitents left shoes, or prayers rolled into tiny pieces of paper, or all the crucifixes and crosses hung on any available surface stripped clean. I have not been able to find out why the things were gone, but they were and the place felt different, less personal, less emotional. And the faith and sorrow of the previous visitors seemed to have evaporated.
All I could find were some worn crosses leaning on the parking-lot side of the fence, sort of like they’d been banished to a cross-graveyard.
el santuario de Chimayó
Chimayó, New Mexico
photographed 5.15.2022
One Day | One Image 