Yesterday we visited the Santa Fe Farmer´s Market in the Railyard district and on to extend our insights about Georgia O´Keeffe and took in Abiqui where she had her home and Ghost Ranch where tours are possible sponsored by the O´Keeffe Foundation and Museum in Santa Fe. It ´s more than worth the trip and entrance fee to see the places that inspired her to paint such magnificent works of art.

Back in town we visited the Andrew Smith Gallery  for masterpieces of Photography in its new home at 122 Grant Street, right around the corner from the O´Keeffe Museum. I had a great talk with John Boland, one of the owners and viewed such fantastic masterpieces of black & white photography from such  famous photographers as Yousef Karsh, Arnold Newman, Edward Curtis, Minor White and Ansel Adams to name just a few. A highlight for anyone interested in seeing, and maybe owning the work of some of the greatest photograohers of all time.

So today we are taking the “the high Road to Taos” planning stops at the legendary Santuario de Chimayo, a shrine built in 1813-1816 said to be the “Lourdes of America” due to the miraculous healing properties of its “holy earth”.

We will do a little back tracking and head up to Oja Caliente for a pampering massage and dip in the hot mineral springs, then on to Taos to the Pueblos there and the long drive on to Durango, Colorado where we will take the famous narrow gauge Railroad ride thru the mountains to Silverton.

….so now its up,up and away on the high road…..back soon with more news about the amazing Southwest.

Up early and on the old Route 66 as far as it is allowed…now the new Interstate 40 is the the alternative (speed Vs. charm & visual bon-bons) not a good trade-off, but thats what “progress” does…convenience at the cost of tradition and depth….fast-food culture….quick and dirty.

We took the old “Turquiose Trail” route through Golden, Madrid and Ce3rrillos….all three worth a day each to explore the “old Southwest”. We arrived in Santa Fe in the middle of the afternoon and drove through the Old Town filled with brightly colored shops,art galleries and wonderful cafés full of  delightful scents of freshly baked cakes and pasteries and pots of freshly brewed coffee…knowing will would have to return later for a real southwest calorie orgy!

We arrived at our hotel “Inn On The Alameda” in the heart of the art district right next to the green lush park area with the Santa Fe river running parallel to the hotel property. Such a wonderful mix of southwest landscaping and architecture! We were greeted by friendly professional staff and invited to spend an hour at the bar for wine & cheese tasting…mmm what a welcome!

After bringing the luggage to our room, we were more than pleasantly surprised at the spacious and tastefully styled interiors and spacious terraces, all in the best quality southwestern style integrating the adobe style architecture with the lush green natural surroundings…an oasis in good taste and laid back southwestern hospitality.

Jetlag, the extreme climate differences and the lack of helpful car rental personnel couldn´t dampen my feelings deep inside the kept saying “Home Sweet Home!”  Picking up the white Sebring convertible and off into the desert night….dead tired, in total zombie modus, the fresh warm desert air was a mild inkling of what the Valley of the Sun was to hold ready for”homies”  and visitors alike in just a few short hours at sunrise.

Luckily we had reserved our room long in advance online at the Hospitality Suite Resort …it was the last room available due to President Obama coming into town to give the commencement speech at Arizona State University. What an Uproar!  approximately 8000 graduates, their families and friends and faculty…Sun Devil Stadium packed full with 71,000 people in the scorching desert heat (ca.110° F)

Fell into bed and dropped off to sleep within seconds only to be awakened in what felt like minutes from the chirping of the birds outside my window…all new and different from the sounds that awaken me back in Germany….the journey has begun.

• Will Donnelly is my name & photography is my game, as far back as I can remember…but the career, profession, passion is only a part of the whole.. Im interested in many different themes and hopefully this blog will give you a taste from all of them.. photography, fine art and culture in all forms, health & wellness, alternative medicine,self-improvement, coaching and internet marketing. Music and Film, tennis and formula one racing are some of my interests in my free time. You can see some of my commercial photography at
• www.fotostudio-donnelly.de and both commercial and fine art
• www.photostudio-donnelly.com

Ok, moving on into the “Why” of this blog…

I´ve  been a military photojournalist in Viet Nam, a commercial photographer in Los Angeles, a fashion photographer woldwide and always doing travel and fine art photography in between. Ive been in my studio many years and have yearned to do much more in the area of fine art ( I have recently taken part in a group show in Duesseldorf, Germany as a member of the German Chapter of the British Royal Photography Society www.rps.org) This was a wonderful experience, not only visually but on the personal side… Ive made some very good friends inside this group, and we offer critic and support without the envy or jealousy that one find so often in the commercial side of photography.

In this Blog I will try to cover the areas Ive mentioned above, but the first function will be to document a trip that begins in Duesseldorf and will last 15 days traveling to the American Southwest. Im doing this as a combination of travel report, a fine art photography exercise and a vacation. I will build a tour for Europeans who wish to discover my favorite part of America…first stop is Phoenix and Scottsdale , Arizona. Then on to New Mexico, Colorado, back thru northern Arizona and crossing the Hoover Dam and on to Las Vegas which is where we catch our flight back to the “old country”.

So, this seems a bit long- winded to me, but there is so much to mention to lay the proper groundwork. So I think I will call it quits for today and will be back soon with the “first steps” of this hopefully interesting journey and will enrich “the Quality of your Life”