VLA Color

The day before our arrival at the Very Large Array saw some heavy rain, but when we got to the site in the early afternoon the temperature was up in the 50s and the sky partly cloudy.

Most of the huge dishes were arrayed close to the visitor viewing area and they were all initially pointing obliquely to the east.  Then, over the course of just a few minutes, all of the dishes moved together to a full vertical attitude.  It was a marvelously choreographed display which seemed curiously life-like.

The light and shadows were in a constant state of flux because of the passing clouds, and I was glad to have a camera with good auto exposure.  On my next visit I'll try to give more thought to the gear to take along.  I'm fine with 35mm for color, but I would also like to try some medium format for the black and white, along with a couple filters.

The village of Magdalena is 25 miles east of the VLA.  I stopped the car at the edge of town on the way home to snap a couple pictures.  The place  has a lot more to it than these pictures show of course.  There are several motels and an number of small cafes.  There are few blocks of shops along the main street and houses are generously spaced for about a mile around the town.  Women in traditional Navajo attire are often seen on the street.

There are marvelous scenic views all along the stretch of Highway 60 going from the VLA back to Socorro.  I'm hopeful of spending a good deal more time exploring the area with my cameras in the coming year.