New Mexico and the Rio Grande river

Late September / October is one of the most beautiful times of year to visit New Mexico, the temperature is mild 70s to 80s, often with a breeze. Today Ted and I drove up the gorge, north from Santa Fe towards Taos - about a 40 mile trip - to enjoy the day.

Here is a photo from today of the Rio Grande gorge. Light rapids great for white water rafting - guides are available.

Here is a selection of books on New Mexico and Southwest from our shelves

Souvenirs from the Roadside West Southwest Tales from the 70s Photos Richard Ansaldi Our Price: $10.95 1 in stock!		Wigwam Stories Turn of Century Stories Collected from North American Indians 1915 Illustrations M. C. Judd Our Price: $31.99 1 in stock!		The Centuries of Santa Fe New Mexico History by Paul Horgan Our Price: $8.95 1 in stock!
A tribute in word and photo to small town folk, some folk who remembered arriving in covered wagons at the turn of the century, mom and pop souvenir stands and restaurants that catered to the weary traveler along the dusty desert byways.		A collection of stories collected from Native Americans by Mary Catherine Judd from various tribes around North America illustrated by photogravure plates, from around the turn of the century 1895		Well respected New Mexican historian regales us with tales from the annuals of Santa Fe history. Santa Fe is the oldest capital (400 years) in the United States. It was the capital of the New World for Spain as early as the 1600s.
Eye of the West Photographs by Nancy Wood Grass Roots People Taos Indian Ute Tribe Colorado Portrait Sale Price: $22.95 1 in stock!		Savoring the Southwest Roswell New Mexico Symphony Cookbook Hard Cover Sale Price: $13.49 1 in stock!		Charles M. Russell Amon Carter Museum Artist Monograph Limited Edition Sale Price: $15.29 1 in stock!
The subjects chosen for this breathtaking book are Taos Pueblo people, the Ute Indians, and the Grass Roots People of Colorado		from the town best known for its alien connection, their rendition of fine cuisine and good cooking, showcase of local art and artists		17 full color plates plus one sketch, essay on the works and life of Charles M Russell by Carol Clark
Frederic Remington Amon Carter Museum Artist Monograph Limited Edition Sale Price: $15.29 1 in stock!		Ghost Dancing by James Magnuson First Edition Sale Price: $13.46 1 in stock!		American Preservation Magazine Featuring Santa Fe and Georgetown Historic March - April 1980 Sale Price: $10.76 1 in stock!
16 full color plates plus one sketch, essay on the works and life of Frederic Remington by Ron Tyler		Part thriller, part fable, part ghost story, " Ghost Dancing" is tightly plotted and rich in psychological complexity, a story of the healing of wounds, both personal and historical.		Magazine dedicated to historic preservation, this issue focuses on Georgetown and Santa Fe, NM
El Palacio Magazine Back Issue Nov 2001 Art, History and Culture of the Southwest - free ship Sale Price: $8.96 1 in stock!		El Palacio Magazine Back Issue 1952 - Vol 59 Twelve issues Hard bound Art, History and Culture of the SW Sale Price: $98.96 1 in stock!		The Conquest of Don Pedro by Harvey Fergusson New Mexico Historical Fiction 1950 Sale Price: $14.36 1 in stock!
Photographing the Hopi, Publishing Zuni, Fur and Feather Blankets, Functional objects and Fantastic Forms		Hard Bound volume of all 12 issues from 1952, illustrated with photographs, line drawings and maps		The Conquest of Don Pedro is the story of Leo Mendes, his successes and his failures, in the days following the Civil War, in New Mexico, as he battles to create a spot for himself in Santa Fe.
If Mountains Die New Mexico Mexico Journey Text by John Nichols Photographs by William Davis Our Price: $8.95 1 in stock!		New Mexico Rio Grande and other Essays by Tony Hillerman Photography David Muench Robert Reynolds Sale Price: $12.56 2 in stock!		Facing Southwest The Life and Houses of John Gaw Meem Architecture Sale Price: $37.79 1 in stock!
Highly recommended for both images and photography - let this book take you on a journey.		Hard Cover, USED with light wear to DJ. 112, full color photos - book in near fine condition		As an architect, Meem bought the Spanish-Pueblo style to maturity, created his own brand of regional classicism - the Territorial Revival - and worked to reconcile Modernism with southwestern traditions, notably in his innovative solar adobe houses.

Series VI Filters Adapters Photo Accessories

Have a vintage camera you love but cannot find filters to fit the lens? Want to attach a lens hood to your vintage camera but there is no thread to attach a hood?

Consider exploring the world of Series camera accessories. Series accessories were developed pre-WWII and used extensively through the 1970s as a way to cut down on the expense of film camera accessories, especially over a range of non standard camera sizes. The idea was that you could purchase a full set of filters, hoods and other accessories in one series and through the use of adapter rings, adapt them across a narrow range of cameras.

On our website Songofsnow Books & Photo, at www.songofsnow.com, we carry some adapters and filters that are designated as:

(Clicking on the size will take you to our site to see our current inventory in that designation)

Series V- Series 5 (27.6mm)

Series VI- Series 6 (41.3mm)

Series VII- Series 7 (50.8mm)

Series VIII- Series 8 (63.5mm)

Series IX - Series 9 (82.6mm)

In addition to Series designation you will also find thread pitch designation such as M49 to F55 or 42 SO series 6.

F (fine) 0.5mm

M (medium) 0.75mm

SO (slip over - see image) teeth on one side of filter that can be crimped to fit odd-sized lenses that do not have thread to screw on photographic accessories. Some professionals prefer to use black tape over crimping to minimize wear to adapter and/or lens casing finish and block any stray light.

Except for rare and unusual vintage cameras, you will not have any problem fitting pitch to camera. Medium pitch fits most cameras and fine is used mainly in smaller set-ups.

Other : For medium format Cameras as Hasselblad, Mamiya RB/RZ and Rollei SLX/SL66, there are some bayonet mount adapters available on a limited basis.

Series 9 filters and adapters are also popular with movie makers and can be quite expensive and hard to find.

What you need to do to fit your camera with a Series Adapter and Accessory:

1. If your camera lens is threaded on the accessory end - measure the diameter of your lens by placing a metric ruler across the face of the lens. Select the Series designation closest to your lens diameter.
2. If your camera lens is NOT threaded on the accessory end - take a strip of paper and wrap it around the outside of the lens accessory end, mark and measure the distance around the lens, you will need this measurement in both inches and mm
1. Use the mm reading to determine the nearest matching series size
2. Use the inches reading to look within that series designation for a Slip Over adapter ring size the same or slightly larger than your inches measurement.
3. Series FILTERS are threadless so you will need your adapter PLUS a retaining ring to create a filter holder.
4. To add a Lens hood you will only need the adapter and the hood. No retaining ring is necessary.

We are here to assist you so if you run into problems or have a question - drop us a note using our contact form found here -- http://www.songofsnow.com/ticket_new.asp

Museums are a must in Santa fe, NM

Santa Fe, NM is unusual in that for its size, it has numerous excellent museums. Having come from a town of half a million souls - Portland, OR I was impressed by the quality and number of local museums. Here is a short list of not to be missed sites

1. Museum of Fine arts in downtown, kitty corner from the Plaza. http://www.mfasantafe.org

2. Place of the Governor's directly across from the Plaza http://www.palaceofthegovernors.org

3. Institute of American Indian Arts Museum, one block up from the Plaza on Palace Avenue, across from the Saint Francis Basilica and La Fonda hotel http://www.iaia.edu/museum

4. Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, tucked away just off Guadalupe street where it crosses with Johnson. http://www.okeeffemuseum.org/home.aspx

5. The Museum of International Folk Art on Museum hill, a mile or so south of downtown, off Santa Fe Trail. http://www.moifa.org

6. Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, also on Museum hill
http://www.indianartsandculture.org

7. The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art on Museum hill
www.spanishcolonial.org

Each Museum attracts exhibitions worthy of much larger populations with the added advantage of a close up and personal moment with great works of art, without the crowds.

We make a point of gathering art catalogs and exhibition guides to much of the great shows in town. These offerings are sometimes the only publication on certain periods or pieces. You can find our current stock at Fine Arts Books or by visiting us directly at www.songofsnow.com

Summer is upon us - Santa Fe, NM

Summer is upon us in Santa Fe, NM and the temperatures are hovering between 85 and 90 degrees with a gentle breeze. This is the Santa Fe that many remember and long for with her gentle rolling hills and pinon trees, chamisa scrub and territorial style architecture.