The city of Albuquerque and its surrounding area provides ample opportunity for both professional and amateur photographers to photograph places that are both beautiful and unique. Isaac Martinez, a film student at The University of New Mexico and practicing photographer for the last four years, spoke to the Daily Lobo about his favorite spots to take photographs with some common and uncommon spots.
Corrales, New Mexico
Martinez enjoys Corrales as a photo spot for the diverse backdrops it provides with its variation of colors and buildings. Corrales can provide a unique picture spot for anyone who goes there.
“I've been taking pictures there for a while now. I just love that kind of the old farm architecture over there; full of trees, and you know, keeping it green,” Martinez said. “It has like that farm type of feel. It (also) has some old run-down buildings that I like to go around and take pictures around to add some of that New Mexico building type of atmosphere.”
“Spike”
“Spike'' is the name Martinez uses for this unique spot off Bosque Meadow Road and Coors Boulevard where the architecture helps with elements of photography. The building that can be found there is why Martinez dubbed it “spike” and is also surrounded by picturesque nature.
“I love it because the way it's like a cool abstract art design, and it has lots of leading lines. It has great mountain views. And there's a field right next to it, too,” Martinez said. “So, it's kind of like a two-in-one type of thing where I can get both filled pictures of just the field in the mountains and also the architecture of the spike design.”
UNM Duck Pond
The Duck Pond at UNM is a well-known spot for taking pictures, especially for special events such as graduation and quinceñeras. Martinez has utilized it as a background for wedding pictures in the past.
“A lot of people who are getting married just want (the) Duck Pond … It's really great because it's green, plenty of trees (and) plenty of grass,” Martinez said. “It has the bridge there. And, of course, the pond adds a really nice nature feel to it. And you also kind of get the UNM architecture in the back: kind of like a New Mexico stucco look.”
Downtown ABQ
Another well-known photo spot is downtown Albuquerque, but Martinez has a few specific reasons he enjoys photographing there.
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Martinez believes downtown is great for people looking for an “industrial feel” but also for the mountain view shots, thanks to the tall buildings. He also enjoys shots from the alleys despite the not-so-great smells.
“One spot I particularly like downtown is the parking garage. And that gets a really great view because you're kind of right in the middle of all the big buildings, so it kind of makes everything look bigger,” Martinez said.
“Red Bridge”
“Red Bridge,” another spot Martinez named for himself due to the red bridge found there, became one of his favorites as it leaves room to play around with various colors. This spot is located off Jefferson and Masthead streets.
“I like it because it's really green in there. There's some lights at night, which look really great. The red bridge makes it pop, which I like because the green and red looks really nice,” Martinez said. “And, of course, it's very nice location. That's personally the best place I like to go because it's super safe in that area, too, compared to all the other Albuquerque areas.”
With the leaves changing colors and Halloween just around the corner, we hope you take advantage of this particularly visually appealing season with these great photo spots in mind.
Elizabeth Secor is a beat reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @esecor2003
Elizabeth Secor is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be contacted on Twitter @esecor2003
