Living in the desert Southwest is like being in paradise for a landscape photographer like Wayne Suggs.
Thirty of the Las Crucen’s photographs are featured in an exhibit at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum called “The Light Never Lies: Landscape & Astrophotography of Wayne Suggs.” The show begins with a free reception from 6-8 p.m. on April 21.
“Photography is almost spiritual to me,” Suggs said. “To be immersed in a landscape that holds so much beauty is such a privilege. To try and capture that landscape as it will never be seen again, with that warm fleeting light, the color of the grass and the leaves, the desert flowers that have bloomed from the particularly wet spring, and to freeze it in time to hang on one’s wall is so gratifying.”
Suggs was introduced to the wonders of nature at an early age by parents who knew the importance of having a relationship with the Great Outdoors. They bought him a Nikon camera when he was 14, and 40 years later, he’s still capturing and sharing the wonderment of our Southwest landscape.
“The desert Southwest and the areas around Las Cruces in particular hold some very unique and beautiful opportunities for photography,” he said. “I have traveled all over the Southwest and this is one of my favorite places to photograph.”
The night sky is prominent in many of Suggs’ photographs. The starlit backdrops accompany foregrounds that capture the rugged beauty of the desert landscapes. In the daytime images, dramatic, cloudy skies are combined with the unique New Mexico light to create stunning images.
Suggs’ work has been published by: New Mexico Magazine, The Reflector Astronomy Magazine, The Wilderness Society, The New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, The New Mexico Treasures Calendar, Patagonia, Organ Mountains Desert Peaks The Crossroads of the Vast History and Culture, Su Casa Magazine, La Ventana Magazine, Santa Fe Photographic Workshops, Cloudcroft Visitors Guide.
Refreshments will be served at the free reception on April 21. The exhibit will be on display through July 2016.
The Museum at 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $3 for children 4 to 17, and $2 for active and retired U.S. military members. For more information, call (575) 522-4100.
