{"id":2979,"date":"2021-01-08T15:31:40","date_gmt":"2021-01-08T15:31:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/?p=2979"},"modified":"2021-03-18T10:57:47","modified_gmt":"2021-03-18T10:57:47","slug":"gallery-san-francisco-de-asis-ranchos-de-taos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toonsarah-travels.blog\/staging\/gallery-san-francisco-de-asis-ranchos-de-taos\/","title":{"rendered":"Gallery: San Francisco de Asis, Ranchos de Taos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The San Francisco de Asis Church may be made of adobe like many others in the region, but its appearance is very different. Its thick walls with their jutting buttresses look more like a fortification than a place of worship, w<\/span>hile its massive bulk seems completely out of proportion to the small community it was built to serve.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this becomes less surprising when you understand its origins. It was built to resist unwanted attacks from aggressive tribes such as the local Apaches. The tamped-earth buttresses were further added to in order to strengthen the walls when threatened by floods and erosion. San Francisco de Asis has stood for over 250 years and is still an active church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This church provokes a range of responses in observers. Some find its so-solid bulk and heaviness off-putting. But for many, especially artists, it has been a source of inspiration. Georgia O\u2019Keeffe painted it several times, and Ansel Adams photographed it<\/a> \u2013 brilliantly. As an admirer of the latter\u2019s work, following in his footsteps and attempting to capture San Francisco de Asis on camera was quite a challenge, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. The light was great, with just a few white clouds and the sun low enough to create some interesting shadows.<\/p>\n\n\n