Sandia
This portrait of Sandia, the mountain backdrop that dwarfs Albuquerque’s sprawl, offers a sense of place through the eyes of a photographer and the words of a writer. Fascinated by Sandia, by the light of its dawns and sunsets, by its seasons, by the power of its altitude, photographer David Muench shows us a brilliant autumn, the sparkle of snow, an April explosion of cactus blooms, a summer summit garden of wildflowers, the marvel of the mountain’s rock forms.
As an author and photographer duo, they reveal both the scenic beauty of the landscape and the history behind it.
Autumn’s glowing aspens give way to winter’s snow-burdened firs. Then the mountain sheds its winter coat to reveal the cactus blooms of spring and the wildflower gardens of summer. Through images and words, Muench and Rudner take a long, loving look at the mountain that looms large over the desert landscape.'—High Country News
Muench’s pictures span decades and illustrate his fascination with the mountain. His photography honors its historic relevance for those who live nearby and for the people who visit this part of northern New Mexico.
This lusciously produced volume consists of images by celebrated landscape photographer David Muench, plus a wise and lyrical essay by Ruth Rudner.…Bringing [Muench’s] prowess to the mountain he knows best represents a gift to everyone in the state.
This quiet, reflective, and beautiful photo-essay is a love poem, a gentle evocation, and a heartfelt appreciation of Sandia Peak, a mountain the author and photographer have lived near and been nurtured by for many years.
It’s high time a book such as this was written. Ruth Rudner does an exemplary job of bringing into focus the conflict and resolution of the nearly 270-year-long saga of the mountain held sacred by the original inhabitants of the Rio Grande Valley who regarded Sandia as their mountain and the more recent residents of the valley who consider the Sandia Mountains the soul of Albuquerque and a part of the fabric of their life. It is also a personal narrative and a good read. Add to that the incomparable images by David Muench. Anytime David Muench releases the shutter is cause for celebration! His photographs evoke the mood, personality, and beauty of the mountain known as Sandia.
David Muench has long been recognized as a master landscape photographer. He has photographed from North America to the ice of Antarctica, the timeless space of Mongolia, the marvels of Iceland, Patagonia, Morocco, Africa, Belarus, New Zealand, and Australia. Ruth Rudner is the author of many books about mountains, from the Alps to the Rockies, two of them collaborations with her husband, David Muench.
Preface
Ruth Rudner and David J. Muench
Sandia
Ruth Rudner
Photographs
David J. Muench
Acknowledgments
Contributors
