Sun showers and double rainbows: Staying open to the unexpected

Some sessions seem to have a plan of their own. This mother-and-daughter session at Plaza Blanca in Abiquiu was one of those.

As I drove up the corridor through Española, dark storm clouds loomed out my windshield. This is absolutely the kind of sky that makes many clients nervous, but I've been through enough Abiquiu monsoons to know what would potentially unfold. And that’s what I love about photographing in New Mexico: the location isn’t simply a backdrop, it becomes part of the story.

We got a few shots in before a gentle sun shower bathed us in ethereal backlight, a soft glow emanating from behind the canyon walls. Then, a crystalline double rainbow appeared, creating magical vignettes among Plaza Blanca's unique geological sandstone. The changing light transformed the landscape from one moment to the next.

And in the middle of it all were a mother and daughter, connected, relaxed, playful, and completely at home in this extraordinary place.

This gallery is a testament to staying open to the unexpected. Sometimes, the forecast you almost canceled for becomes the magic you never could have planned.

A man in a hat lifts a laughing toddler high in the air against dramatic sandstone rock formations.
Smiling woman in wide-brim hat holds happy blonde toddler outdoors in desert setting.
A mother and young child walk hand-in-hand toward towering sandstone hoodoo formations in a desert landscape.
A mother playfully lifts her toddler near towering sandstone rock formations in a desert landscape.
A woman in brown pants and hat joyfully holds a toddler aloft before towering desert rock formations.
A mother and young daughter walk hand-in-hand on a desert trail, both wearing green outfits near rocky cliffs.
Smiling toddler girl in green floral dress standing between sandy rock walls with light shining through.
A smiling woman in a wide-brim hat holds a happy toddler girl in a green dress outdoors near rocky cliffs.
A smiling woman carries a young toddler on her shoulders in a scenic desert landscape with rocky hills and shrubs.
Black and white photo of a woman in a wide-brim hat kissing a toddler girl who reaches toward her face.
A mother carries her toddler on her shoulders in a misty desert landscape, both smiling joyfully.
A mother places a wide-brim hat on her toddler girl in a green floral dress outdoors.
Smiling toddler girl in green dress exploring narrow rock formations at an outdoor sandy canyon.
A mother and toddler walk hand-in-hand on a desert trail with white sandstone cliffs in the background.
Adult holding a toddler outdoors near rocky cliffs with golden sunlight and bokeh lens flare effects.
Person photographing a double rainbow over dramatic white sandstone rock formations in a desert landscape.
Young girl holding colorful polka dot umbrella in rocky desert landscape with vibrant double rainbow in stormy sky.
Black and white photo of adult holding child in canyon with dramatic sunburst and bokeh light effects.
A mother tenderly kisses her smiling baby girl in a green dress against a sunlit rocky landscape.
Woman and toddler smiling together on rocky desert landscape with sandstone cliffs in background.
Black and white photo of parent lifting child under dramatic rainbow and stormy sky outdoors.
A mother holds her smiling toddler outdoors near rocky cliffs during golden hour sunset light.
Mother holding toddler girl close, sharing a tender moment with sunlit rocky cliffs in background.
Parent in a wide-brim hat kissing a toddler in a green dress while sitting on rocks in a desert canyon.
Happy mother giving toddler daughter a piggyback ride, both laughing outdoors near sandy rock formations.
Two people crouch on a desert trail with dramatic white rock formations and a vibrant rainbow arching overhead.
Mother joyfully lifting her laughing toddler against a dramatic stormy sky with a vibrant rainbow in the background.
A mother in a straw hat holds her toddler in a ring sling outdoors with rocky formations and rainbow behind.
Black and white photo of a person carrying a pack near towering sandstone rock formations in an arid desert landscape.
Person standing in desert landscape beneath a vibrant rainbow against dark storm clouds.