Low Level Aerial photography in Animas Valley

Below is an example of a low level aerial photograph taken from a weight shift control light sport aircraft.  The maneuverability, open cockpit, and high wing make these aircraft ideal aerial platforms for photography.  It is relatively easy to get in low and close to a subject without compromising safety and the freedom of an open cockpit allows multiple angles for photography.

The post production modifications included a slight decrease in saturation since the landscape is a fairly uniform brown and an added tilt shift effect to enhance the 3D nature of the hilltop that is the subject of the photograph.  As in this photograph, color can also be used to increase the 3D effect.

Looking north towards Antelope Pass in the Animas Valley, New Mexico

Lake Cloverdale: An Ice Age Lake in New Mexico’s Bootheel

A number of playas can be found in the valleys of southern New Mexico and Arizona and these Pleistocene lake beds are best known as migratory bird stops. In the winter these lake beds still hold water and the shallow lakes form with the winter rains attracting many species of water fowl. In the bootheel of New Mexico there are 2 lakebeds, Lake Cloverdale and the playa that runs down the center of Playas valley.

Lake Cloverdale sits at the base of Animas valley and extends into Mexico. Covering an area of about 102 km2 (27 square miles), Lake Cloverdale is now only a grassy field with scattered cattle tanks. The shoreline of this shallow pluvial lake is clearly visible in the photographs and based on the elevation change the lake was no more than 10-20 feet deep at the margin. Several stream beds from the surrounding mountains, including Cloverdale Creek were part of the lake’s recharge system as well as springs like Cienega Springs which brought ground water into the lake. It now sits abandoned by the water as the climate dried after the last ice age and is now the largest grass landing field I can think of, although it sits on the 320,000 acre Diamond A Ranch (still known locally as the Grey Ranch).

Click to enlarge photographs


Looking south down Animas valley along the drainage toward Lake Cloverdale.


Looking southwest from the north shore of Lake Cloverdale across the former lake.

View from the south looking north at the former shoreline of Lake Cloverdale.

Looking north at the shoreline, showing the boat ramp on Lake Cloverdale.

Flight to the Playa

Above, Looking West towards Animas New Mexico
Below, Student on Cross Country, Headed South

Flew east past Animas New Mexcio and over to the Playa yesterday morning to take video and still photographs. A student was also on their cross country and I found them in Playas Valley. I captured several photographs of the student in transit but only 1 was acceptable, above. The other photographs from the flight are in the sidebar aerial pictures or just go straight to the photograph hosting site.

After I had returned and finished my post flight, a border patrol agent drove up. I had seen him on my way back from the playa driving along highway 9. Apparently someone had called the Lordsburg office to say there was a light aircraft flying east and he had been dispatched to drive around the countryside looking for me or the student, he finally found me. Apparently there had been another incursion up Animas Valley from Mexico the previous night, so he was sent out to see if this were part of that event. I gave the usual indoctrination spiel about registered aircraft, pilot’s license, CFIs, DPEs, student training, and recreational aviation. Then invited him and his coworkers to come out and take an introductory lesson. Well, we had a nice chat and he departed with a little more information about weight shift control light sport aircraft. At some point they will pop for the introductory lesson and then we can show them how training and experience results in competent pilots.

As I noted in the previous post Smugglers in Trikes weight shift control aircraft are being used to smuggle drugs into the US. Photographs of the recovered aircraft show pretty rickety aircraft which did not look airworthy, missing nose cones and home made front forks, overall pretty scary looking aircraft. It is surprising they made it as far as they did.