Tuesday, January 27, 2009
#19- Mono County.org video of Bodie
http://www.monocounty.org Traveling on US 395 will give you a great view of all that Mono County has to offer. US 395 has been described as taking a "National Geographic Tour through your Windshield Take a tour of Bodie, California's official gold mining ghost town, once notorious as the wildest town in the West. From 1877 to 1888, the community swelled to more than 10,000 residents and produced over $35 million in gold and silver. Now a State Historic Park, Bodie is the largest unrestored ghost town in the West. Visitors can explore the museum, follow a self guided tour, or wander the dirt streets peaking in the windows of the homes, stores, saloons, barbershops, and the church for a glimpse into life of a bygone era. For more information visit MonoCounty.org or call 800-845-7922.
#18- 2008 FM_NorCal 3 day Photo Workshop report
It's almost time for the schedules to come out...
So keep "checking back" cuz as SOON as
they are confirmed, I will post the info HERE.
I know many want to attend the 3rd Sat Photog
Days and want to see this years of
Official Workshops Permitted.
If there are any other NEW workshops
offered I will, also post them here or
at least give you the link....OK?
So remember.... the Dust is Archival,
Do NOT touch anything inside, and
STAY with your Leader! and MOST
of all... Appreciate what you see
and make some GREAT images
to preserve our History, OK?
News to follow.......soon ;-)
So keep "checking back" cuz as SOON as
they are confirmed, I will post the info HERE.
I know many want to attend the 3rd Sat Photog
Days and want to see this years of
Official Workshops Permitted.
If there are any other NEW workshops
offered I will, also post them here or
at least give you the link....OK?
So remember.... the Dust is Archival,
Do NOT touch anything inside, and
STAY with your Leader! and MOST
of all... Appreciate what you see
and make some GREAT images
to preserve our History, OK?
News to follow.......soon ;-)
*********************************
Here's the report from the 2008
3 day Bodie Photographic Workshop.
It's was a long time in the planning and we
were VERY LUCKY that Jill graciously let
our group have first dibs to fill this workshop.
We did have the entire workshop filled, but
then "Life" interrupted a few members plans,
so a Canuck was lucky enough at the last minute
to tag along and we can thank him
for the Group Photo ;-) Thanks, Bruce.
Hint:
We (FM_NorCal) are already taking names
for next years workshop. Get your name ON
the list if you are interested "at all."
FM_NorCal participants: Ed Nunez,
Allen Hirsh, Shelah aka "Digital-She",
Jean Christopher, Ed's friend Luis Morales.
Trip Report by:
FM_NorCal in the field reporter: Allen Hirsh
All six of us met with Jill & Kelly on the night
before our workshop for dinner and a little
preview of our three days in Bodie, since we
were staying in different lodging locations.
Jill stressed that we couldn't
"move or touch" ANYTHING, and that
space is tight, so we HAD to be careful
with our tripods inside all the buildings.
For some buildings, not all six of us could
be inside at the same time, but when
that occurred, Jill would open one building
and Kelly would man another, so we could
all be "working", then switch shooting locations.
This served to maximize our available
image making time.
During regular park hours, we often had
park visitors peering into the buildings while
we were making images, and Jill would
let them know this was a
VERY "private workshop."
The workshop gave us access to something
like 17 or 18 buildings you can "NOT go into"
as a public visitor. The only building that has
a regular public tour is the Standard Mill,
but we got more time in there and could go
beyond the roped off areas, -
and at hours when the park isn't open,
which gave us that great early and late light
for more interesting images.
Our venues included: "Ranger's roost" -
the rock outcrop overlooking town from
the parking lot side, Boone "General Store",
Morgue/funeral home, Lottie Johl's house,
Wheaton-Hollis and Bodie Hotel -
(twice, once in am, once in pm
- very different lighting each time),
Pat Reddy house, Lester Bell house,
Cameron house, Firehouse,
Main Street at Sunrise,
Dechambeau Hotel/Saloon,
Sam Leon Bar/casino & barbershop,
IOOF building (which housed
the Bodie Athletic Club),
Standard Mill, Schoolhouse,
Methodist Church,
UP on the Mining Ridge Hill,
Station House and reservoir with the
Sierra mountain range backdrop,
and McDonald house.
We met at the Bodie SHP parking lot at
6:30am each morning (usually 25F then -
and it was often 65F just two hours later!),
and would play until around noon or 1pm,
then take a couple hour lunch break.
We'd meet back at the parking lot again
at 3 or 4pm.
The 2nd day when we did the SPECIAL Event
-the night photographic session, we met later,
and went until 9pm. The first day, we left
the park around 6 or 7pm
(after it closed to the public, which is 5pm).
The last day, the "official workshop" ended
about 10:30am, but then were free to stay
and make exterior images the rest of the day
while the park was open.
The first day was the only lunch we had
together, when some of us shared
photographic portfolios; Jill showed us
quite a few of her Bodie images,
for inspiration.
The night session was something the
whole group "really came together for",
as we collaborated to make sure everyone
who "wanted to" create a night image COULD,
no matter the limitations of our respective
cameras and gear. When we finished
photographing the church, we went on to
do a couple "night sculptures".
I firmly believe, if Jill hadn't been concerned
we'd overstayed our permit for the evening
session, we'd have kept going as a group
for many hours longer, as everyone was
excited with the images we were getting
and the considerable other night possibilities
we saw within Bodie.
After the 3 days were over, Edward, Jean
and Shelah stayed and photographed around
the area the next morning and Ed also stayed
a couple extra days after our workshop
and was rewarded with a change of weather -
storm clouds and snow, so he got very
different exterior images than we had
during our workshop, when the weather
was crystal clear.
The night session was a real highlight for me,
not only because I got an image that will be
published in the 2009 Bodie Foundation
Calendar, a juried contest, and because it
was a new form of photography for me.
The "new" Bodie Foundation was formed to
raise funds to help SAVE and stabilize Bodie.
My image that was Accepted is below...and
was a 3-minute exposure of the Methodist
Church (taken "within" a 20-minute exposure
for star trails that most of the others
in the group did during our night session)
Kelly "painted" the church with a flashlight
several times during our exposure, and we
had an incredibly clear sky with very bright
stars, as is often the case in the high desert.
I'm pretty sure we all left feeling like Bodie
was our favorite ghost town, and someplace
worth many more visits, given the richness
of its history and the scenes it still holds
to this day. ~ Allen H.
********************************
Thanks Jill for helping me arrange this
SPECIAL opportunity for the members of
FM_NorCal, and show some of them
why we are SO Bodie crazy ;-)
....and Kudos to Allen for his first
publication and we look forward to the
2009 BF Calendar coming out...
BOTH Logos below will link you
to the BF and also to the BodieStore thru
which the calendar will be available and
where you can Join the Bodie Foundation.
To see everyone's images please be sure
to check their websites listed on the
right-side of this blog.
were VERY LUCKY that Jill graciously let
our group have first dibs to fill this workshop.
We did have the entire workshop filled, but
then "Life" interrupted a few members plans,
so a Canuck was lucky enough at the last minute
to tag along and we can thank him
for the Group Photo ;-) Thanks, Bruce.
Hint:
We (FM_NorCal) are already taking names
for next years workshop. Get your name ON
the list if you are interested "at all."
FM_NorCal participants: Ed Nunez,
Allen Hirsh, Shelah aka "Digital-She",
Jean Christopher, Ed's friend Luis Morales.
Trip Report by:
FM_NorCal in the field reporter: Allen Hirsh
All six of us met with Jill & Kelly on the night
before our workshop for dinner and a little
preview of our three days in Bodie, since we
were staying in different lodging locations.
Jill stressed that we couldn't
"move or touch" ANYTHING, and that
space is tight, so we HAD to be careful
with our tripods inside all the buildings.
For some buildings, not all six of us could
be inside at the same time, but when
that occurred, Jill would open one building
and Kelly would man another, so we could
all be "working", then switch shooting locations.
This served to maximize our available
image making time.
During regular park hours, we often had
park visitors peering into the buildings while
we were making images, and Jill would
let them know this was a
VERY "private workshop."
The workshop gave us access to something
like 17 or 18 buildings you can "NOT go into"
as a public visitor. The only building that has
a regular public tour is the Standard Mill,
but we got more time in there and could go
beyond the roped off areas, -
and at hours when the park isn't open,
which gave us that great early and late light
for more interesting images.
Our venues included: "Ranger's roost" -
the rock outcrop overlooking town from
the parking lot side, Boone "General Store",
Morgue/funeral home, Lottie Johl's house,
Wheaton-Hollis and Bodie Hotel -
(twice, once in am, once in pm
- very different lighting each time),
Pat Reddy house, Lester Bell house,
Cameron house, Firehouse,
Main Street at Sunrise,
Dechambeau Hotel/Saloon,
Sam Leon Bar/casino & barbershop,
IOOF building (which housed
the Bodie Athletic Club),
Standard Mill, Schoolhouse,
Methodist Church,
UP on the Mining Ridge Hill,
Station House and reservoir with the
Sierra mountain range backdrop,
and McDonald house.
We met at the Bodie SHP parking lot at
6:30am each morning (usually 25F then -
and it was often 65F just two hours later!),
and would play until around noon or 1pm,
then take a couple hour lunch break.
We'd meet back at the parking lot again
at 3 or 4pm.
The 2nd day when we did the SPECIAL Event
-the night photographic session, we met later,
and went until 9pm. The first day, we left
the park around 6 or 7pm
(after it closed to the public, which is 5pm).
The last day, the "official workshop" ended
about 10:30am, but then were free to stay
and make exterior images the rest of the day
while the park was open.
The first day was the only lunch we had
together, when some of us shared
photographic portfolios; Jill showed us
quite a few of her Bodie images,
for inspiration.
The night session was something the
whole group "really came together for",
as we collaborated to make sure everyone
who "wanted to" create a night image COULD,
no matter the limitations of our respective
cameras and gear. When we finished
photographing the church, we went on to
do a couple "night sculptures".
I firmly believe, if Jill hadn't been concerned
we'd overstayed our permit for the evening
session, we'd have kept going as a group
for many hours longer, as everyone was
excited with the images we were getting
and the considerable other night possibilities
we saw within Bodie.
After the 3 days were over, Edward, Jean
and Shelah stayed and photographed around
the area the next morning and Ed also stayed
a couple extra days after our workshop
and was rewarded with a change of weather -
storm clouds and snow, so he got very
different exterior images than we had
during our workshop, when the weather
was crystal clear.
The night session was a real highlight for me,
not only because I got an image that will be
published in the 2009 Bodie Foundation
Calendar, a juried contest, and because it
was a new form of photography for me.
The "new" Bodie Foundation was formed to
raise funds to help SAVE and stabilize Bodie.
My image that was Accepted is below...and
was a 3-minute exposure of the Methodist
Church (taken "within" a 20-minute exposure
for star trails that most of the others
in the group did during our night session)
Kelly "painted" the church with a flashlight
several times during our exposure, and we
had an incredibly clear sky with very bright
stars, as is often the case in the high desert.
I'm pretty sure we all left feeling like Bodie
was our favorite ghost town, and someplace
worth many more visits, given the richness
of its history and the scenes it still holds
to this day. ~ Allen H.
********************************
Thanks Jill for helping me arrange this
SPECIAL opportunity for the members of
FM_NorCal, and show some of them
why we are SO Bodie crazy ;-)
....and Kudos to Allen for his first
publication and we look forward to the
2009 BF Calendar coming out...
BOTH Logos below will link you
to the BF and also to the BodieStore thru
which the calendar will be available and
where you can Join the Bodie Foundation.
To see everyone's images please be sure
to check their websites listed on the
right-side of this blog.
PS: Can't get the URL image links to work
so here are the links to the
and
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