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 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
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 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 & barber shop,
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 4pm).
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
photographer 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,
but 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 First
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.
To see everyone's images please be sure
to check their websites listed on the right-side
of this blog.
in gratitude,
Nelcha
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