The Artillery

A Gal and her Gun

Gunnery Sergeant

Interestingly enough, the two artillery people I spoke with at the event were both women and very proud of their cannons. There were over 500 women who served in the Civil War – that history has recorded. It should come to no one’s surprise that women were just as willing to die for their ideals and their home as men were.

Mr. President

Mr. Lincoln

Lincoln’s Adjutant

I’ve taken many photos of Mr. Lincoln as portrayed by Wayne Scott as well as several of the Major. They’ve posed at the Gertrude School Friday Portrait group for Yosemite Western Artists. Wayne is an expert on President Lincoln and has toured the country in that role.

History in the Making

Provost

Union Officer

Buttercup

Buttercup is the name of the horse pulling this medical wagon.

Civil War Widow

Creative Anachronism

Anachronism

His tattoo and piercing aren’t exactly appropriate for the time period, but he was too cute not to show off his portrait.

On the Field

Civil Defense

Bridalveil in Winter

Pomegranates

Lost Leaf

Father Christmas

Cheyenne

Graphic Grackle

Heart Song

Cupcake Love

Camellia Princess

White Heart

Tulip

Open Heart

Poppy

Orchids

Gertrude School Models

Last May, I joined the Yosemite Western Artists group in order to officially declare to myself that I am an artist. (We all have our doubts in our abilities, after all.) Every Friday of the week, YWA has someone model for the artists to paint and sketch at an old schoolhouse built in the 1890′s not very far from my ranch. It was a great opportunity to learn and refine the craft of taking good portraits.

Marissa

This was one of the first models I photographed at the schoolhouse. She had such an intense look upon her face that makes this photo one of my best.

Jack Lantz

Jack Lantz is a fine artist and print maker who modeled for us in his fencing gear.

Moriah

Moriah and her two sisters have been wonderful models for us all year. Even her mother has modeled for us.

Street Photography

Street photography is the art of taking photographs where the subjects are unaware that they are a subject. Street Photography presents candid slices of life.

Oceanside Sitter

This young man sat beside the Oceanside harbor as he sipped his soda through a straw.

Taxi

A taxi driver relaxes in the warm afternoon in downtown San Jose, California.

The Kindness of Strangers

These were the most difficult photos for me to take. I’m shy by nature, so going up to a total stranger and asking them to pose for me really forces me out of my comfort zone. I asked many strangers if I could take their photograph. Most were very happy to pose for me.

Farmer’s Market Man

This man worked a booth at the local farmer’s market. I loved his smile and his bushy beard.

Sheriff

The Sheriff is part of the “Coutlerville Cowslingers,” a western reenactment group that stages Gunfights.

Sassy

This girl has real sense of style and a great smile.

theReader

I saw this woman in a Fresno bookstore and the light on her face set off her beauty. I was honored when she let me take her photo.

Classic Hollywood

The thirties and forties were the heyday of the Hollywood look to photography. The lighting and camera positions gave depth to the black and white images of the stars and starlets of that era.

Michael

My son Michael posed for me to take this classical style photo. I think this really captures the mood of the classical style.

I’m going to break this into two posts. Most of the photos that I took this year were of people. However, I took photos of just about everything. Here’s the best of all the various things that caught my interest this year.

Landscapes

“Big Sandy Creek”

Big Sandy is in the Sierra National Forest just south of Yosemite.

Seacapes

“Oceanside Sunset”

This is the dock at Oceanside in Southern California.

Still Life

“Pumpkin Portrait”

I have always loved the look of Still Life paintings. Just recently, I set up my leftover squashes and pumpkins for a series of poses using only the light from the window of my house. I have a whole set of nice images from this session, but this was my favorite.

Flora

“Leaf Glow”

I love to photograph fall leaves. They are dramatic and graphic. I caught this one at the Summerdale campground just south of Yosemite a few days before it closed for the winter season.

Flower

“Calla Crescendo”

Of all the flowers I photographed this year, Callas were my favorite subject matter. This calla was out in front of a hardware store. The wonderful thing about photography is that you notice the beauty that surrounds us everywhere we go.

Fauna

“On the Ropes”

This horse was on the Confederate side of the Las Mariposas Civil War Reenactment, tied up near the tents.

Funniest

“Milo”

This character reminds me of the dog, Milo, in the movie “The Mask”. I can’t help but grin back at him. I saw him at the Oakhurst Feed store where they were having a “Dog Days” celebration. One of my photos of a beagle from last year took first place in the Dog category.

Statuary

“Angel’s Prayer”

The light was just perfect to illuminate this beautiful statue of an angel. This was taken at Western Sierra Nursery, my favorite place to photograph.

Next post, I’ll pick out my favorite photos of people to share with you.

This is the first day of the New Year.

New Year Hopes

It’s the start of the rest of your life.
Make every day of your life count.
Fill it with Beauty and Passion.
Happy New Year everyone!

Snowman Smile

Opalescent Hummingbird

Frosty Fun

Happy Solstice

This is a time for sharing and caring about others. We need to keep the spirit of love in our hearts. When times are troubled, it’s very important for us all to remember what this holiday is supposed to be all about. As they say in the song, “We need a little Christmas.”

Here are my holiday greetings to all of you.

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas

Deck the Hulls

Dreaming of a White Christmas

Toyland

Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Jolly Happy Soul

City Sidewalks Dressed in Holiday Style

Here Comes Santa Claus

You Better Watch Out

Happy Holidays to you all!

Fall Bokeh

Nature’s Glory

These were taken during a plein air event with Yosemite Western Artists at Summerdale camp ground, just a mile or so south of Yosemite National Park.

Jerseydale Pumpkin Patch

This pumpkin patch is on a remote country road about twenty minute’s drive from the town of Mariposa. To my delight, it is one of the best pumpkin patches I’ve ever had the pleasure to see and photograph.

Happy Halloween to You All!

I’m spending Halloween weekend in San Francisco, so I’m looking forward to taking many fun photos. Hope you all have a great and spooky Halloween.

Since most of my photography is virtual and just stored as bits and bites on a computer, I had a lot of work printing and framing enough photographs as to give a good representation of my art. I concentrated on the photos that I thought might have the most universal appeal, hoping that someone might actually buy my art. After all, art can be a very expensive hobby.

Showing Off

I and two other artists were going to show our art at the local historical park. Two weeks before the Art Trails weekend and long after the map book was published, I found out that they had booked a “Ghost Hunting” parapsychology group for that Saturday and we could not be at the site for that day. Fortunately, the Yosemite Western Artists group offered me the use of Gertrude School – their meeting area – to use for our show. Gertrude School is a one-room schoolhouse built in the late 1880s. It is used as an art studio by YWA and they have live models pose there every Friday for the artists to portray. Many of my best portraits were taken at Gertrude School. Best of all, it is only a few miles from my home. So I was very glad to move my show to Gertrude School.

Of course, it meant we were no longer on the guidebook maps and we were off the main area, but it was better than cancelling out after all the work I had put into the show.

Here are a few of the animal photos I showed for the Sierra Art Trails.

Dogs

Welsh Springer Spaniel

Beau

Happy

Here’s a photo that won a local Pet Photography contest… where I got a chance to photography the “Happy” photo:

The Beagle

Not a Dog

Jack the Cat

Encampment Horse

Peekaboo

I’ll talk more about the Sierra Art Trails in my next post, so see you then!

Hall Costumes

Duo from Dune

The Famous Adventurer?

Pretty Miss

Saucy Lady

Regency Elegance

Timely Traveler

The Masquerade

Poison Ivy

The winner of WesterCon’s masquerade/costume contest was a mash-up of Wizard of Oz, Wicked, and the Dating Game. Seven people performed a skit dressed as the Oz characters in which Fiero got to chose a date with Dorothy, Elfaba, or Glinda. It was a clever performance and the costumes were well-crafted.

Oz Dating Game

Kissing Fiero

Next month, I’ll share more photos from Westercon and the San Diego Comic-Con.