Bodie Ghost Town...taking a break

Went way back to my Bodie Ghost Town 2015 photos, the very beginning of Dyxum for me and my a6000, which I still have and use on every photoshoot. I was quite shocked when I realized I had been there 3 separate times, it was so long ago.

Gathered the photos, realized how many I had and how many I have never posted. Also thought how better photo editors have become and that I have learned to utilize them a little more. So I have a next project to share

I went back to Bodie because I can honestly say my first visit was "Life changing". One can't say that about too many happenings, and it wasn't about any ghosts



Edited by Coast - 27 March 2023 at 07:22

Looks like digital photography of the 50s (1850s, of course!).

Hello Harald, good hearing from you
These photos were my very 1st serious attempts with my new a6000 and mirrorless cameras (2015) and just finding my way around. Probably my 1st posts with Dyxum, also remember you and Pieter helping me a lot with those posts. I may have done some experimental editing with Apple's new photos app at the time, but certainly didn't know what I was doing (still don't)

Have gone back and started editing currently and am amazed at what Apple's many time updated app, still quite rudimentary compared to the modern day editing programs available, can do. I like to keep things simple and thus far have only used it, but will turn to my modern day editor when needed.

Having a ton of fun going back and remembering being at Bodie those times
All the Best___Josef

Spooky :)
The clouds really help in conveying the feeling of eeriness.

This is actually the start of our Bodie exploration and for me a time travel back to my very memorable trips there.
I'm going to make as complete as I can 3 separate trips. I don't think one will find in one place Night Photography Workshop photos and a special "Friends of Bodie Day Event" put on by the the Bodie Park Rangers and employees who actually live there day and night all year, for their patrons. The 3rd is a daughter taking her father on a trip there for "Fathers Day"

Now I have to tell what the night photo workshop was like. It was held by Jeff Sullivan whose photos of there is his specialty and in my opinion the best. He even lives out there. I needed to learn photography and really liked the idea.

Paid for it, got there, he had looked me up on social media I was on at the time and he decided he didn't like my politics. So he hardly said a word to me the whole time and I had paid $100's, let alone taught anything. Amazing how petty people can be. Can't even put it aside for a while.
However at the end turned out to be worth every penny and more for me!

How it works, the park is closed at 6pm (as usual) and then it is opened to the workshop until midnight and there are no others there, not even Park Rangers. Just 2 great dosuns who came up for this specifically from Los Angeles. I'll have their photos later. It turned out I was the only, I believe, paying customer. The workshop was split into 2 sessions. One morning sunrise and the night session. Others signed up for the morning and I was the only one for the night. That made it 5 of us, the 2 dosuns the guy and an assistant and me. 5 of us for the whole night. How Kool.

What happened I followed him around all night. This guy is a master and I learned just watching him, picked up some technics. I was just thrilled being at Bodie for the first time, and having the place to myself, basically.

I'll be posting a lot, may look repetitive at times but I don't think you will see photos of the place being empty, or late at night, or when the Park Rangers are holding events all day long for their patrons.

I'll start w my 1st photo I took and end with the last one, which was a revelation for me
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5 that was us




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A good thing to remember, 80% of the place has burned down

Most of the night we were dogging rolling thunderstorm quick showers. Its amazing how lush green the place was for a desert
We went inside, took a break at the middle
tfv... it gets darker and more interesting. More to come 👻
Coast

Having an awful time gathering the photos into a cohesive sequence. I have Bodie photos that I know of, that are important yet still can't find. Means I'm browsing all photos and getting distracted, going off on some tangent every 2 minutes.

So what I am doing is posting some random photos in a haphazard way this posting, just to give an idea of what's ahead and there is a lot

Haphazard
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14 not haphazard
"Road to Perdition"...Named after my favorite Paul Newman and Tom Hanks great movie





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16 the puddles are from the rolling thunderstorms that kept coming early on





17 Some, not the usual Bodie photos





18 The once a year "Friends Of Bodie Day" event, Park Rangers and employees hold an appreciation day for patrons and society members. These are all patrons





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20 Amazing how lush green the high desert (8000ft) was

Thanks for viewing, pls feel free to any kind of comment
Joseph




Thanks Fred, too many more to come...ha ha

Edited by Coast - 05 March 2023 at 23:57

This is you guys seeing what I was seeing. Pretty quiet except for the occasional thunder and shower
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43 So many possibility with this photo, disappointing for me because I know I took more than this photo inside
That was one of the benefits for the workshop one was able to go inside the ones that were safe enough to enter. Also the Rangers lived in the rebuilt homes. Obviously they were "Off Limits" Interestingly I only saw woman Rangers, never a man




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48 When you saw this thing heading for you, better start running for cover