Chew Kee Store and Scofield Ranch, Fiddletown
May 18, 10-4 p.m.
Cost:$175 (see payment info below)
Welcome to Fiddletown, a small Gold Rush town southeast of Sacramento that is full of big surprises. We’re doing a one-day photo workshop that’s been in the planning stages for months. We’re doing this in two phases. In the morning we linger in the historic Chew Kee store, a pharmacy that dates from the nineteenth century and hasn’t been used since the 1930s. Inside a humble little building you’ll find a wonderland of amazing artifacts. I think of the place as a little Bodie, with tiny rooms all over leading to one photographic gem after another. We’ll provide lunch at a nearby park, then drive to the nearby Scofield “Red Mule” Ranch, where Ron Scofield and his family preside over a tiny Wild West village of sorts. Ron was once known as an expert carriage maker and carriage restorer, but now, at the age of 93, he’s slowed down. Nevertheless, this tumble-down cluster of buildings contain all sorts of photographic possibilities, from a log cabin and rolls of barbed wire to blacksmith tools and a cow skull. We’ll spend about two hours at each place taking photos. At the end of the day, depending on interest, we might huddle with our laptops and we can show you a few post processing tricks. I need to know this in advance, as I’ll have to reserve a space. The workshop is a benefit for both the Fiddletown Preservation Society and the Red Mule Ranch.
Almost any kind of camera gear is welcome, including high-end cellphones such as the iPhone 14 or 15. For the Chew Kee store, a tripod is necessary for cameras because of low light. I have a couple of loaner tripods, if needed (just let me know). We’re limiting this workshop to eight people, first come, first served.
We’ll be joined by local guide/Fiddletown resident Dianne Bennett, a former student of mine. We’ll also be joined by Gino Creglia, a commercial photographer, color management consultant, and digital workflow expert. From his studio in Folsom, California, Gino offers unique training and workshops for photographers who have embraced either film or digital photography. His favorite digital processing software is Capture One, while I favor Adobe Photoshop.
I’ll be sending out directions and other details a few days before the workshop.