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by Al Golub

Cowboy Photography Workshop July 2011

Two weeks ago, the Erickson Cattle Company held a Cowboy Photography Workshop in Ackerson Meadow near Yosemite National Park.  Here is my record of what I saw during the workshop.  Photographers were treated to lots of real cattle ranch activity.  A late rainy season kept the wildflowers and grass alive and colorful until this mid-July date.  Normally the grass is brown and the flowers are gone.

With the help of Tim Hansen and Will Bennett, Dan Erickson moves cattle across Stone Meadow.  Cabin in background is the original ranch house built by Dan’s great-great grandfather in 1892.

Dan saddles up a second horse to give his first horse a rest.

Dan and Andra Erickson move cattle from back corral.

William Henderson and Julie Kitzenberger photograph morning mist on Stone Meadow.

Horses run through muddy bog.

William Henderson photographs dew on wire fence.

At day’s end, Dan moves horses back to corral.

During the day, Andra Erickson photographs her husband with son Logan close by.

At sunrise, Dan takes a moment to give his horse a rest.

Julie Kitzenberger photographs Tim Hansen near sunset.

Andra Erickson leads horse from upper meadow.

Photographer gets a chance to capture early light.

Wyatt Hansen ropes calf.

William Henderson in foreground, Julie Kitzenberger standing at left, Charlie Phillips standing on right, Wes Schultz on far right.

Group of cowboys and cowgirl move cattle from back of corral.

Dan Erickson slips reins around neck of horse to change mounts.

Andra Erickson

Tim Hansen uses rope to move cattle.

Wyatt Hansen takes a break during morning activities.

Dan and Tim walk horse into corral.

Will Bennett and Dan Erickson take calf down after Wyatt Hansen roped it.

Wes Schultz decided to photograph me.

Wes’s photograph of me.

 

 

by Al Golub

Jess Tharp — Fourth of July, 36 Years Ago

In the middle of June 1975, Laurelei Mullens, Modesto Bee features editor, sent me to south Modesto to photograph Jess Tharp, an 80-year-old cowboy saddle maker.  Mullens was doing an advance story for the big Modesto Independence Day Parade.  She wanted to do the story about Tharp because he would be the oldest rider in the parade and had been making and repairing saddles for over half a century.

When Tharp returned home in 1919 after serving our country in World War I, he changed careers.  Before the war, he had been a full time cowboy.  After the war he was offered $35 and beans for breaking horses, a job that had paid twice as much before the war.  He said, “Forgit it.”  From 1922 on, he would be a saddle maker.  He got his start in a saddletree shop in Utah.

Jess’s saddle shop in Modesto was full of smells that were familiar to me.  I grew up in my father’s shoe repair business.  Golub’s Shoe Repair smelled of freshly tanned leather just like this saddle shop.  There was a heavy coat of dust that came from shaving leather and the tools were similar to those I played with as a kid.  To see Jess’s images on Photoshelter click here.

Jess took cheerful pride in the saddle he was going to use in the 4th of July parade.  He used a saddletree that was older than he was, made in 1882.  He restored the saddle the year before, but this would be the first time he used it since the restoration.

He told me he would be the oldest rider in the parade and would wear his 60-year-old spurs, saying “I’ve rode many broncs with those spurs since 1915.”

Jess gave me a quick lesson in hand tooling.  He let me practice making an acorn pattern on a scrap of leather.

He hand tooled the Main & Winchester trademark on the fender of the saddle. The Main & Winchester Saddlery was one of the best known among the Old West Saddleries.  They were a San Francisco based business that started up during the Gold Rush of 1849.

When asked why he kept on working into his later years he said, “If I’d just sit down and do nothing. I’d be a mess.”

“Sure, I worked as a cowboy for three years steady, getting $70 a month for breaking horses, but that was before the war.”

Jess works a hand-operated cutting machine for making leather strips to be used as reins and other rigging.

Special sewing machine is used to groove and stitch leather reins together.  Being in Jess’s saddle shop was like going back in time.  Jess told me about his days in Colorado when he carried a .32-20 Colt in his chaps pocket.  “It was one of the long barreled jobs.”

On the cantle of the saddle was the original trademark.  Jess’s pride and craftsmanship reminded me of my father and the shoemakers that worked with him.  I know my craftsmanship and sense of pride for my photography comes from what I learned from my father.

 

 

by Al Golub

Cattle drive near Yosemite National Park

For over a hundred and twenty years, the Erickson family has been driving their cattle from the Merced Falls area to summer grazing near the border of Yosemite National Park.  The drive takes the same route; of course there are three major highways now not to mention a bridge over the South Fork of the Tuolumne River.  The last six years, I have been following the drive.  If you would like to see more of my images of the Erickson Cattle Company drive click here for my Photoshelter gallery.

October 23, 2008.  Near Lake Don Pedro subdivision a cowboy and his dog move cattle along Highway 132 toward Merced Falls Road and a rock corral.

October 26, 2006.  After the herd spent the night at Uglow Ranch on Penon Blanco Road, Chuck Shepard watches cattle carefully to make sure the cows stay together while they move though the Lake Don Pedro subdivision.

May 12, 2008.  Cowboy moves cattle up Cuneo Road after leaving Boneyard Creek corral.

October 23, 2007.  After coming over Dante Pass Road from Kassabaum Meadow cows move down Cuneo Road.

May 09, 2008.  Cowboy moves cattle down Merced Falls Road heading to Uglow’s Ranch on Penon Blanco Road.

May 08, 2008.  Jack Kiernan works quickly to keep cows together on an open part of Merced Falls Road.

May 09, 2008.  Dan Erickson and his dogs keep cattle organized along Merced Falls Road.

May 31, 2007.  Cowboys move cattle down dusty Forest Service road to Lumsden Bridge to cross the Tuolumne River.

June 9, 2005.  Erickson Cattle Company drives cattle on the Highway 120 bridge over the South Fork of the Tuolumne River near Buck Meadows, California.

October 26, 2006.  After the herd spent the night at Uglow Ranch on Penon Blanco Road, cattle come to Granite Springs Road intersection before going through the Don Pedro subdivision.

October 24, 2006.  Les Weidman works cows along Hell’s Hollow Road after herd crossed Highway 120 from Kassabaum Meadow.

October 25, 2007.  Jeff Prosser moves cow back to herd along Penon Blanco Road.

October 25, 2006.  While Barbara Silva holds traffic, cows cross Highway 49 at Penon Blanco Road.

June 15, 2005.  Traveling from Buck Meadows to Packard Canyon, cowboys move cattle over bridge on Highway 120.

May 30, 2007.  Cowboys move cattle on Cuneo Road

October 26, 2006.  Jeff Prosser controls traffic while moving cattle through Lake Don Pedro subdivision.

May 11, 2011.  In springtime, calves want to stay with their mothers on Merced Falls Road.

May 09, 2008.  Cowboy Jim Short takes a break before chuck wagon style lunch is served at the Uglow Ranch.

 

 

by Al Golub

Spring Branding

I figured that before I blogged the Erickson Cattle Company’s cattle drive this year, I should show some of the work cowboys do before the drive.  First, they round up the cattle from the ranch, and then separate the calves to brand.

Catching the calves is just like team roping at the Rodeo.  If you would like to see more of my branding images check out Photoshelter and click here.

 

After the header leads the calf out of the corral, the heeler ropes the back legs to pull the calf down for branding.

Branding is done to show ownership.  These cattle graze in the mountains where proof of ownership is needed.

Branding is done quickly.  Cowboys say it is done to mark the cattle not to hurt them.

When you are born into a cattle family, you learn to be a cowboy by firsthand experience.

Some doctoring is done at this time of year.  Here the foreman puts a parasite spray on a calf that was skipped in the usual process.

Cowboys often have to lay the calf down.

Young cowboys have lots of time to practice their roping skills.

Moving calves around is a constant job.

Cattle ranchers always start early to make use of the sunlight.

Traffic control is an important safety factor.

 

 

by Al Golub

Cowboy Photographic Workshop 2010

August 14, 2010, I participated as a teacher for the Erickson Cattle Company Photography Workshop in Ackerson Meadow near Yosemite National Park.  I love to share my knowledge with others plus get an opportunity to make a couple images at the same time.  A good part of my career was motivating, coaching, helping, and problem solving with photographers, so a workshop is a good match for me.  I have known the Erickson family cowboys since the late sixties, which is just a drop in the bucket when you consider their family has been moving cattle every summer to graze in the Yosemite National Park area for over 120 years.

Cowboys start at sunrise; Dan Erickson is moving cows along a fence line so photographers can get a good image.  We are going to have two dates this year for the Erickson Cattle Company Photography workshops July 16th – 17th and August 13th – 14th.  This workshop is a great opportunity for photographers of all levels to photograph real working cowboys in their natural environment so that you’ll be sure to make images that will enhance your portfolio.  I’ll be there for hands-on photo coaching to help with all technical questions as well as any creative guidance, and I’ll provide one-on-one editing after our shoot.  If you are interested, email me at al@golubphoto.com for more information.

Safety is always a consideration.  We organize shooting positions so we don’t interfere with other photographers.  After the early morning shooting, a chuck wagon style lunch is served.  We work with photographers to edit their work and plan the upcoming sessions.

During the day, cowboys do their normal duties.  These activities are close enough for photographers to photograph.  The cowboys do everything from roping and herding cattle to running horses and saddling them.  The scenery is beautiful and the cowboys are the real thing.  If you would like to see more of my cowboy images click here to view them on PhotoShelter.