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by Al Golub

Motor Fire Near Yosemite Entrance, August 25, 2011

 

Last Thursday I was working on a blog about my first season photographing the NFL, when I got an email from my friend Wes Schultz.  Wes sent me a URL from Wildlanfire.com that said there was a fire near El Portal and they were requesting recourses.  I could see a big column of smoke from my balcony.  So, I started getting my camera equipment ready and pulled all of my fire gear together.  They named the fire the Motor Fire because a motor home caught fire on highway 140 starting fires on both sides of the Merced River.

Before I left the house about 3:30 pm, I photographed this column of smoke.  We are looking east from my house.  The smoke blocks the view of Yosemite National Park.

After driving nearly 60 miles I was on Highway 140 close to the fire.  With my 400mm and a 1.4 extender, I could photograph the Helicopters dropping water directly on the fire.  If you have been there before, it is between Savages Trading Post and the Cedar Lodge.

I continued up river where I found helicopter 404 from the Columbia Helitack base scooping water out of the Merced River.

404 has a new paint job because CDF, California Department of Forestry is now called Cal Fire.

The Cal Fire helicopter pilots are amazing.

Cal Fire 404 put water down in drainage to slow progress of the fire.

On the way out to make deadline, I could see the fire had reached Trumbull Peak.  That gave me an idea where the fire was going.  The next day I planed to got to Trumbull Peak from the old Coulterville to Yosemite stagecoach toll road.  This would be my last change to photograph the fire because Saturday and Sunday I was covering NFL football game.

I got a late start but I could see there was still smoke rising.  To say the road was a little rougher that I remember is an understatement.  My new rattle loose and I have to use Duck-Tape of keep it from falling off.  I had to ride up on the bank of the road along with a little brush smashing.  My Truck has the scars to prove it made the trip.  The next day the Forest Service closed the road for safety reasons.  By the time I got to just below the Peak, I met the Fulton Hot Shots come down the road.  The fire came up over the Trumbull Peak Lookout and they decided to fall back to where I took this image of the Motor fire jumping the Peak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Al Golub

2008 Telegraph Fire Near Yosemite National Park

Recently, I became a volunteer for Cal Fire.  With my friend Wes Schultz, I will be photographing wildland fires this season.  The last big wildland fire I photographed was the Telegraph Fire in 2008.  Lucky for me there wasn’t much hiking involved because both of my knees were bone on bone.  In May 2009, I had bilateral total knee replacements, so I am ready to go again.

Friday, July 25, 2008, some guys were target shooting and their bullets hit rocks that sparked a fire.  The Telegraph Fire started at 3:15 p.m. near Telegraph and Sherlock roads in the Midpines area.  By 7:00 p.m. that night, my neighbors and I were photographing the first big flames ripping up Telegraph Hill.  I spent seven days photographing the fire working for Getty, Polaris and Associated Press.  I posted most of my images to Photoshelter.  Here are some of the images that tell the story.

July 30, 2008

A Cal Fire bomber drops retardant on Division L at the leading edge of the fire. Division L was threatening Greeley Hill.

July 28, 2008

Horses on Jenkins Ranch off Bull Creek Road are oblivious to a smoke plume from a blow up at Branch Three of the fire.  This part of the fire is on the north side of the Merced River and is heading toward the community of Greeley Hill.

July 28, 2008

Helicopter drops water on a spot fire off Bull Creek Road.

July 26, 2008

On the second day of the fire, a DC-10 tanker drops retardant on Mt. Bullion ridge to protect cell phone towers.  I photographed this image from Highway 49 between Mt. Bullion and Bear Valley.

July 28, 2008

Branch Two of the fire throws a plume of smoke and ash into the sky over the Merced River Canyon near sundown.

July 29, 2008

Guide plane leads retardant bomber on Division M in an attempt to slow down the progression of the fire up Halls Gulch toward the Greeley Hill community.

July 30, 2008

Day begins as a California Department of Corrections fire crew heads out to cut fire line on Division L.

July 28, 2008

Fire rips up a hill in part of Division M on Branch Three.  This part of the fire is on the north side of the Merced River and was heading toward the community of Greeley Hill.

July 30, 2008

Erickson Sky Crane drops water on the leading edge of the Telegraph Fire.

July 30, 2008

Captain Roy Johns of the Union City, California Fire Department watches burn-out on Division N.  When the fire gets too hot, he will have his firefighters use hoses to cool down the fire. Division N was in the northeast portion of the fire in the Stanislaus National Forest.

July 30, 2008

Kern County Hot Shot fire crew returns after a shift of cutting fire line on Division L.

July 30, 2008

Union City firefighters use hose on trees at Division N to cool down fire during burn-out.

July 29, 2008

A Kern County fire truck moves along the firebreak as things heat up in Division M of Branch Three.  In the background, a fire blows up near Halls Gulch and Bull Creek Road.

San Bernardino firefighter takes a moment to get information at Division L on the leading edge of the fire.

July 26, 2008

Standing on Highway 49 between Mt. Bullion and Bear Valley, I use my 10mm lens to capture smoke rising over Mount Bullion and Fremont Ridge.

July 29, 2008

Cal Fire firefighters watch blow-up at Division M of Branch Three as the fire bumps over the line.

July 31, 2008

Bomber drops retardant to pre-treat a hot spot near Bull Creek Road on Division M.

July 30, 2008

California Department of Corrections fire crew takes lunch after cutting fire line on Division L.

 

 

by Al Golub

Coyote Howl, Coulterville, California

Living in Greeley Hill, we have to travel six miles downhill to an 1850s gold rush town, Coulterville, California for our Post Office.  Twenty-six years ago town folks were looking for an excuse to have a community party.  They created the Coyote Howl.  The story of the birth of the Howl is a little murky.  The story is that there was some drinking going on in the Magnolia Room of the Jeffery Hotel (not a surprise, the Mag Room is a saloon) and someone joked that with all the coyotes in the area and everybody imitating them there ought to be a contest.  Now, coyotes don’t make just one sound when they howl, so people have different ideas of what they should sound like. If you would like to hear what the contest sounds like, click here for a multi media clip that we recorded in 2007.  The rest of my images are stored on Photoshelter, so give a click if you want to see more.

Kids in groups compete as Pup Packs.  These boys came in second in 2011.

This Piney Creek resident was the adult winner in 2001.

This year, as always, the parade is lots of fun for families.

This adult contestant had won in the past but didn’t make it in 2011.

The calliope is a treat for everybody.  It isn’t my favorite type of music but it seems to fit in with the parade.

Master of ceremonies Silverman gives a young pup a chance to test out his howl for next year.

Everybody has an opinion and some express theirs more colorfully.

This year’s adult winner wore a little hair of the dog while howling.

Capt. Henry Love shoots his 12 gauge at the bad guys.  Historically speaking, Capt. Love was the Marshall who captured Joaquin Murrieta.

During the gunfight, the bad guys always get to die.

In 2005, the Magnolia was hopping.  It will reopen June 15 of this year.

This pup uses his hands to make his howl.

Panama Red shoots his way out of the saloon.

During the gunfight, the Lady Sheriff shot a couple bad guys.

While county music is playing in the park, folks are dancing in front of a booth that seems to fry everything you could think of.  No fried stuff for me.

 

 

by Al Golub

Hey Ma, I’m blogging!

Here I am circa 1968

It’s been over a year since I created a blog, and I’ve yet to get it started.  So, all excuses aside, I’m going to just jump right in and get going.  I want this blog to be a place where I can share current and old work as well as serve as a resource for anyone interested in photography.  At the age of 68, I feel there is so much more for me to learn, and I would like to share all of the things I’ve learned over the years.  Having been a manager of photographers and other creative people, I have always enjoyed fostering a photographic community where everybody learns from and shares with one another.

Since I’m still learning the ropes on this whole blogging thing, I’d love to receive feedback on where to take this blog.  OK, back to scanning and imaging.

Check back tomorrow for my first real post with images!