Nevada Archives ~ Rambling ranger

My approach to photography has generally been pretty traditional. My photos are usually realistic, no frills or special effects except perhaps a little color saturation, which I’ve loved since the old-school film days when I used Velvia slide film and underexposed half a stop to get that rich kind of color.

Monochrome reflections — Reflections on the McCarthy Road

But for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Patti asks us to share monochrome images with reflections or interesting shadows. I have a few monochrome images in my files, and found some that work well with this theme. But I’ve had a bit of fun re-imagining some of my polychrome images, too.

Seagull sunset at Beard’s Hollow, Cape Disappointment State Park

Here are a shadow (silhouette) and a reflection shot from Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula. They’re all about the birds.

You might have noticed that the seagull scenic wasn’t quite black & white, more of a blue. Monochrome means one color, not greyscale. Here are a couple of colorful monochrome images. Continuing on the bird theme…

blue monochrome image - living sculpture — a natural living sculpture

Williams, Oregon — Christmas morning, 2021

monochrome Bandon Beach sunset — Bandon Beach

I think the beach may be my favorite place to make monochrome images.

But there are so many nice reflections on the McCarthy Road, too.

Here are a couple of pond lily reflections from the McCarthy Road, one in infrared, one in standard greyscale, under different lighting, portraying very different moods.

Pond lily monochrome — Infrared in late afternoon light

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve — Standard grey scale at midday

I transformed a pink dawn moonset at New Mexico’s Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge into a nighttime moonrise by going monochrome in this image.

Monochrome moonset on the Bosque — B&W moonset on the Bosque looks like a moonrise.

As I look over my catalog, I see a lot of reflections and a lot of interesting silhouettes, but not that many interesting shadows. Shadows can accentuate texture and be quite dramatic in their own right, but I guess I don’t readily “see” their potential when out shooting. Too much of that polychrome mindset, instead of exploring the possibilities of monochrome. Something I’ll have to work on, now that I’m aware of it. But here is an image where strong shadows help to create an impression. In this phot of Jug Handle Arch near Moab, the shadows accentuate the texture and power of the rock as well as the harshness of the desert sun.

My last image is a bit strange. I was exploring the ghost town of Goldfield, Nevada, which has an infamously haunted hotel. I peered into the window of the derelict building and spied an upright piano sitting amongst the rubble. I really wanted to capture a photo of the piano, but the glare from the midday sun and reflections from the brick wall obscured the view. The image I ended up with, though, looks uncannily like the piano is a reflection or even a mirage, oddly appropriate and haunting for a ghost town.

Thank you, Patti, for this week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge, Shadows and Reflections in Monochrome.

I’m walking through another of my favorite ghost towns, Gold Point, Nevada.

There’s a truck with a face here. With headlights for eyes and a grinning grill, it’s a dead ringer for Maynard, the old tow truck in the Pixar movie, Cars. That’s right, Maynard lives here. It’s a vehicle with personality, mostly painted a faded green, a hook and crane in the back, the bald tires frayed and flat.

Abandoned truck with peronality — Maynard lives here.

The entire town of Gold Point has personality. It’s one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the country.

A cold breeze blows tumbleweeds across the street and between the buildings. I feel like I’m stepping back in time 100 years, to the lawless days of claim jumpers and cattle rustlers.

Ghost town cabins and gallows — Gold Point is well preserved but not too touristy.

There’s a soundtrack that reinforces this impression. As I pass by the saloon the faint echo of an old time western drifts on the wind. I circle the building, but there are no other signs of life. The gravelly voiced actors sound like ghosts from days gone by. After all, those ancient horse operas are based on the real-life adventures of towns just like Gold Point.

It’s not completely abandoned. There are 6 full-time residents and 6 part-time residents. But on the day I visited I saw no one.

Derelict tractor shot through window of abandoned truck — Vehicles with personality

Silver, not gold, was the strike that brought people here first. In 1868 a town called Lime Point formed when silver was found nearby. The typical challenges of a mining town in the desert plagued Lime Point, though. Lack of water and the cost of freighting almost killed the settlement, although richer diggings in 1880 kept things going for a bit longer.

Lime Point went bust, but not long after the turn of the century, prospectors located a new silver vein about a half-mile away. There was so much silver all you had to do was shovel it right up off the ground! This type of super-gene enrichment was known as hornsilver, so they named the new town Hornsilver.

Door of old fire engine — Esmeralda County was Mark Twain’s old stomping grounds

By 1905, the camp supported about 1,000 people, with 13 saloons to slake the weary miners’ thirst.

Claim jumping and the ensuing lawsuits closed the mines down in 1909. After re-opening in 1915, miners continued to eke out a living until 1927. Then the town experienced a new boom. Gold was discovered in Hornsilver’s biggest mine, the Great Western.

Mine headframes, Gold Point, NV — Mines at Gold Point, NV

The residents changed the name of the town to Gold Point in 1932. Times were hard in those Depression years and the residents changed the name in a desperate attempt to attract investors.

Mining continued until World War Two when the government banned all mining except for those minerals needed for the war effort After the war, some folks drifted back, but the town was completely abandoned in the 1960s after a bad dynamite charge caused a disastrous cave-in.

Derelict car parked at antique gas pump Gold Point, NV — Gold Point, Nevada

The buildings lay deserted for a decade. A former resident, Ora Mae Wiley, did all she could to keep the town from falling completely apart.

A gentleman named Herb Robbins and a few of his friends began to purchase the buildings, one by one, in the 1970s. When Herb hit a big jackpot in Las Vegas a few years later, he used the money to purchase most of the buildings in town. He and his friends continued to repair roofs and lovingly refurbish interiors.

Hornsilver Townsite & Telephone building — Gold Point was named Hornsilver until the 1930s.

Some of the cabins are now part of a bed and breakfast. Profits from the B&B help to pay for the restoration and preservation of many of the buildings.

The B&B website says, “When you visit Gold Point you may not see anyone, but rest assured they are watching you.” Sounds kind of creepy, but basically it’s just a neighborhood watch program. The entire town is privately owned, so look but don’t touch. No souvenirs, please. Leave the artifacts where they lay. Neighbors looking out for each other are why Gold Point is so well preserved.

Gas pump & ore car — No artifact collecting allowed

If you’d like to keep the ghosts at bay, visit on a weekend. The museums are usually open then. The town also has a big celebration on Memorial Day, with a chili cook-off, live music and raffle prizes.

As for me, I’ll visit when it’s lonely. I think the town’s apparent abandonment is part of the charm. I can’t wait to go back, and I’ll stay a little longer next time. But if you visit before I do, be sure and tell Maynard I said Hello!

Gold Point is north of Beatty, about 7 miles off Highway 95 on Highway 266.

Tag: Nevada

Monochrome: Shadows and Reflections

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One of my favorite ghost towns – Gold Point, Nevada

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