Upon a visit to the California Mother Lode region we were immediately attracted to the area and its history. We felt compelled to do a fine art photographic project on the region focusing on interpreting subjects relating to the California gold rush and gold mining.
In our images we attempt to portray not the reality of what is, but a sense of what was. Occasionally, in the combination of a scene, the light and breeze we can almost sense the people and activity that were once there. Creating a photograph that somehow interprets and captures that feeling is often the inspiration for our image making.
The project title, "The Land of Glittering Dreams", is drawn from a letter written by a gold miner in 1852.
August 9, 1852
... T’is true a California life is not one of pleasure, but to the contrary one of fatigue, toil and privation. Which I presume ere this time you are aware of...
I have never regretted the moment I left Missouri and were I there again I would not remain there long. But I would launch my bark for the Land of Glittering Dreams. ...
Excerpts of a letter by Martin Rodney to T.J. Rodney
Courtesy Searls Memorial Library
