When I was 1st invited and heard about this event I wasn’t sure about it. Was it really going to happen?  Was I even going to attend this event? When I was originally invited, I said I couldn’t afford the booth fee’s and was then promised to be setup as an exhibitor, which was then left there without any further contact from the event coordinator.  if it hadn’t been for the efforts of the folks who coordinate Tanner’s antiques and craft show, who invited me in the end, and provided me space with basically the same deal that they’ve done for me at Tanners, I wouldn’t have attended, this too was basically however last minute.

needless say, I was able to pull things together at the last minute while recruiting my daughter to help.  I borrowed a wonderful 1870’s military saddle, some chaps, a couple of whips, some lasso rope, that in the end was unfortunately never used, if I use the saddle again, I would like to make a saddle stand for it. I also bought some other items, that I normally have available.

I’m pleased to state, that the majority of those who had a tintype taken where re-enactors, who kept me busy on Saturday.  and had it not been for them, I wouldn’t have been able to pay my booth fees, and other incidentals for an event that had little to no advertising and was held at the Reno-convention center who charges everyone $10.00 day for parking, plus extra for an extension cord plugged into the wall behind me.

on the upswing, while my lighting is adequate, I’ve decided for these events I would like to upgrade the lamp fixtures on my continuous lights and drop my strobes, hopefully bringing my exposures from 10 seconds and a strobe pop down to about 6 seconds without the strobe.

granted I did like having the curtains and the tables with their covers, and I think adding the borrowed wire grid work to display and try to sell some of my framed photo’s added to the overall look.

I am also pleased to state my chemicals and gear worked flawlessly the only retakes were ones where I didn’t get the lighting adjusted correctly which caused weird shadows.

This is one of my more favorite photo’s that I took of one of my fellow Comstock Civil War Reenactors, he portrays Allen Pinkerton.

It’s sad, the event has a lot of potential, however as a small antique dealer or a starving artist. The booth space, the incidentals, travel & room cost of the Reno convention center and the Alantas Casino/hotel has caused a great number of the vendors vowing that if the event occurs next year, they will not be attending. For me, the jury is still out. as to Tanners Antiques and crafts show. I’ll definitely be setting up there again.  Some of the framed photo’s will be traveling to a gallery in Carson City Nevada while the others will be returning to the Churchill County offices, and if the smoke ever clears enough to let me get out, I’ll be able to do some work on the O’Sullivan project. now that I have a better idea of the collodion recipe that O’Sullivan was likely using.