As many of you may know, the name Shadowbend comes from a small cottage somewhere on Gist road in the hills south of Los Gatos. Ever since I was a toddler my family has had a tradition of going to the Four Winds Christmas Tree Farm in the Santa Cruz mountains. We would take the winding road up to Skyline Blvd and on the way, pass a cottage on a tight bend in the mountain road. There was a small sign outside that just read “Shadowbend”. For some reason the name resonated with me I have kept it in mind for years. When the time came to name my business, it did not take long to come up with “Shadowbend Studios”.
During the Autumn of 2006 I took a few “photo junkets” and in September I headed south to Santa Cruz, over to Fresno then back up through the Gold Country. On my way down highway 17 I decided to take a detour up Black Road to see if I might be able to locate that old cottage. I had not been on that route in years but I knew it as if I had done it the day before. It was strange how familiar it was after so long. After a few miles up on Gist road I came to a hair pin turn and there it was… right there in front of me.
I knew the house instantly even though the sign was not there anymore. I parked and took a few shots of the place and even went so far as to walk up to the front door and knock to see if anyone was home. I was actually going to inquire as to whether they were the same owners and might still have the sign stored someplace! I must have stayed there in front of the cottage for the better part of a half hour… just taking it in. It was a wonderful experience to reconnect with the place that held memories for me and helped me create the spirit of my new business.
Happy New Year to you all,Blessings,Skip
