Welcome to Hawk Circle Farm, and the E.L.F.
Somewhere, in the place in south central Pennsylvania, where the forested hills flatten into farming valleys, and the Susquehanna rolls down to the Chesapeake Bay and then to the sea, is Hawk Circle, one outpost of the Earth Life Foundation's never ending quest to...
...no no, not hunt orcs on moonless nights.
To educate, legislate, and make the world thrive for future generations. "One of many dot-orgs vying for your tax-deductible donations".
The wildlife experts, endangered species caretakers, rehabbers, content creators, horsemen, writers, photographers, and educators are just a little... older, and weirder, than most.
They are the fae; the elves, dwarves, fauns, centaurs, merfolk, selkies, kelpies and others only remembered now in legend, but tasked with connecting their younger siblings, humans, with the natural world.
Don't let your collections sit on a shelf, take them on adventures. I've photographed my model horses, night furies, action figures and others, both in the backyard, and on actual adventures. It let's you see a familiar place from a new perspective. It can give kids a hands on creative tool on a trip where they might otherwise fidget right past the good stuff.
More on my instagram and facebook: https://www.instagram.com/teannabyerts/?hl=en
More on my instagram and facebook: https://www.instagram.com/teannabyerts/?hl=en
Play with your toys...when we were kids, we were great storytellers, and our toys had all sorts of adventures.
As adults, we can still engage our imagination with minitaures, models, that horse collection, action figures, dolls, train sets, starships. I've done model horse photography and fun things with other collectibles (as have many other people), and even customized a couple of 12" 1:6 scale dolls to be Bran and Ian and Tas, and Zan from my stories a long time ago. Inspired by some creative photography with customized models on Model Horse Dioramas and Scenes, I decided the Hawk Circle Crew needed expanding, and their own photoshoots.
YAWA the unicorn was created by Vicki Wyman, in trade for some of my art. Many of the horses were thrift shop or yard sale rescues. These are 12" dolls, so the Marx Johnny West horses are to scale. Some of the Barbie scale horses make nice ponies. Bluewater Sailing is a repaint of a Johnny West Flame, who was severely discolored. The dolls have been collected randomly, most have been modified. I sometimes Photoshop them slightly to remove joints.
Characters:
As adults, we can still engage our imagination with minitaures, models, that horse collection, action figures, dolls, train sets, starships. I've done model horse photography and fun things with other collectibles (as have many other people), and even customized a couple of 12" 1:6 scale dolls to be Bran and Ian and Tas, and Zan from my stories a long time ago. Inspired by some creative photography with customized models on Model Horse Dioramas and Scenes, I decided the Hawk Circle Crew needed expanding, and their own photoshoots.
YAWA the unicorn was created by Vicki Wyman, in trade for some of my art. Many of the horses were thrift shop or yard sale rescues. These are 12" dolls, so the Marx Johnny West horses are to scale. Some of the Barbie scale horses make nice ponies. Bluewater Sailing is a repaint of a Johnny West Flame, who was severely discolored. The dolls have been collected randomly, most have been modified. I sometimes Photoshop them slightly to remove joints.
Characters:
- Bran, Ravenkin, shapeshifter, Gatesinger, of the Alfar of the Northern Realm (Elf)...he usually rides with no bridle, like Legolas in LOTR, because "elvish way with all good beasts" (Tolkien quote)
- Ian, wolf to Bran's raven, healer (human)
- Rainger Murphy, Bran's human partner (red hair)
- Connor Holmes, Ravenkin, Bran's cousin
- Tas, pooka (Elf, horse shapeshifter)
- Zan, Elven illusionist, still a teen at 160-something
- Morgan the Merrow (mer-male), his red hat (reminiscent of the Cousteau crew, watch caps, and divers' hats) is, according to Irish myth, the thing that lets him breathe underwater, teen ager who comes ashore in The Merrow's Cap (still in the works)...
- Shaughnessy (needs an action figure), orca shapeshifter, marine biologist, diver, photographer
- YAWA, one of the guardians of Hawk Circle
- black horses, slightly sparkly, pookas? Seahorses? Jacques and Misty Night
- Bluewater Sailing is a Marsh Tacky (rare South Caroliina breed, one of the Spanish Colonial Horse breeds).
- Dunlin, a large dun colored school pony, named after a shorebird (because Bran does all sea going names)
- Mithril aka Mythic, another large lesson pony, hi yo away...
- various kids in the riding program... the little dark haired one is Aidan, a Ravenkin, some not too distant relative of Bran and Connor, the taller girl with dark hair is...
- Jay, Bran's latest little sister (he has others that are grown up)
- various miniature goat kids: they came in grey (they were an ebay Barbie find) and have been repainted.
- Theodore the Centaur (aka Teddy) computer engineer and latecomer to Hawk Circle, after younger members of his tribe came there (in the book Black Horses).
- Michael David Shaughnessy (aka Shaughnessy), marine biologist, filmaker, educator, orca shapeshifter (a kind of selkie), resembles humans from the Pacific Ocean rim and islands. The whalefolk take off their fins to walk on land in human form... the fin becomes a boat, kayak, surfboard etc.
- George “Geordi” Liu Hawk Circle intern/trainer/martial artist. Half elf. 7” action figure; Shang Chi (Marvel), Liu for Charles Liu and Simu Liu, George for Takei, Geordi for Star Trek…
- Grace Liu: Geordi’s half sister. Elven. 7” action figure from Marvel’s Shang Chi. White tunic. Black pants/boots. Hawk Circle South, marine bio specialty.
- YAWA, one of the guardians of Hawk Circle
- Axial Fire (Axe, Battleaxe) chestnut/flaxen Arabian stallion
- Ava: small blond girl with a sense of adventure. Human ally, knows the elves and fauns and such
Hawk Circle South
Down on the DelMarVa Peninsula is another ELF outpost: Hawk Circle South, sometimes referred to as Osprey Circle or Screeching Gull Circle. Its purpose is to focus on issues of the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, as well as the mid-Atlantic Coast. Not all the educators are seafolk, but a goodly number are: merrows, selkies and others. Anywhere there are seals, there are tales of selkies, who take off their sealskins to walk on land in human form. The humans of the northwest coast tell or the whalefolk who take off their fins to walk on land in human form. Michael Shaughnessy is one of them: marine biologist, filmaker, educator... and Deaf (longstorysomeothertime) on land.
I had a few action figures in 1/6 scale that I had thought to do as him, but a mention on a model horse site led me to take another look at the wrestling action figures (I don't follow wrestling)(but I do adore Dwayne Johnson, and in MY movie, I'd cast him as this character). A little customization and here we are.... but he still needs real hair...
I had a few action figures in 1/6 scale that I had thought to do as him, but a mention on a model horse site led me to take another look at the wrestling action figures (I don't follow wrestling)(but I do adore Dwayne Johnson, and in MY movie, I'd cast him as this character). A little customization and here we are.... but he still needs real hair...
Meanwhile in Delawhere
An ELF crew takes to the Delaware beaches to study the Great Horseshoe Crab Spawning.
Geordi and Axial Fire, Jon, and Grace (Geordi's half sister), and one small kid, Ava, for whom the horse of the sea becomes a seapony.
These are Breyer classic scale and Breyer CollectA classic scale, with 7" action figures, mostly customized. Practical effects done by sitting on a wet pebbly beach throwing handfuls of sand and cups of water at my preciousssssss.
Tutorial here: (click the type)
Geordi and Axial Fire, Jon, and Grace (Geordi's half sister), and one small kid, Ava, for whom the horse of the sea becomes a seapony.
These are Breyer classic scale and Breyer CollectA classic scale, with 7" action figures, mostly customized. Practical effects done by sitting on a wet pebbly beach throwing handfuls of sand and cups of water at my preciousssssss.
Tutorial here: (click the type)
every adventurer needs a centaur sidekick
fun with centaurs
In Black Horses, a band of centaurs ends up being part of Hawk circle's educational team. Eventually, a few more of their tribe show up. Theodore the Centaur is one of the computer engineers... when he's not showing the elves and Rain how to kick ass...
The characters are 1/9 scale (Barbie). YAWA the unicorn is an original sculpey sculpture by artist Vicki Wyman. Teddy is named after my OG pony, and is actually a limited edition (commercially available) sculpture from the Narnia films.
The characters are 1/9 scale (Barbie). YAWA the unicorn is an original sculpey sculpture by artist Vicki Wyman. Teddy is named after my OG pony, and is actually a limited edition (commercially available) sculpture from the Narnia films.
What to do with an elaborate sculpture that has one pose...
Moving to a larger table (which involved finally removing antique computer stuff) allows for either green/blue screen background, or a nice blue arena wall and more space for multiple characters. The camera can be put on a tripod, so I can shoot a clean plate (base layer), then add characters (with stands). Stands can be erased in photoshop. Footing is pine pellets, bloomed (wet it) to make sawdust. If your character doesn't have grippy hands, use poster putty.
arena chaos
Riding lesson in one of the outdoor arenas. Bran, Tas the pooka, and various kids, four legged ones too.
vaulting
Below: Bran and his second cousin twice removed, Aidan (which translates as "little fire") practice some vaulting. Dunlin the School Pony was a rescue, as are many of the equines and other animals at the farm.
After the classes and visitors and regular riding school folks go home, the residents of Hawk Circle Farm practice their own skills.
Those skills may be a bit beyond the average human... don't worry, Aidan's got a couple centuries of growing up to perfect her skills.
The wildlife experts, endangered species caretakers, rehabbers, content creators, horsemen, writers, photographers, and educators are just a little... older, and weirder, than most. They are the Fae, the Elves, Dwarves, Fauns and others long tasked with the protection of the natural world and the education of the other people who share their world.
Shot in studio with only minimal tweaking: removal of doll stands and "wirework" (fishing line). 1/6 scale customized Barbie dolls, and Johnny West pony. The last four shots were with my not so smart phone, and no tweaking on photoshop.
I broke my cool background wall and had to glue it. Then had to noodle it because it didn't glue quite right, and then paint the top... the issue is that smaller scale models will not come up to the top of the blue wall as these 1/6 scale ones do, so the background might be problematic. Or I can raise the ground. Or assume that the different wall of the arena are, ah, different. Or make some new walls.
And yes, a real actual vaulting surcingle is in the works.
After the classes and visitors and regular riding school folks go home, the residents of Hawk Circle Farm practice their own skills.
Those skills may be a bit beyond the average human... don't worry, Aidan's got a couple centuries of growing up to perfect her skills.
The wildlife experts, endangered species caretakers, rehabbers, content creators, horsemen, writers, photographers, and educators are just a little... older, and weirder, than most. They are the Fae, the Elves, Dwarves, Fauns and others long tasked with the protection of the natural world and the education of the other people who share their world.
Shot in studio with only minimal tweaking: removal of doll stands and "wirework" (fishing line). 1/6 scale customized Barbie dolls, and Johnny West pony. The last four shots were with my not so smart phone, and no tweaking on photoshop.
I broke my cool background wall and had to glue it. Then had to noodle it because it didn't glue quite right, and then paint the top... the issue is that smaller scale models will not come up to the top of the blue wall as these 1/6 scale ones do, so the background might be problematic. Or I can raise the ground. Or assume that the different wall of the arena are, ah, different. Or make some new walls.
And yes, a real actual vaulting surcingle is in the works.
SOME WINTER RIDES...
It finally snowed in PA, so the Hawk Circle crew went out for a few winter rides...
The Appaloosas were rescued from a dusty shelf and washed and pressed into service. They're lovely Breyer Traditional models and deserve some play time.
The palomino pinto pony is a Breyer Traditional scale (1/9) Shetland pony, who works as such for an 8" rider. For the 1/6 scale characters, she's a mini.
It finally snowed in PA, so the Hawk Circle crew went out for a few winter rides...
The Appaloosas were rescued from a dusty shelf and washed and pressed into service. They're lovely Breyer Traditional models and deserve some play time.
The palomino pinto pony is a Breyer Traditional scale (1/9) Shetland pony, who works as such for an 8" rider. For the 1/6 scale characters, she's a mini.
Riding lesson: a study in forced perspective
I have models in various scales. Barbie and Johnny West/Marx horses are 1/6 scale (foot tall doll is about equal to 6 foot human). Our Generation horses (American Girl and other 18" tall dolls) are 1/3 scale. Breyer Traditional horses are 1/9 scale. In the school arena pics above, some larger Breyer Traditional scale ponies made small ponies. The cats are a bit small, so mostly I put them in the front.
The trick is: put the smaller model in front, and the larger one in back.
Then check your POV (point of view, or eyeline: is your camera lined up with approximately the characters' eyeline, or a bit lower. Sometimes you can shoot from higher, but it often either looks like a drone shot, or makes them look like models.
In this case, one of the adult Barbies can stand in for a kid, if I pile winter clothes on her, or shoot from sort of behind. Be careful there isn't stuff underfoot or in the background that shows their real size: that giant leaf, that "old ruin" railfence, or other things we know the size of. In this case, nelow, the pics work best when Bran and the black horse's head are higher than the pinto's and rider's heads.
The pinto was found at a thrift shop, and I tweaked the paint job to a classic champagne tobiano. It is an Our Generation, 1/3 scale. The black horse is a Johnny West 1/6 scale Thunderbolt, repainted. Wreaths and quickie bitless bridle by me. Yes, the black horse has sparklies. He may be a pooka or something. The rider on the chapagne is a Barbie I found at a yard sale or thrift shop, she's beautifully articulated, and needs her own coat!
The trick is: put the smaller model in front, and the larger one in back.
Then check your POV (point of view, or eyeline: is your camera lined up with approximately the characters' eyeline, or a bit lower. Sometimes you can shoot from higher, but it often either looks like a drone shot, or makes them look like models.
In this case, one of the adult Barbies can stand in for a kid, if I pile winter clothes on her, or shoot from sort of behind. Be careful there isn't stuff underfoot or in the background that shows their real size: that giant leaf, that "old ruin" railfence, or other things we know the size of. In this case, nelow, the pics work best when Bran and the black horse's head are higher than the pinto's and rider's heads.
The pinto was found at a thrift shop, and I tweaked the paint job to a classic champagne tobiano. It is an Our Generation, 1/3 scale. The black horse is a Johnny West 1/6 scale Thunderbolt, repainted. Wreaths and quickie bitless bridle by me. Yes, the black horse has sparklies. He may be a pooka or something. The rider on the chapagne is a Barbie I found at a yard sale or thrift shop, she's beautifully articulated, and needs her own coat!
Bran and Rain take a Yule ride along Lake Marburg in Codorus State Park PA
A December ride by Hawk Circle's outdoor Yule tree... Ian on Mithril, Bran and Rain on Blue... Bran's riding bridleless, Ian has a neckline... he was taught by elves.
Geeeeeee, I wonder who ordered the giant candy canes and the peanut butter cup pies...
unicorns can't type, but this one can speak, and the computers at Hawk Circle have Dwarf tech and voice recognition...
Also, elves behaving like kids...
unicorns can't type, but this one can speak, and the computers at Hawk Circle have Dwarf tech and voice recognition...
Also, elves behaving like kids...
Somebody got Connor a lightsaber for Yule...
barely controlled chaos for a Yule photoshoot...
Fun with green screen. Green screen didn't work well (to put in another background) but the action was fun. I've worked out a better way to hold up the characters: the sandbox under them can be used (dowel rods in the sand) or dowels can be put through the lid (drilled holes) and can hold them up. Photoshhop "blur" filter fun too.
GO PLAY OUTSIDE ANYWAY...
There are two sets of pics here, why?
Sooooo, this am I looked out on the misty moors of Pennsylvania, a fae vision straight from one of my tales. Perfect, I'll go do some model shoots in it...
3 hours later...
I had tweaked some costuming, which involved finding the grey felt, firing up the hot glue gun, stitching the scarf onto the jacket while watching a PBS Eons youtube video on "is there a tiny black hole in the middle of our sun?"
I gathered Aislinn the Fighting Bard and Connor Holmes, Ravenkin, shapeshifter, of the Alfar of the Northern Realm (also an Earth Life Foundation educator, mostly on ravens, sometimes on computer use for early grades, now that he has stopped frying its circuits), and two horses, clad in festive holiday wreaths... a festive bridle for one, and none for the elf, cause, to quote Tolkien, "the elvish way with all good beasts".
Oh hey look it's RAINING.
PBBBBBBBBBTHHHHH...
It was more like the fog had gotten chonky, so I also gathered an umbrella, my real camera (Nikon Coolpix B500) and Went Forth on A Quest.
My hand stitched model clothing is going to have to deal with some misty moors, some mud and whatever else I throw at them. The custom painted by me, vintage Johnny West horses also get to experience all the elements.
The camera gets to cower under the umbrella.
I got a few shots in the yard before saving the camera from a Fate Worse Than Replacement.
Working in grass that hasn't been mowed in eons, with fallen leaves, makes for some out of scale photobombs by LORGE leaves and "whattheheck is that giant stem of...???"
Yeay Photoshop.
Here are the originals and the tweaked pics. The palomino horse is a Johnny West "Buckskin", who is weirdly articulated in head and neck, I suppose so he can graze. I often erase his joints. I also noodled some Godzilla level leaves and one weird strand that bisected the whole shot. You don't have to totally clone out the leaves, just break up their shapes.
There are two sets of pics here, why?
Sooooo, this am I looked out on the misty moors of Pennsylvania, a fae vision straight from one of my tales. Perfect, I'll go do some model shoots in it...
3 hours later...
I had tweaked some costuming, which involved finding the grey felt, firing up the hot glue gun, stitching the scarf onto the jacket while watching a PBS Eons youtube video on "is there a tiny black hole in the middle of our sun?"
I gathered Aislinn the Fighting Bard and Connor Holmes, Ravenkin, shapeshifter, of the Alfar of the Northern Realm (also an Earth Life Foundation educator, mostly on ravens, sometimes on computer use for early grades, now that he has stopped frying its circuits), and two horses, clad in festive holiday wreaths... a festive bridle for one, and none for the elf, cause, to quote Tolkien, "the elvish way with all good beasts".
Oh hey look it's RAINING.
PBBBBBBBBBTHHHHH...
It was more like the fog had gotten chonky, so I also gathered an umbrella, my real camera (Nikon Coolpix B500) and Went Forth on A Quest.
My hand stitched model clothing is going to have to deal with some misty moors, some mud and whatever else I throw at them. The custom painted by me, vintage Johnny West horses also get to experience all the elements.
The camera gets to cower under the umbrella.
I got a few shots in the yard before saving the camera from a Fate Worse Than Replacement.
Working in grass that hasn't been mowed in eons, with fallen leaves, makes for some out of scale photobombs by LORGE leaves and "whattheheck is that giant stem of...???"
Yeay Photoshop.
Here are the originals and the tweaked pics. The palomino horse is a Johnny West "Buckskin", who is weirdly articulated in head and neck, I suppose so he can graze. I often erase his joints. I also noodled some Godzilla level leaves and one weird strand that bisected the whole shot. You don't have to totally clone out the leaves, just break up their shapes.
