Being a country girl at heart, I have lived in the mountains of Northern & Central California
most of my life. But I've also lived and worked in and around the areas,
of Los Angles and San Jose, California.
I was born in the Bay Area of Central California, but raised in Fall River Valley located in the
mountains of Eastern Shasta County, in Northern California.
After high school, I spent 2 years traveling all over the
United States and into eastern Canada, as a actress and singer for a
Christian repertory theater company called, "Covenant Players."
It was during my theater days that I became known as Alison Lee.
After graduating for Shasta Collage in Redding, CA., attending CSU Fullerton
for a semester and spending a short time in the Air Force, I started taking pictures.
Taking my first shots in 1979 while working as Sports Editor for my home town's newspaper.
Before long I became their Chief Photographer and Darkroom Technician.
During this time I also worked for 6 months as a Public Relations Intern for the
local public school district. Then in 1982 I moved to San Jose, CA.
Earning a living as a photographer, does not always pay the bills,
so over the years my budget has been filled in with a variety of jobs.
Ranging from; Work for preschools, elementary and high schools, as a Teacher's Aid or Teacher.
Spending time as a Security Specialist and/or Training Officer for Memorex and other
electronics and computer companies. Who's corporate offices and manufacturing facilities
were (at the time) located in the Silicon Valley of California. While in the Santa Clara Co. area,
I also worked as a Cashier/Assistant Manager for a small chain of retail Camera Stores.
In 1983's, I got married and moved from San Jose, to the Oakhurst area
of Eastern Madera County, California. Oakhurst is on Hwy 41 just outside south entrance of
Yosemite National Park. We worked as House Parents for a Boys Group Home in Oakhurst,
then moved to the Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay area to work for a larger Group Home Agency.
From there we went back to San Jose, where my husband did Apartment Maintenance
and I working as a Preschool Teacher. Later we both got jobs worked for a Tow Truck Company.
Where we worked until getting tired of city life and moved back to the mountain's near Oakhurst.
Soon after returning to the Oakhurst area, my husband joined the Cedar Valley
Volunteer Fire Department. I naturally started taking pictures for Cedar Valley
and several of the other Madera County Volunteer Fire Departments.
This lead to taking pictures for the US Forest Service, Cal Fire, and CSFA Fire Service Magazine.
In 1994, to help pay for a divorce and related expenses,
I worked several years for the Round Table Pizza in Oakhurst.
During the 1996 fire season I started working as a volunteer,
helping my new roommate staff the USFS Miami Mountain Fire Lookout.
In 2000 I trained and served for almost three years as a volunteer
with the Madera County Sheriff Department Search & Rescue Team.
In 2002 I left Round Table to returned to school at the Institute of Technology in
Clovis, California. Obtaining a diploma in Multimedia Graphic Design, the spring of 2003.
Then started working part time designing ads for the Sierra Star Newspaper in Oakhurst.
2005 - Arthritus and injurys have force me into a early reitement.
Spend most of my time at our new home in Mariposa County.
Where I enjoy playing on my computer, watching old movies, listening to music,
work in the yard weeding our flower gardens, playing with the pets, watching the wild criders,
enjoying the view and of course taking pictures.
The view
from my back porch over the years.
Flowers
Flowers Everywhere
(May 2005)
---- |
Snow
at Sunset
(March 2006)
---- |
Sunrise
(August 2007)
---- |
Lightning
Caused Fire
(June 2008)
|
Surprised
Visitor
(September 2009)
 |
Rainbows
(January 2010) |
January 2010 - Had surgery for cancer that was found via my annual mammogram.
Fortunately it was found soon enough and was small enough, that it only required
outpaient surgery followed by 7 weeks of radiation treatments.
May 2010 - Life Goes On
I'm on my own again and have moved to a place with some beautiful sunsets
in the foothills of Madera County, California
(Photos
taken May 8, 2010)
