Photographer shoots for community photo

A call has been put out to Virginia City residents and regulars - Say cheese!

Sandy Pavel, a Tahoe City photographer, along with the help of the Storey County community development director, has organized the Virginia City Town Photo scheduled to take place March 19.

Pavel, a professional photographer, said, she once saw a photograph of a town picture taken in Truckee a few years back and the thought intrigued her.

So, Pavel, who spent a lot of time on the Comstock last summer taking photographs for her postcard collection, began to toy with the idea of doing something similar in the historic mining town.

"I just started thinking Virginia City would make just an absolutely fantastic town photo. There's all sorts of characters who live in the town," said Pavel. "I want to include anyone who feels connected with it. I really felt like it needed to be documented. For me it was more of a historical documentation of the town."

And despite not having really worked out the logistics of such a large undertaking, the ball was rolling.

"It snowballed so fast. For months it was a just an idea in my head. Then one day I realized I had to start seeing if I could make this a reality," Pavel said.

First she got in touch with the Storey County Sheriff's Office, then businesses along C Street willing to let her take advantage of their parking lots and balconies.

Pavel said that she made friends in the city on trips to complete her summer project. Each person she mentioned it to loved the idea, she said.

Her vision is to gather residents and regulars in the Delta Saloon parking lot on March 19. She said she'll take several photographs, bringing to the front of the crowd different groups like Virginia City's bearded community, saloon ladies, and uniformed officers.

Deny Dotson, community services director, has been putting out the word for Pavel.

"We have so many people that thought that was just the coolest idea," said Dotson. "I don't think its ever been done."

Pavel, whose never coordinated such a large number of people, said she is nervous and excited at the same time.

"I think that town has a lot of spirit," she said. "A lot of people who live there love that place. We could make a really killer town photo. I think it's going to be fun actually."

Pavel will make the photograph available for purchase at Virginia City shops.