Well, that is not a title I ever thought would grace the top of my blog. But, as you may have noticed, I am all over the place with my subjects, so why not a little man-made intimate landscape.
I have been driving by this barn since early summer. I will not go on obvious private property without permission. If there is no nearby house and the land is not marked with signage then I figure it is OK, but with a house right there I needed permission and, as I usually drive by at 5 in the am, I wasn’t going to knock on a door. But yesterday I was going by a little later and someone was just pulling into the driveway so I asked. She called the owner down from the second floor and she gave me permission for then and future times. It turns out that she works at the local country market I frequent regularly.
It wasn’t my plan to shoot at that moment. I wanted more pristine snow and maybe even some tufts of snow on the shrubs and wagon wheel. But the owner said that she had been considering buying and mounting a brand new flag which would kill this image for me. So here it is. I am hoping she is a procrastinator…at least until spring.
I hope this all makes sense and looks OK. My pupils have not fully relaxed after dilation in the optometrist office this afternoon so looking at this bright screen is a little shaky. Good news….the cataracts remain small and unchanged. 🙂
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Season’s Greetings, Steve. Oh. I thought you put in that tear and made the flag all raggedy in Photoshop. 😉 Seriously, I agree, the aged flag makes the image, but it isn’t all that makes it. It’s a nice combination and good observation. I like this kind of old timey Americana and try to photograph it myself when I can find it.
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Hi David. It’s been a while and it is always nice to hear from you. I hope all is well.
I am glad this is the sort of scene that would attract you also. I’ve always admired Americana type images although I rarely photograph such subjects. Maybe I am on to a new direction here. I hope the owner leaves things as they are. The fading and tear are a perfect combination with the broken window, worn boards and wheel.
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I really like this composition, and I think your title is most appropriate. I hope that you manage to get another shot with more snow but even if you don’t, I think this is ‘picture’ perfect. Great news about your eyes, Steve.
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Thanks, Lottie. I can’t claim much originality in the title, but it is an unusual word to describe my art.
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It’s funny how context can influence interpretation. When I started reading your sentence “My pupils have not fully relaxed…” I immediately cast you in the role of a teacher speaking about his students right after a test.
Speaking of deformations: when I saw the long tear in the flag it looked to me like a smiling mouth. Let’s hope it keeps grinning long enough for you to make some more portraits of this piece of Americana.
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I hadn’t seen a smile but will from now on. Maybe I should have used that in the title. If I see the owner I will mention it….maybe that will save the flag.
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It still looks to me like a mouth five years later. In addition, after having recently read a book about the photographer/painter Man Ray, I find the slit in the flag now also reminds me of “Observatory Time.”
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I don’t think that’s a connection I would have made.
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Not sure I would’ve, either, save for the Man Ray book last week.
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Good news is right about those eyes. You need them in top condition for your photography.
Interesting shot. Everything is old and run down except the two small trees. I like the rectangles, board lines, and the wheel circle. Good catch early in the day.
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We have been watching the cataracts for a few years and so far they haven’t changed significantly since discovery. While at the medical center I got a shingles vaccine as I did have chicken pox as a child.
I am not sure how old or what the shrubs are. I suppose they would be interesting in the spring as a touch of green contrasting with the neutral weathered barn boards.
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Yes … not your usual fare but appreciated none-the-less. I’m sure there’s lots of Americana to be photographed in your neck of the woods … you should stop more often! I’m glad the peepers remain in good shape.
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This I really like. I love old barn scenes and wagon wheels. Yes, the is a good one. There is no need for more snow. Just right in my eyes.
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Thanks, Yvonne. I guess what I am looking for is cleaner snow without the tire tracks in the foreground. After all those rides by the house I am pleased. So often the scene doesn’t satisfy as much as I expect once I stop to check it out. This does. 🙂
BTW, I appreciated your recent rescue video post and shared it on Facebook.
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Steve, I took it down re:no comments after 24 hours of being posted. I figured folks are tired of seeing rescue videos. I reckon I need to post my own what ever. I’m thinking of turning off the comments. That way people don’t have to worry about commenting when they don’rt really want to make the effort.
I’m glad that you posted it to your FB page.
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There certainly is more to choose from, David. The trick is for it to catch my eye as most often I am looking at trees or flowering plants.
My first response to peepers was the thought of the little tree frogs that live in the woods behind our house and almost everywhere else wet hereabouts. I wouldn’t mind hearing a few right now.
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This is such a touching photo. A wagon wheel, for the movement west; a barn, for settling; a flag for the country being built; and trees, for future generations. i love the country, and I love schtick-free Americana.
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You are seeing more here than I imagined, Linda. I think most predates the barn, but nothing wrong with applied allegory to bring more meaning to a photograph. I am seeing a structure that represents the labor of folks no longer among us which has seen better times but remains strong.
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Hmmmm… not so much trying to force the photo into allegory. It just recalls so much that I saw, time and again, when in Kansas, Oklahoma and the Panhandle last year. Once I’d seen those ruts from the wagons, I couldn’t get them out of my mind.
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Oh, I don’t mean to say that you force anything, Linda. Maybe the use of “applied” was clumsy. I’ve never felt that you do that at all…you are very observant and well-spoken (written). I’ve done the same with the posts of others….I just don’t often see such in my own.
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Of course, on the other end of the spectrum you left me speechless with today’s bit of reflectivity!
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🙂
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