Barn Chasing

This barn was visible in the distance as I wandered Fairfield County backroads Saturday. I couldn’t resist going for a closer look.

Regular readers here will notice that old barns are a common theme in my photos. In this area they are typically wood with a metal roof. Sometimes they have interesting cupolas, stone foundations or weather vanes. That’s great but I’m just as fond of simple lines and no adornments. I like the silhouette of a wood or stone barn against an expansive sky.

Barns were once the heart of a farm and the few remaining are larger than life examples of folk art.

Modern barns are typically sided with metal and have about as much character as a box of rocks. Of course, we’re lucky to have any barns or farms left as it becomes harder every day for small farmers to survive.

I also drove past several tracts of farmland turned construction sites. New homes will soon take over the landscape, a timely reminder of why these pleasant surprises along country roads are becoming harder to find.

Same Farm, Fresh Perspective

I spotted this farm on the Fourth of July. I’ve driven by plenty of times before but always coming from the opposite direction, always missing something really special.

Look more closely.

Isn’t it fabulous?

And check out the detail on the barn.

It’s a small thing but it makes a big difference.

One of the best things you can do when wandering around this big world is to turn around and go the other way. If you always turn left, go right. If you always take the same route, turn around and drive it the other direction. That fresh perspective may reveal things that have been unseen for years. It may just help you better appreciate the sights by viewing them from a new angle.

And it could turn up nothing new but at least you tried!

Which Do You Prefer?

I went on a little excursion yesterday morning. Just rolled out of bed, brushed my teeth and grabbed a hat before hitting the road. I wanted to take some pictures of barns and churches and streams down in the valley. It was a short trip through familiar territory.

There was a time that I wanted to make perfect pictures. I tried so hard but it seemed  there was always a utility pole or traffic light in the way. There were always people or a car or my skills simply fell short of capturing the scene that I wanted.

Frustrating doesn’t begin to explain it.

For a lot of years, I focused on the details – a single flower instead of the bouquet, a window instead of the building. And I still do that a lot. I love the details, the simple things in the world around us. Doors as well as details on cars like tail fins and headlights are among my favorites.

But somewhere along the way, I began looking at the big picture and even including those imperfections that I previously found annoying. I think it’s partly a response to the changes I see in the world around me and an odd desire to capture some scenes before they go away. Abandoned buildings like homes, churches and barns often appear on my camera roll. Vintage signage has long been a favorite but now I’m even including old style traffic lights and utility poles. Sometimes this works to my advantage because these extra details add interest to the picture at the same time the picture is preserving the world exactly as it looked on that day and not as a contortion of reality.

Time marches on and the landscape cannot remain unchanged. Brush closes in on unused barns and old style wooden electric poles are replaced with new technology. Trees are cut down and farms become housing developments.

The site where I live was once woodland. Then it was pasture. Now it’s my yard. Who knows? Maybe someday Mother Nature will reclaim this spot as forest.

But I digress.

We’ve reached the interactive portion of today’s post. Here are two pictures I took during my little adventure through the neighborhood yesterday morning.

Tell me in the comments – which do you prefer? The great old barn with the electric pole or the great old barn without it?

Someday I’ll take a photography class and work at getting better. Meanwhile, I’m happy playing and learning as I go!

 

 

Adventure Day

I went on an adventure the other day. A pal took me driving back roads that I had never been on and to caves and bridges and churches that I had never seen. Little makes me happier than an afternoon spent this way. He’s a darn good adventure partner, not caring to get his truck muddy and patient with me and my camera.

It was an overcast day so not the best for pictures but I did manage a few. Here’s a few from this trip through Morgan and Washington counties.

Back From Adventure

I’ve been away on a little adventure this week. I’ll tell you all about it one of these days. Meanwhile, here’s a fun picture from the journey. I drove through farm country and had a lot of fun seeing the various big barns, silos and sprawling fields. This scene looked peaceful to me.

Serenity

I captured this image with my phone Wednesday on the trip home from Columbus. A trek to the big city for a work function had me leaving town right as traffic was picking up on Rt. 23. To avoid the craziness I jogged over to Rt. 104 for a peaceful backroad journey south to Chillicothe.

This scene was too good to resist. Doesn’t it look serene?

This is beautiful farm country and, one of these days, I’m going to pack my camera and spend a Saturday morning driving 104 in search of more scenes like this.