Barn of yester-year

This is the barn that started my “barn daze”. I took this one back the end of July, it’s on the same road as the last barn, just a few miles apart. I’ve noticed that the cute little barns seem to be hidden away, if you are driving by most likely you’ll miss them. This one is tucked up amongst the trees. I was lucky enough to capture it in the sunlight the day I took these pictures; most of the time when I drive by it is covered in shade. The barn itself is a little on the plane side so I played with the coloring a little which gave it a more nostalgic look. I reduced the images so that they would upload faster to my blog, when I did I noticed the clouds in the next to last picture. The other pictures are clsoe ups to the barn, but the last picture I stepped back to include the fence so my focus whenever I've looked at this particular picture has been the fecne, but tonight I noticed the clouds in the background. Pretty neat.

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Peaking in

I pass this little barn just about every morning when I go to take care of the horses. From one direction it sneaks up on you, I’ve driven past it many times before I realized it was even there. There are a few breaks in the fence that is not grown over with vines. This particular opening makes you feel like you are peaking in on someone’s private moment. This is one of my favorite barns so far.

This second picture is of the same little barn, but I chose to focus on the fence that separated me from the little barn. I don’t believe I am done with this setting just yet. There are a couple other breaks in the fence that one can peak through and get another glimpse of the barn. One morning when I’m not in a hurry I’ll stop again.

Barn Daze

I’ve always said I’m from the south. But I’ve come to realize that there are two types of “south”. Both “south’s” enjoy mudding, four-wheeling, hanging out around a bon-fire during the fall/winter months, football, deer hunting… but, where I come from we are “Southern Bells” as my cousin calls me. And, I have to agree. We have plantations, not ranches; swamps, not bayous; it’s a mixture of country and city, not country and backwoods. Southern hospitality was born and raised on the coast of Charleston. There is a beauty all of its own here; historical plantations, the coast, downtown markets, the bridges, the parks… It’s every photographer’s ideal setting.
Now the second type of “south” is much different than the first. And Texas has the landscape to match those differences. It doesn’t have the same hospitality that Charleston is known for, but the friendliness in the air seems much more real and open. Very similar to its landscape, Texas is very open with rolling hills and filled with pastures of cows, horses and barns.
In case you were wondering where I was going with this, the last of those has caught my fancy. I love the livestock, don’t get me wrong I would photograph horses and cows all day… but there is something about the rustic looking barns that fill the country side. They are old. Some are falling down or may have holes in the roof, the wood is faded and rotten but they are still bold and beautiful. I try to stop as often as I can to capture these bold Texas landmarks.
As always I am inspired by an old high school friend, whose work I really love; and another old high school friend who seems to have started something and I am truly interested in seeing where it takes her; I want to share my “barn daze” with everyone. I'm sure it will be a treat for everyone including myself. I've been photographing some barns already, but I'm not completely satisfied with the outcomes. So I will be re-taking some of the shots very soon and then I will be sharing them.