Reclaimed barn wood is quite popular these days. It’s used in custom furniture, wall coverings, framing and general décor. It is valued for its rough-hewn texture and antique character. One could say it’s better to reclaim used wood than cutting down a living tree. Generally I agree. However, the higher demand for antique barn wood has accelerated the decline of rustic American barns from the countryside. I’m somewhat conflicted on the matter.
Generations of Rust-Oleum reveal themselves through layers of flaking, cracked paint and rust on this antique metal chair.
Weathered wood paneling on this old trailer at the Red Cross Antique Store, serves as the backdrop for an eclectic collection of antique signs and artifacts.
Click on the image to see a higher resolution version from my portfolio site. I appreciate you stopping by!
I originally wanted to make this a black & white composition, but the wonderful range of rusty warm colors was too enticing! I used a modern Kodachrome slide film emulation to get a little extra pop. Ha, get it?
I’m also introducing a new brand frame which emulates vintage Kodachrome sheet film and notch code. Hope you like it. Thanks for visiting my blog!
I climbed under this old Airstream trailer at the Red Cross Store to capture it’s empty interior. Since the early 1930s, the company has enjoyed customer loyalty and remains a top RV manufacturer in the United States and Canada. My 15mm wide-angle lens and POV offered an interesting perspective.
Thanks for stopping by today, I hope you have a nice weekend!
Yesterday, I revisited my new friend Mike Hinson, the proprietor of the Red Cross Store – an antique everything salvage business. His store was featured on American Pickers about 10 years ago and is a popular location for photography club field trips. This was my third visit; my last visit featured the “Pop Art” post on 12/31. I look forward to posting more compositions from this great location.
In 1933, Cadillac introduced the distinctive and elegant “Goddess” hood ornament. By the late 40’s, the design became more streamlined and futuristic. I used my Tamron 15mm – 30mm to capture these dramatic wide-angle compositions of the hood ornament and emblem of Mike’s 1950 Cadillac Series 62.
Thanks for stopping by today. Click on an image to see a higher resolution version from my portfolio site.
Happy Martin Luther King Day!
New Year’s Eve day I returned to the abandoned Bethel Milling Co. to photograph the antique Fairbanks-Morse platform scale which had caught my eye during my previous visit. While photographing I was approached by Mr. Eaves, who turned out to be the owner. It also turned out Bethel Milling Co. was not quite abandoned.
Assuming I was up to no good, Mr. Eaves’s was at first a little miffed. Seeing my tripod and camera, and sharing some shots from my first visit, he quickly understood I meant no harm. “It’s not a problem, I just wished you had asked first” he politely mentioned. I agreed and apologized, mentioning I had assumed the facility was abandoned. “Nope,” he said, “I produce feed almost every day.” He went on to share his father had took ownership of the mill in the early 50’s. I also got a tour of the facility and was invited to come back. I plan to shoot some interiors later this spring, and will call first.
I did feel bad for not asking. While researching the building after my first shoot, I did find a number, but neglected to call before my second visit. There are inherent risks in urbex photography. Other than personal injury from environmental hazards, the consequences of potential trespassing are also a concern. I do believe it’s best to first make an effort to ask permission, and if you can’t find someone to ask, then proceed carefully. Going in after you’ve been given an explicit no is not work the risk.
Well, there are a few more compositions from my family visit to Biltmore Estate earlier this year, which I just haven’t had a chance to work on. Finally, here are a couple more. These are from the Antler Hill Village & Winery which includes a display of antique farm equipment.
These subjects and the late afternoon sun offered several interesting detail abstract compositions, both featuring weathered textures, strong geometric shapes and nice lines. Similar to several earlier posts, these images were created by compositing a light sepia toned styling with a subtle color layer – processed to emulate Kodachrome slide film. Thank you for stopping by today!
In the early 20th century, large combination harvester and thresher machines “combines” made their debut. The image below is a detail of what I believe to be an early combine. The machine was pulled by a tractor through the wheat field, usually in late summer. The wheat entered the front where it was cut and collected into a hopper. Next a multistage thresher would first send wheat through a separator; a rapidly rotating sets of blades which separated the grain heads from the straw.
Next the wheat heads were beat onto a grooved plate, which knocked the grain kernels from the heads. The kernels were further sifted to separate any remaining straw and chaff from the kernels. At the same time, the straw and chaff was blown out to form stacks of straw to be later used as animal feed and bedding. I won’t take my next ham & cheese sandwich for granted.
Above is another composition of smaller antique farm equipment. These compositions emulate a sepia toned print from Agfa APX 100 b&w film with a light blending of vintage Kodachrome color. Thanks for visiting and have a great week!
