homey

I think of the Nolan House, and I think of fireplaces. There was one in nearly every room. I imagine that isn't surprising for a house of it's age, but they were all so interesting. The mantles have long since been removed, but they all still have character.

southern living

Another shot of the Nolan House. To me this place is the stereotypical old Southern home.

sights of the south

This is the side of the Nolan House. I loved this place before I ever saw it in person. Now it's part of my memories, memories of a wonderful road trip, so now I love it even more.

when one door closes

...another one opens.

This shot has a lot of meaning for me. I doubt I could explain it, so I'll just say...live the life you want while you still have life to live. Life kicks the crap out of me, but instead of giving in I just keep seeking out a path that will work better.

labeling

This house was really interesting. Everything was painted with obvious labels - fireplace, floor, door, window, etc. I'm all for interesting/artistic graffiti but this definitely fell into the delinquency category. Of course, who am I to judge? Also what harm is done to a place that is left to slow be reclaimed by nature?

one step closer

Wow, it's been a while since I've blogged. I have trouble keeping a blog, which is amazing considering how much I love to talk. ;-)

Anyway, since I've been gone I did a massive road trip, took a few trips to the Ozarks, and had a little weekend trip to Dallas. There really is no rest for the wicked.

The shot above was taken in Georgia at the Nolan House. It's a place I've wanted to see since I first saw shots of it. I saw many other wonderful things on the road, but this house was at the top of the list.

the house tim burton built

This was an abandoned building in Bigelow, Arkansas. My shooting buddy thought the slant made it look like something out of a Tim Burton movie. I have to agree. I asked a friend to do an edit to make it look more like that.

limiting evil

The Parker-Hickman Homestead was built around 1847 and is believed to be one of the oldest homes along the Buffalo National River. It was actually owned and lived in by the Hickman family from 1912-1978. In 1982 it was sold to the parks service and added to the National Register of Historic Places.

About a mile past the house up a very bumpy mountain dirty road is the family cemetery - Cherry Grove Cemetery. I actually wish I had known the previous owners of the home before I went, because there were a few other surnames, but I now think they were all people that lived on this homestead. I originally assumed families from other homesteads were also buried there.

There is a tradition in the South of painting doorways and sometimes ceilings and other areas "haint blue" to keep away evil spirits or haints. Haint blue isn't a specific shade of blue, and since I've become aware of it, I've seen it in shades from pale blue up to a deep aqua. I believe the color is supposed to close to that of water because haints cannot cross water. Interestingly enough the water in the area is this exact color.

More info on haint blue.

it's a small world afterall

I'm going to buck my usual format and post both of these together. There are special lens called tilt/shift lens that can create the look above. However, there doesn't seem to be too many practical reasons to make things look miniature, so the hefty price tag isn't worth it for most. Luckily there's a few cheaper ways to do this. I think the Lensbaby lens can do this, but if you aren't shy about post processing you can achieve a similar affect with a five minute edit.

These were taken at the now abandoned theme park - Dogpatch U.S.A. Like a lot of people from Arkansas and surrounding states I went here as a child. Here's a bonus shot of kiddie Windy at Dogpatch:

choices

This is another shot from the abandoned high school in Helena, Arkansas. The way the light filtered into the building was wonderful. This was one of the few times I shot 100% manual. I was able to capture a bit more mood exposing it myself. I've since learned that exposure bias can help me do the same thing with a little less work.

sorrow

The mood around this building near Keo, Arkansas was a sad one. I couldn't help but feel that not much goodness or life was here. Certain places give off that feeling. You might think it's just that it's abandoned and overgrown, but I've seen abandoned places that still felt happy, and some like the Blytheville Laundry Cleaners still felt like it had life.

Anyway, I felt sad here, so I was rather happy when I got the Holga shot back and it seemed to capture the same moodiness.

wanted: one slinky

I seriously love abandoned buildings. They all have a mood to them. They all have a history. The best part is soaking in the mood of the place and imagining the history. This school was really amazing, and I'd love to know why it was abandoned. Anyway, I spent a few hours here exploring. I actually shot mostly manual this day and am thankful for it. I learned how to capture a mood with exposure. The shot above was intentionally underexposed. That stairwell freaked me out and I wanted to convey the feeling.

reaching out

Now, I'm not usually the type to photoshop a lot of things. I tend to just fix white balance and maybe up saturation. Call it lazy or call it purist..either way. Sometimes I just get bored or a photo wants for more. The shot above was pretty cool, but for whatever reason I wanted to push it to ominous. I added a sky and cloned out a few things so the house looked completely alone helpless. This was one of the last shots I took on my Illinois/Indiana vacation. I was actually on the road headed home when I spotted this place. It's in Goodland, Indiana.

faith a faith a faith BABY!

Taken: June 16, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/1250)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 18 mm
ISO Speed: 400

I like old churches. It does make you wonder how a church becomes so worn down and in some cases abandoned. Parishes usually take great care of their place of worship, so it does make one wonder what happened to see one in such a state. I ended up using a texture on this. It just felt right.

herbie's retirement

Taken: June 16, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/8.0
Focal Length: 21 mm
ISO Speed: 400

My nickname is Windybug. I'm sure it wouldn't take much time to guess that I like Volkswagen Bugs. I always wanted one, but at this point I'll just settle for photographing a few. I especially love the old ones like this that are all rusted up. I hate to see them not being used, but there's a beauty to the way these things age.

cracks in our foundation

Taken: July 26, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF 50mm f/1.8
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/320)
Aperture: f/1.8
Focal Length: 50 mm
ISO Speed: 400

This was taken in the abandoned Blytheville Laundry Cleaners in Arkansas. The place has special meaning for me, because it's actually where my dad's parents met! It's sad to see places like this burned/abandoned. The light in here had a life if it's own though.

no more teachers' dirty looks

Taken: August 9, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.2 sec (1/5)
Aperture: f/4.0
Focal Length: 27 mm
ISO Speed: 400

I loved this old school in Helena, Arkansas. It was amazing to get to explore it. I shot full manual (expect focus), because I was having camera issues at the time. It was an excellent learning experience. Sometimes it's easier to capture the mood you want in manual than with the camera senor helping. I doubt I'll ever be a 100% manual type, but I like knowing how to do it.

enlighten me

Taken: August 9, 2009
Camera: Canon EOS 40D plus Canon EF-S 18-55mm
Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8)
Aperture: f/3.5
Focal Length: 20 mm
ISO Speed: 640

Here is another one from the abandoned school in Helena, Arkansas. This place gave me the creeps. I tend to find empty schools sort of spooky anyway though. I always love the light in abandoned buildings. There is something to be said about the way the light falls and the softness.