Sunday, March 29, 2009

Old Barn

I don’t know how things are in your neck of the woods, especially in rural areas, but here in Northern Maine, we’ve still got some old buildings that have been left abandoned for generations, peppered here and there across the landscape. Their weathered, cedar-shingled walls grayed and browned by the elements, giving the buildings a frayed and fragile appearance. Often times when I drive by these buildings, I wonder how it looked, inside and out, when it was in its prime, what it may have been like to live there growing up. I tend to feel sentimental about those places, almost feeling sorry that the building won’t continue being used as a home, barn, or shed. The words “discarded” and “abandoned” seem to describe the essence of these buildings best. Now, they are often covered by overgrown brush, Mother Nature’s way of taking back what humans had helped themselves to long ago.

Yesterday afternoon, Hubby and I went sightseeing around our area. Perhaps because it was such a warm and beautiful day (we hit the low 50’s!), or because we were bored and wanted a change of pace. After a while of driving, we came across this small barn. As we drove by it, I saw how there’s a special charm to the building. We turned up the road and turned around again, and then Hubby stopped so I could take a couple of pictures. I took it at this angle because I felt it was the building’s best side. I loved its charm, almost like it was left with the intentions of someone coming back later that day to continue working.

The first picture is what it originally looked like, untouched. It would have been nicer had the sun stayed out, but sometimes the best pictures are the ones that are the unexpected ones, the ones that don’t follow any plans. The second photo is altered; I blurred the edges a little and antiqued it. Which one do you like best? I personally like the doctored one. It’s softer and looks aged. I’m curious to learn what others think.

1 comment:

  1. I have always liked photos done in either black and white or in sepia tones. I think it ads character to photos.

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