I've been doing my little project for about five weeks. And, as I have come to discover, there are many things that meet my criteria but don't really rate more than a picture or two. I see many abandoned houses but I can only show so many before I realize I'm showing too much of the same thing. Uniqueness has taken on a new meaning. There's only so many gas stations or abandoned cars I can shoot before I start to think I'm losing my focus. And, on a selfish note, I see a lot of the same thing and feel like I'm not getting a good variety. It's funny in a way. When I'm out shooting I become ravenous in an odd sort of way. And more critical. Dang. Another abandoned farmhouse that looks...well...pretty similar to the one I saw 12 miles ago. So I plod on in search of the unique. In the course of my travels I have taken over a thousand pictures. Don't read too much in that. I'm a lazy perfectionist. Yes I know that sounds like a paradox but indulge me. I'll go to a lot of trouble to get something I see as worth shooting.
The lazy part kicks in when I think "Is this really worth climbing over that fence and risk getting shot for a stupid picture?" The answer is, at times, yes.
Then I'll be driving and think to myself I'm running out of winter. And that means the trees will start to bud and the grass with become green and taller. The kudzu will make passage much more difficult. Then I start to pass, both literally and figuratively, things that
meet the criteria but yeah, it's just another old house. Or another closed gas station. Or, well, you get the picture. (pardon the pun...it really was unintentional)
The Stuckey's sign to the left. Gosh I must have driven 50 miles of seeing nothing. The setting sun was not being my friend when there it was on Hwy 31 around Warrior. I haven't seen a Stuckey's sign in quite some time. To be fair, I don't know if that Stuckey's still exists or not but I think it's fair to assume they don't have a 99 cent breakfast anymore. I was going through Ashland, AL when I saw the Kelvinator sign. That was a neat find. It was in decent shape for its age. I've come to notice in bigger cities a business will re-purpose an older but now defunct business's building but refurbish the former establishment's sign. I appreciate that they will spend the money to save it and in the big picture (seriously...not making puns on purpose :-) the old neon signs are art and should be saved. But when they appear as new they conflict me. Yes they represent something that no longer exists but they look all shiny and, well...not old. Nor abandoned. Nor suited to my purpose.
I figure by now I have logged close to 2000 miles. Trust me when I say it hurts filling up my old truck. I usually try and make it a day trip so I can save the lodging expense. However I will attest to the fact the backseat in my club cab truck sleeps pretty well. My last picture made me laugh. I was wandering around Walker County as I had done back when I drove the satellite truck. I recalled some interesting things in my previous travels. One, in particular, was an old gas station just east of Eldridge, AL along old Hwy 78 (Now known as AL 118). Yes I know I lament seeing so many and they all start to look similar. But remember I'm also seeking unique. The humorous part was the price that was still posted. 87.9 cents a gallon. Just another reminder that some things you do because they're your passion. It's just my passion costs $3.45 a gallon now...
No comments:
Post a Comment