A land without ruins is a land without memoriesa land without memories is a land without history. ~Abram Joseph Ryan
Why photograph old barns? What is the best way to capture them? Are people really interested in them? Let's face it; old barns have so much character. Here in the United States and especially in California, old architecture is not that prevalent. New buildings seem to be everywhere! Old architecture is constantly being torn down while new cities arise. Not only this, but storms and the passage of time take them down too.
Recently, as I drove by and admired the most beautiful old red barn, I was compelled to photograph it. The barn is located in New Castle, California. Since environmental photographers are at the whim and mercy of the landlords, I knew I had to photograph it before a demolition transpired or a storm destroyed it. I strongly believe that old barns enhance the roadside and remind me of oil paintings of old.
Photographing architecture with diffused lighting (without hard shadows) is a great way to capture barns. Barns are too big for fill flash, so the time of day, lighting conditions, and camera setting are pretty important.
When photographing a barn, look for the best angle. Try to get the barn to fill up the whole image. If foliage is growing up over the barn, photograph it. Try to remember, the closer the better. We want to see the barn. As it is, the image is small--try to keep this in mind. If you learn to shoot bold photographs, you will have more to work with after the fact. You will have a better quality image with more detailed information. Make sure to leave a little bit of room for cropping. You want to have to option to format the image vertical, horizontal, or square.
Barns are part of our environment and trigger our thoughts of fond historical memories. Ruins tell us about the people who lived here before us. Photographing historical places makes for great images for custom postcards and family albums. Always remember, people love barns. Take pictures of what people love.
Debbie Jensen, Graphic Designer and Photographer http://www.debjensendesigns.com
