Hands up! Who remembers my little old house down the highway? Anybody? Well, if you weren’t following me then, or you want a refresher, here are links to the posts about my favourite little house (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). I am delighted to announce that it still stands!! I know, it’s a miracle isn’t it?
Last week, I was starting to run out of ideas for my blog, and then we had a couple of beautiful foggy mornings which enabled me to capture a fresh new collection of photos to share. When I saw my little house emerging out of the fog on one those mornings, I realized that this was one way I had never captured it.
So, what do you think? Is this little house indestructible or is it finally going to succumb to the heavy snows that they are forecasting for this winter? I know I have said this before, but I will really miss it when it finally falls.
P.S. To my photography instructors out there who have taught me so much lately, I wanted to point out that this was taken in Manual mode (still using it most of the time and I love it), shot at f/22 so that foreground and background would be in focus. That’s why I composed this shot with the tree included, so that I could play with the depth of field. Am I being a good student?? 🙂
photos from the loonybin 
Oh yes, of course I remember your little house. It looked pretty perky at first and then began to sag and you were so devoted and keeping track. What a shock to see the roof all caved in now but it still has a ghostly character doesn’t it? I love your little house and will miss it too “when it finally falls.”
A ghostly character and many stories to tell I’ll bet :). Wouldn’t you just love to hear them?
I remember, and yes, very good student 🙂 I love how you used the tree as a foreground element. Both the tree and the house land right on “rule of thirds” intersections too 🙂 I would however suggest not going all the way down to f22. The reason is diffraction. http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/understanding-series/u-diffraction.shtml For this reason I have never gone smaller than f16. To be honest, only the “pixel peepers” out there will notice, and you’d have to be looking at a pretty good sized print to see any softening caused by diffraction. I know my 17-50 is sharpest at f8-f11, but if I need the DOF, I will stop down to f16.
Thank you Jeff :). I learn something from you every time, and I have added that to my notes. I love articles like that where they give you the visual “step by step”. It makes it so much easier to comprehend. It’s trying to keep it all in my head that’s the hard part LOL! Glad you liked my little house :).
I, too, remember very well, Cindy, and I like this new perspective. Since the main part of the roof has already fallen, I strongly suspect that the two remaining thirds may yet stand for quite a while, unless you get some very thick, heavy, wet snow–in which case all or part of the remaining structure may come tumbling down. Please continue to document its tenuous existence. (I have a few more thoughts on this project, but I’ll send them directly, rather than through the blog.)
What I have to do is get up the guts to go up close and try and get some shots through the windows. The fact that it’s on a main highway though always makes me chicken out :). I’m so glad you liked this shot and can’t wait for your ideas.
Windows? Guts? Look at the open opportunity! Who needs windows? The wall is breached! Go, girl!
I know – it’s the perfect opportunity :). I’ll have to get my hubby to come with me, and then at least if the roof falls in on me, he can drag me out from underneath LOL!!
You learn quickly. Terrific shot. Love the moodiness.
If there were just more hours in a day, I could learn so much more, but I guess slow and steady wins the race right? Thanks Edith! I’m glad you liked it :).
Love the shot and now it sounds as though you are becoming the teacher… I just love that old building and hopefully it with stands the snow… what a photographic subject to have… hope it makes it.. could be nice with photos of it withstanding the weight of snow…
Aww Bulldog, you’re too kind :). Thank you so much. If we get the huge amounts of snow they are predicting this year, I will definitely be stopping for more shots of my little house. I think people in the area are getting used to seeing me at the side of the road with my camera out, and I’m sure they think I’m a nutcase, but I don’t care :). People who don’t understand the joys of photography are probably wondering why I keep taking so many photos of the same thing, but you and I know that it is different each time.
What are you shooting with? Lens wise? I don’t think you needed to go to f/22 I think f/16 would have been fine, but I do think that you did capture this pretty well. I love how everyone really has different tastes for sure! I hope the house makes it one more winter!!!
For this particular shot I was just using my standard 18-55mm lens. I like hearing all of the different opinions. You see, I went to f/22 because that’s what was suggested in a book called Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson for shots where you want all of the foreground and the background in focus. However, after reading the article that Jeff Sinon put in his comment above, the issue of diffraction makes a lot of sense too. So, now I will have to try some comparison shots with different settings and see if I notice any differences :). And yes, I hope my little house survives one more winter too!!
I think this little house will stand for another 20 years IMHO.
You never know :). Some of these old buildings collapse to a certain point, and then they stay that way forever.
This is a fun shot. I love the effect of the tree, Nice job!
Yes, I love the tree in the shot too. My hubby was getting all intellectual last night saying that it represented life and death because the tree is so alive and green while the house is in its death throes. Oooh, I could see a poem written about this photo, complete with metaphors LOL!!
Judging from your previous photos this old house might just be a pile of rubble this tome next year.
I know you’re probably right, but I hope not because my drive to work each day just wouldn’t be the same. This little house is like a famous landmark around here :).
What an amazing house… So beautiful.
Thank you! I wish I could hear the stories it has to tell, and I’m sure there are many :).
This would make a great calender photo! 🙂
Wow, what a compliment! Thank you :). I’ve never thought of doing a calendar with my photos – I may have to try that.
How lovely Cindy! And you’re a much better student than I am – I’m still not making heads or tails of the technicalities… 🙂
Well, you have been a little bit busy lately you know LOL!! Don’t worry you will get it – it just takes time. I don’t have as much time to learn as I would like, but I am slowly learning bit by bit, and I still have a long way to go :).
Let’s just say that f/22 shows the depth of your devotion to photography.
Thanks Steve and love your choice of words :). Photography has certainly become one of my passions. My son needed some photos for a school assignment tonight, so we spent some time looking through all of our old photos from “before digital”, and I can’t believe how much my photos have changed. I still have a great deal to learn, that’s for sure, but it was nice to see that I have improved :).
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You have quite a history with that old house. Settle in with the satisfaction that you recognized such a gem and captured it in its fading glory before it was no more. Once it is gone…it is gone.
Yes, I’m very happy that I have been able to capture it at different stages and in different seasons. I even think that once it has fully collapsed, it will still make for an interesting photo op, don’t you?
for sure; until it is gone gone.