Barn to be Wild Photo

Photographer’s Note

Old barns are dotted across the landscape of the U.S., but they're disappearing as they turn to ruins and barn owners find it easier to replace their vintage structures with pre-fab aluminum ones (that aren't as photogenic, I'm afraid). So we come to another crisis in the U.S. as we have no solid way to preserve our history and heritage when it comes to architecture--a country that is younger than some of the homes you live in, and already our buildings are being bulldozed to make room for buildings that are newer, reflect the newest trends in architecture, and are "up to code."

Perhaps when photographers are not able to take photos like these as often, or when all photos are of the same old buildings, someone will take notice.

This barn is still in use, however, and the other old structures on the site are still standing. This is right on my way to work, so I hope they care enough to preserve it, especially as the architecture of the barn is quite unusual for Utah.

To take the shot, I had to climb on top of my car and hold the camera over my head to get this vantage point. I'm almost to the point of carrying a ladder around with me wherever I go!

PixelTerror, tigra, nwoehnl, luluwi, frieda, yo_fauzan, leo61, Didi, Flavia, papagolf21, stego, singuanti, Philippe, erdna, kludwig20, jaja1970, cdmonson, CliffW, vesalius, john_c, Nilay, jmcl, zeca, Dragonheart, ChrisJ, veve, plimrn, riclopes, mortijo, somkiat, imrek, parbo, cam, vagabondtravels, carod, macondo, ocskaymarci, nmess, xuaxo, pboehringer, marioana, evanrizo, managua has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

dvknow (1574) 2007-01-14 11:08

I will be first :)
excellent! that's the only word what I want to say!
regards
Gregory

nwoehnl (120) 2007-01-14 11:12

Hi David, happy new year! Outstanding mood in this one, the light that you had for shooting is well enhanced by the b&w conversion and other post-work you did, resulting in a gorgeous tonal range. There's also quite an impression of depth from the way in which the barn stands out in front of the mountain range in an almost 3D fashion. Fine notes, as ever.

devimeuxbe (55865) 2007-01-14 11:22

Hi David
Very impressive sky. The contrasts of this black and white are very strong. The light is very subtile.
It is a beautifull picture for a beautifull landscape.
Great work !
Bertrand

luluwi (224) 2007-01-14 11:28

Ciao. You've done a very good job with your B/W. Great contrast and saturation, which makes the white of the snow give a lot of depth to the scene.
Esxellent note.

yo_fauzan (60) 2007-01-14 11:30

great picture.
really good compo and great BW.

best regards.

frieda (149) 2007-01-14 11:36 [Comment]

Show Comment

claudio74 (6445) 2007-01-14 11:39

Hi David
B&W is a great choice,the result is perfect.
Good light and great atmosphere.
regards
claude

mesutilgim (36733) 2007-01-14 12:46

Hi David,
Wonderfull ! Great master Ansel Adams would be very happy, if he could see this picture.
Thanks for sharing
MESUT ILGIM

kensimage (8541) 2007-01-14 12:50

Outstanding, David. I love how you created silveriness (if that's a word) in the clouds and the mountains. Perfect POV--the barn is placed well and the backdrop of mountains spans the frame. You are the master of B/W landscapes. Regards, Ken.

leo61 (43398) 2007-01-14 12:53

Hi David!
You and you polarizer did a great job.
A well composed image with amazing contrast.A very nice view at the mountans in the distance and the nice cloudformation.
Regards,Leo

Luciano75 (0) 2007-01-14 12:54

Hello David

Indeed,excellent capture...it worth to climb on your car to take the shot.How you get the sky so darker?Because of the filter u use?.
TFS

Regards

dkeus31 (26176) 2007-01-14 14:42

Hello David,
Superb BW, I like the dark sky and the contrasty clouds.
Good light
Regards
didier

Flavia (10202) 2007-01-14 16:29

Hi David,

The POV is absolutelly fantastic as you got the gorgeous white mountains on the background! The light is also very especial. Pure beauty! I hope too that they will presenve this place, those old barns are really nice.

Cheers,

Flavia

papagolf21 (56305) 2007-01-14 17:07

Bonsoir, cher David,
Vous avez tout à fait raison, le modernisme à tout prix n'est pas toujours la bonne solution, il faut laisser un témoignage du passé (je suis persuadé que les grandes surfaces aux U.S. permettent de construire plus loin des bâtiments modernes).
Cette photo est d'une grande beauté, le choix du noir et blanc donne à l'ensemble un effet nostalgique.
J'aime beaucoup.
Amitiés.
Philippe

stego (22352) 2007-01-14 17:40

Hi David,
You compensate largely your low frequency of posts with the high quality!
It's gorgeous, specially for the compo and the lighting. It seems to have relief!
I'd expect some more sharpness, but that's a minor detail.
TFS, Regards, José

singuanti (15240) 2007-01-14 22:16

Hi David. Leave it to you to show us how b/w should really be done! I love the transition from the light foreground to the deep blacks of the sky. The clouds have a dreamy and surreal feel to them. Wonderful shot David!

Didi (36074) 2007-01-15 6:06

Hi David and best wishes for this new year
Very nice contasted composition, the grey scale is well represented in this magnificient landscape.
I know that B&W is more difficult than colour pictures and you are born to make nice creative pictures.
Cheers.

Philippe (11773) 2007-01-15 6:07

Hi, David. When I saw your picture, I thought of Ansel Adams. I think he's got some photos looking like this one. I like the very good light you've got here with the dark sky and its aesthetic clouds. The barn is a very good foreground and the mountains in the background contrast very well with the sky.

erdna (5348) 2007-01-15 12:29

A very nice composition here David! I like the barn that is lightened just enough to stand out against dark trees. The sharpness is good all the way to the background.

Thank you for your comments on my photo, "Cactus" I appreciate it.

Andre'

kludwig20 (395) 2007-01-15 14:00

Wow what a moddy shot. I really like your high contrast conversion here. The mountains in the distance look amazing with the dark skies overhead.

jaja1970 (1286) 2007-01-15 14:47 [Comment]

Show Comment

cdmonson (2751) 2007-01-15 16:15

Wonderful vantage point and subject David. I see old barns all the time, but have never taken the time to photograph them. What I've missed! I love the mountains in the background, and the fence behind the barn draws the eye across the length of the picture. Nicely done.

Clark

CliffW (2310) 2007-01-15 23:39

I am a big fan of these B&W landscapes of yours David. The wider the space, the better. It's the darkened sky and the perceptible distance defined by the far mountain range that do a great job of communicating the isolation of this building. A lot of the beauty of the west is in that isolation, I think.

vesalius (857) 2007-01-16 0:09

Hi David, all your shot are truly spectacular. How do you get such beautiful, deep contrast with your B/W? They are truly amazing. Those mountains are like razors cutting through the sky. WOW. Don.

Angshu (33627) 2007-01-16 4:09

Hello David
Your B&W shots are a great learning for me. The sky & the clouds are impressive & the mountain ranges look sublime. The barnhouse in the FG is also interesting..and hats off to how you took this shot from on top of your car's roof. It would be nice also to see a colour version if you have it, because I'm sure the colours would also be marvellous
Best Regards
Angshu

john_c (24635) 2007-01-16 11:06

Hi David,
Well worth your antics of climbing onto your car...A crisp clear
image with a marvellous background of snowy peaks under a dreamy sky. The B&W format works ideally here. In my part of Canada, old barns are becoming rare on the landscape and are so often crowded by modernistic affairs or trees that make them difficult to photograph - as if they are discarded relics. Well captured, David. Have a good week.
John

Nilay (1323) 2007-01-16 16:15

hi,
very strong image with great sb effect,
very different view,
very impressive,
great capture,
Nilay

berek (28881) 2007-01-17 3:38

Dear David,
another great b&W working. it has a history. like a dream. take care .
Burak
****

jmcl (13741) 2007-01-17 21:38

David,

well captured and wonderful old structure .. definitely worth your troubles getting the shot.

I love seemingly timeless mountains and the endless vast sky ... as a tremendously evocative and striking backdrop.

the long shadows are tremendous as well .. another thoughtful element.

take care,

John

Dragonheart (8393) 2007-01-19 6:18

Hello David,
Outstanding shot, the composition and POV is remarkable. I
love the lights over the mountains and on the houses. The BW gives excellent effec.
Well done
Thanks for sharing
Best regards
Vivek

John_F_Kennedy (31355) 2007-01-19 9:40

Amazing shot, the POV is very well chosen. The b/w and the depth are great. A beautiful composed landscape.
Achim

ChrisJ (70165) 2007-01-20 11:12

Hi David

Lol at the innovative title! Wonderful tonal range & sharpness in this superb b&w. I like the graphism, of the corrugated, snowcapped peaks. Tfs!

Fis2 (45725) 2007-01-20 11:15

Witaj David!
Very interesting photo. Curious place. I like the composition and light. The black and white was theright choice. Good work.
Nice sunday
Krzysztof

veve (4149) 2007-01-20 11:48

Hi David!
Beautiful landscape!
What I like the most is the strong
contrast black/white.
Great atmosphere!
TFS.
Best regards,
Veronica

plimrn (19602) 2007-01-21 5:16

Hi David,
The swoop of clouds above the snowy mountains makes the perfect backdrop for this old barn. I dream in color so I wonder about the natural colors of the photo although I know that B&W is used to convey a sense of age.

Your note makes me think with sadness of a barn in Nova Scotia built by my spouse's grandfather that I watched slowly collapse over the years. It was bult of hand-hewn 12 x 12's held together with pegs.

I like the link to your family portfolio in yuur updated profile. I particularly like the moon over the temple. looks like redheads run sumewhere in your family.

Withing you and your family Health, Love & Joy (HLJ) in the New Year, Pat

feather (49858) 2007-01-21 7:18

Beautiful shot in excellent light. The polariser has done a fantastic job, particularly on the sky and snowy mountains. There is great depth to the image thanks to the several layers you were able to include.
Good work.
Kath

vincz (19039) 2007-01-21 7:35

Excellent shot. The light is very nice on the mountains in particular and there is such a beautiful sky with these clouds looking like if they had been painted there. Congratulations!

cbrman (18833) 2007-01-22 2:01

Hello David,

J'aime beaucoup le ciel qui et presque noir dans cette image ! La chaine de montagne contraste parfaitement avec ce superbe ciel !
La maison donne beaucoup de valeur au premier plan !
Very well done !

A+

Dominique

riclopes (32973) 2007-01-22 5:09

Olá David, this is another impressive image of yours in b&w, along with a very interesting note, about the preservation of history in architecture. I laughed with your last paragraph: poor car! But you really got a perfect shot. The mountains and sky in the background are incredible! (I really have to go to Utah, one day)
Cheers,
Ricardo

mortijo (12210) 2007-01-22 5:51

Hallo David,
Excellent work with this B&W photo. There is a lot of depth in it. Congratulations.

somkiat (1096) 2007-01-23 0:32

hallo david,
it's so fantastic photo.i'm not sure about your idea of black and white.but anyway,the result is very great.
and tribute for your effort on the top of your car.that made a very good pov.
i like the sky and the mountain.
regards
somkiat

zeca (20026) 2007-01-23 20:44

Hello David!
Beautiful contrasts! Very well done picture! I like the lights on the snow mountains contrasting to the black sky!
Regards,
Zeca
(you looks like Eric Clapton in you picture!)

imrek (4) 2007-01-24 15:18

HI David,
a well composed picture...good use of polarizer...superb light and atmosphere...well done!!!
regards,
imre

parbo (10968) 2007-01-25 18:22

Hi David,

You found a wonderful old barn at middle of spectacular landscape. Repeating end less, snowy mountains at background and sky are amazing. Histories of old barns are so sad. I hope they can stay well for a long time. Congratulations.

Best Regards,

Ertugrul

cam (8880) 2007-01-25 22:33

Hi David.
Maybe you should try stilts...:-)
A perfect black and white picture,with a good composition and a light that is flattering to the house and barn.
were seing the same kind of destruction here also,but the buldozer is slowing down as there is more resistance.It doesn't mean that no destruction takes place,but at least,a study is done before going on ,to see if the place has a real significance to our history,no matter which...
Good work,especially how you took it.
Charles

toto (18707) 2007-01-26 12:49

Belle photo NB, cette photo est très jolie,la photo NB est une photo que je ne maitrise pas du tout, je ne me rend pas compte quand une photo est mieu en NB ou en couleur. Amicalement Thomas

PixelTerror (86060) 2007-01-27 16:09

Hi David,
Excellent title ;-))
I too do love barns as a subject and I enjoy here to see this imposant one in the empty wide spaces of your region, a superb foreground to the vivid mountain background, the whites of snow and clouds are shining !
Have a nice day,
JY

Bluejeans (32173) 2007-01-31 11:18

Ola David que paisagem fantastica , ficou uma foto dramatica a preto e branco ,parabens!!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

vagabondtravels (6103) 2007-02-06 20:47

Hi David

What a b&w with great tones. Good comp. Spot on with the exposure and amazing mountain filled background. Well seen and capture.
Ben

pablominto (40578) 2007-02-09 12:14

Hello David,
This is an intriguing black & white! Contrasty, but with lovely tones...
Beautiful composition, great lines!
Greetings,
Pablo -

...

carod (364) 2007-02-09 18:21

Hello David,

Le noir et blanc est très approprié pour cette photo, ça met de l'emphase sur les montagnes qui sont superbe.

Comme toujours une belle réussite !!
Bravo !

Caroline

macondo (13079) 2007-02-11 5:52

Worth the car-mounting effort. Gladd I caught up with this one, David. The dramatic b/w treatment focuses attention on the heavily shadowed barn and the snowy mountain peaks. Despite the heavy contrast used, there is still subtlety in the treatment of the grases and trees in the lower third of this classically composed photo. Very effective in creating a sense of isolation and of time passed.
Regards,
Andrew

fserajian (4471) 2007-02-23 5:33 [Comment]

Show Comment

ocskaymarci (2508) 2007-03-02 14:07

Hello David,
Very beautiful view! I like those old american barns!
Incredible sky! Please add the colourful image at least as a ws, I'm really interested in it!
TFS!
Best wishes,
Marci

presidente (1115) 2007-03-16 14:19

Great BW! good composition, good light and atmosphere.
Great picture.
Regards, Andrea

xuaxo (5713) 2007-06-07 14:44

Hi David,
A great picture, maybe a little to dark. But with nice effect anyway.
Good to know this is a barn still in use.
F

pboehringer (770) 2007-08-18 14:35

David, I'm coming to this shot 8 (!) months after being posted but I dont't think that this should be a problem at all. The ladder idea is a good one and reminds me of many pro photographers that really have one in their arsenal. Your POV is absolutely perfect and I hope that the top of your car survived your boots without a sratch on the painting. I wish you would have provided more technical details in how you achieved this spetacular B&W. This is exactly what I tried so often and just didn't get it. It reminds me so much of Ansel Adam that is my driving force in my photography.
Regards, Peter

giorgimer (21116) 2007-08-29 0:50

Hi David,

magic view!!
Excellent shot with great composition and nice clouds. Very good B/W choice.

Well done!!!

Gio

prumod (8258) 2007-09-18 2:25

hi david...
excellent b/w treat here! perfect contrast! really the sky is very enchanting... foreground objects also captured well!
greetings...

marioana (2178) 2007-09-20 0:17

Hello David.
I always meant to comment on this image of yours. I've visited it several times, always seeking a better understanding as to why I REALLY like it. I like it because it's beautiful and dramatic, but I REALLY like it because, as I've just worked out, of the combination of the sky and the directional light. I recently posted some B&W's myself, as you saw, trying to capture some sort of mood in the landscape, not so successfully as this. But I've really learned something from this shot. Very beautifully done.
Best regards, Steve.

evanrizo (456) 2007-09-22 23:51

Hi David, a clever idea in BW, it shows the the white departs od the mountains superb, and composed with the superb, with the impressive sky works fantastic! Black and whit comes superb, contrast and sharpness too.
Congratulations.
Evan

managua (902) 2007-10-16 6:46

hi david!
wonderful picture.. or wild picture could be really better..
transmitts something special and something wild how you said!
beautiful natural frame (the mountains and the dark sky)!
congratulations for this great image!
regards
andrea

rushfan2112 (2965) 2007-11-04 3:09

Hi David. Never been to USA (yet) but it would be a pity if these structures were allowed to disappear. Some purists might say that they obscure the view of the mountains but I feel that wooden structures are mostly sympathetic and often (like these) quite photogenic. I like the sky and clouds particularly. Best wishes, Paul.