Barn Sway or Barns Away

[tgh]

Despite living in a farming area, we don't seem to have nearly as

many traditional, large barns around here as Gene M. does in New

England. Many of the settlers here seemed to build smaller shed type

structures until they were financially better off - a day that often

never came for them. Of those few large barns that were built,

changes in farming practices and a 70 year regional depopulation

trend have taken their toll and many have long ago disappeared.

 

One such old barn that has stubbornly stood up straight was this

one. But a large storm last weekend, with 75mph+ straight-line winds

may have now doomed it.

 

My work often takes me by this barn, but always in my work car, which

precludes stopping to photograph it. But cirumstances seemed to

demand at least a quick shot before the inevitable happens. Apologies

for the image quality, it was a drive-by, though I did slow down a

bit. And no, it wasn't technically a "classic" camera in the sense

of this forum, but a Nikon FM2 with a 50/2 lens. It's what I had

with me at the time.<div></div>

[alex_lofquist]

When I used to travel a lot, I often spent much time in the southern US. Once having breakfast in a typical country resturant I asked the waitress for the usual bacon and eggs, but to make the bacon lean. Everyone else at my table was served, but tearfully she told me that she couldn't make the bacon lean because it kept falling over.

[h._p.]

That sounds of the same ilk as the story my ex-brother-in-law's father used to tell.

 

He was a Scottish miner of the old school, five foot three inches tall and as hard as his pick-axe. He claimed that they once had some 'yanks' come over from a mine in America and everything they saw was smaller than they were used to. The tunnels were smaller, the tools were smaller... you get the idea.

 

Finally one of the Scottish miners asked calmly how deep the American mines were. "Our mines are nearly a mile deep." came the proud answer, "how deep is this one?"

 

"Och, we dinna ken," replied the miner, "we only daes the day shift, the Australians take over at night."

[nancy_bueler]

Nice photo, Todd. I live in Toronto, and to see barns, we used to only have to drive a half an hour outside the city to see barns, but that distance is growing every year. Pity. That waitress joke is very funny, but Harvey, I don't get the miner joke!?

 

Nancy

[skygzr]

Todd - That picture just might look good with MORE motion blur, in the direction the barn is leaning. Kinda like it's being blown over.

 

Nancy - As for the joke, "Oh, we don't know, we only do the day shift, the Aussies take over at night", implies that the mine is so deep that the folks on the other side of the world are using it, too. Like many jokes, it's less funny after you explain it!

 

So, how many of my bretheren from the Old South does it take to change a light bulb?

 

Three....one to change the bulb, one to pour the bourbon, and one to talk about how much better the old one was.

[charles_stobbs3]

I suspect that barn is leaning away from the wind.

[mendel_leisk]

Todd, just curious, were you the driver?

[thanz]

Nice image, the vertical telephone pole adds to the effect.

 

Todd

[glenn_thoreson]

For being in such a major livestock ranching area, we have very few traditional barns. On the edge of town, there was a little building that had been leaning since I've been around here. I always thought it would make a nice picture but today when I drove by, it was flat as a pancake. Missed again!

[gene m]

Excellent photo. The composition is perfect.

[alex_lofquist]

Perhaps it could be turned into a hotel and called the "Tiltin' Hilton"?

[tgh]

Charles - you're correct. Would have been more appropriate to say, "Leaning with the wind", but "Leaning into the wind" was the more common phrase that came to mind.

 

Mendel - Yes, I was driving. Advanced the film and held the camera in my left hand, pointing out the window while I steered with my right hand. Really no composition through the viewfinder, just a quick glance out of the corner of my eye, over the top of the camera's hot shoe as I was about even with the barn and I tripped the shutter. The frame here was cropped about 10% from the negative and straightened. The image was tilted about 3 degrees from level. I occasionally take a grab shot out the window as I go by something of interest, when I feel I can do so safely and it's kind of amazing that most come out nicely framed, or can be with just a little cropping.

 

Glenn - that's exactly what I was afraid of with this barn. Depending on what's going on with work, I might go by this a couple of times a week, or not for a couple of months. I'd driven by it at 6:45AM that morning on the way to a site when it was too dark, and came back by about 5:00PM that afternoon, so I was ready for it as I drove by in the afternoon.

 

Gene - thanks, but the composition was part accident, part luck. See the note to Mendel above.