Abandoned Grain Elevator at Fusilier, Saskatchewan.

May 2008

I love these old structures and have been known to take pictures of them more than once. They started out as somewhat ugly and utilitarian agricultural necessities, and when left to age and die alone they seem to gain some glamor. How that works I don't know. Nevertheless, you've done a fine job here of framing it and showing its best side. Great color and sky treatment. Very hauntingly beautiful.

This is a great find, perfectly captured, and with so much potenital. Your depiction is beautiful as is, but sometimes I cannot restrain myself by asking "What if?" questions for other depictions of your image. (It's my "therapy", if you know what I mean.) I hope you don't mind too much my tinkering with it. First, I selected the signage and reduced it's brilliant dominance of the overall image in an effort to make the structure seem more antiquated. Once that was done, I reduced the overall brightness and heightened the contrast of the entire image. I felt these modifications gave a decidedly different character of the setting. I have included my effort for your consideration. I did a similar thing in B/W and liked it as well. I hope you approve.

Lamar and David,

 

Thank you both for the comments and suggestions. David, I think part of appeal is that this elevator has metal cladding, (probably tin, given the age) and so it has weathered very differently from the stained or painted wooden structures that one sees more frequently, at least in Alberta.

 

Lamar, I don't mind at all, and thanks for the posting. The reason we are here is to share ideas and intepretations. Coincidentally, I just finished working on a "grunged" version which is more along the lines of your interpretation. I have posted it in my gallery if you are interested:

 

http://photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=7472872