Images from Rural Mequon Wisconsin

 On my many trips to visit Mequon Wisconsin I noticed this abandoned farm house and barn. Mequon appears to be on the verge of development so I would expect this farm to soon be converted into a suburban development or retail center. Part of it is already being reclaimed by nature. The house that had been most recently partially renovated has been damaged by vandalism. A failed attempt at a new life given up. The farm is from another time complete with out house and likely once was quite important to a family who worked the land. But now that land is mostly gone. Yet the farm likely still has emotional links and latent memories. All of this results in a sense of mystery which I think leaves a sense of the hidden and unsaid in these photos. 

Broken Pains

Wild Leaves 1

Wild Leaves 2

Strands of Insulation!

Tree beyond!

No Trespassing! 

Corner

Three Windows 

Shakes Color

Shakes Black and White 

Wild Leaves 3

Out In the Barn

Out in the Barn 2

St. Louis Urban Images in Black and White - And some in color!

I have been out again driving and shooting photos around my fair city of St. Louis for decades. St. Louis has its share of dead and decaying urban buildings. Many impressive buildings left over from a time when St. Louis was a booming metropolis in par with any major city in the nation. Buildings that have lost their luster but still are rich in detail and beauty. In the past few years however I have noticed a depressing trend.  The copper thieves have been decimating buildings that while vacant for many years had weathered their abandonment fairly well. That is until this scourge of copper thievery. The copper thieves will go to great lengths scale walls, climb on roofs and dangle from steeples to rip off gutters, fascia, trims and other details. Building parts that would and did last almost indefinitely when left only to the elements. Once the copper thieves are finished the gaping wounds that are left behind allow the elements to quickly destroy these buildings. For a few dollars gained at the scrap yard beautiful old historic buildings, buildings that have endured long vacancies, are quickly being destroyed. The lengths these people will go for such small amounts in return are amazing. They will risk life and limb. For a hundred bucks in scrap they cause immense damage in the tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. I hope you enjoy these photos. Some of these buildings are going to be gone soon. 

Old Church and Buzzard

Smitten and Afflicted!

Steeple

The Green Green Grass of Home 

Green Green Grass in Black and White 

Corner Detail 

Jackson School 

Closed

Bridge and Big Sky

The Orb

Orange With Vent

Closed Color!

Broadway!

Manifold 

Rural In Winter

The light is just different at different times of the year. Here are three images from a recent trip I took to Indiana for work. The Winter light certainly is evident in all three. I particularly like the Castle Silo and Historic Pink and Pealing!

Castle Silo

Rusty Barn on Main Street

Historic Pink and Pealing