"Patchwork"

"There is a kind of beauty in imperfection" - Conrad Hall
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I've always loved a patched up, mismatched barn.  This one has wood going in all directions, it's leaning just a little, and the wood has turned gray with age.  I love all of those imperfections.  When I moved from Western Montana to Central Montana, I was worried that finding old beauties like this would be harder, but I've found more than I ever expected. This one is right outside of the city limits of Billings, and is actually visible from the interstate.  After admiring it for over a year, I did finally stop to take some photos of it.  The frontage road runs between the barn and the interstate, and it was a busy, loud, semi-dangerous place to stop for photos, but sometimes you just have to park, get your photos, and cross it off the list once and for all.  This image looks quiet and serene, but behind me it was all of the chaos of the modern world.  That's how many of my images are, a quiet spot surrounded by chaos.  Documenting those old buildings that still represent quieter days is my passion. I'd rather look at a charming old barn than an interstate any day.   

"Lost in Time"

Every once in a while, I come across a house that looks like someone meant to come back, but they just never did.  These ones are interesting and my mind starts asking all kinds of questions.  Why didn't anyone come back?  Were they elderly and thought they would come back, but went into a nursing home and never made it back?  Did they move to another house and still own this one, but never sold it?  The reasons someone would leave a house and a car parked in the front like they're in the back hanging laundry out on the clothes line, and not gone for decades, is so intriguing.  Apparently, it happens more than I realized.  Once I started paying attention to how these homes are left, there were so many odd things.  This one is in a canyon at the base of a forest and foothills, and the winters here must have been long and harsh.  Even so, it would have been that simple life that I wish I'd been a part of.  

"Independent Grain Co."

Finding a red grain elevator is rare.  I don't see them very often, even though I always look for them.  In the little town of Clyde Park, Montana, there are two of them.  I grew up about an hour from Clyde Park, and have seen them many times on those long road trips out of town.  They were always an icon that we were close to home and it wasn't going to be much longer.  They've stood the test of time, retaining their bright color through out the winters and sweltering summers.  Built to last, and they will. 

"Against the Grain"

We're a couple of days into the Fall season, and the weather isn't taking its time changing.  It's definitely noticeable that Summer is no longer here.  The green has gone from the trees and grass, and those overcast skies are showing up more often.  I do like the Fall though.  Usually, in Montana, the temperatures change so drastically in the summer that I'm ready for some cooler, more temperate days.  There's a quietness to the Fall that I love.  Summer is busy and full of travel, company, and events that it goes by before I know it.  Fall is when I start to feel that urge to slow down.  I edit my photographs on those cold days, and take my time with the fruits of my summer labor, traveling and taking photographs every other weekend.  These old abandoned buildings are by far my favorite thing to find, and my favorite thing to photograph.  Surrounded by nothing but space, it's hard to imagine any human being inhabiting them.  

"Embrace"

"Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth." - Henry David Thoreau  

"Mountain Standard Time"

The summer is about to come to a close, and I'm sad to see it go.  This has been one of the funnest summers I've had in a while.  Usually summer is about working and trying to get projects done before the winter sets in.  This summer I wanted to enjoy it and made an effort to get outside as much as possible. Most of the time this meant going out in the evenings, but that pays off, as the sunsets and evening light are incredible.

"Tetons Sunset"

We are obsessed with these panoramic photos on canvas.  It's like creating a new window in your room.  This is one of my images of the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, with the Moulton barn in the foreground.  It was such a beautiful winter evening, with the mountains picking up the pink glow of the sunset.  We are posting several of these large panoramics on our website, so take a peek here to see a more.  Cheers!