"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.   

"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.