Abandoned Farm, Round Deux

Last weekend I was hunting for an old schoolhouse that I knew just south of Waynesville, Ohio when I happened across an abandoned farmstead not far from Harveysburg. I took some shots but frankly they were crap. The day was grey, overcast, and the light wasn't right. But the composition was good................so I filed the location away in the back of my mind as a "gotta get back there again when the light and conditions are better" thing.

Yesterday I planned to take some nature shots at Charleston Falls, near Huber Heights, Ohio, but Mother Nature had other plans. It was raining, cold, and pretty nasty. I still got a hike in at the falls but there was no way that I was taking my camera out in that weather and it was nice to just get a good hike in.

This morning I woke early to find that the rain had just ended, and the sky was full of dark, angry, fast-moving clouds. But otherwise the air was clear and lacking any mist or haze. Could this be my chance to get a better image of the barn?? Thankfully Renee, my muse, agreed to go with me to back the farmstead after I promised that we would stop by a Starbucks along the way. So with camera equipment, and coffee, in hand we headed south.

We arrived to find that the clouds weren't quite right, and a little dark.....so feeling dejected I decided we were going to just turn around and head back home. It's a fault of mine that I am working on: getting worked up about something then getting into that "the hell with it" mode if its not perfect.

Thankfully, Renee convinced me to wait for the perfect shot. After a short while, the clouds became even more dramatic. And then suddenly, there was a break in the clouds to the south where the sun peaked through and illuminated the barn and the silo.

I'm happy that she convinced me to wait, and here's the outcome......

Image Data: Nikon D7100 body, with 16.0-85.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens at 22mm. ƒ/8.0, 1/250 exposure @ 100 ISO.

So, I learned today that waiting for the perfect shot is a virtue, and possible even really more of a skill. I had the composition down already when I was there last week, but composition is only one of several pieces of an image. It doesn't matter what camera you have, or your collection of lenses. If you don't dedicate the time, and the mental commitment, to get the right shot...........its not just going to fall into your lap.

Jeremy