Well, it’s several days into December, already and I’m still keeping up with my daily barnings! As I sit here, after just going through and posting all of November’s images, I was so pleased with how they turned out. I often scroll through the barns and relive those days and see how different the landscapes and colors have changed. November was definitely one of my favorite months, so far. Since, then, the Calvert Recorder did their story of my project and it was featured on the front page:
We found it on Thanksgiving and I was so honored to have it featured. This project started off as something very personal and near and dear to my heart, so I’m humbled that anyone else cared! 🙂 I am looking forward to some winter scenes and since my portrait and wedding season has finally, slowed down, I’m excited to put some more effort into the history and other elements, of this project. My initial goal was to just take photos, every day, but now I’m much more invested and want to get to know the stories behind these amazing barns and beautiful places! I’ve already met and been in contact with several barn owners or “leads” and I’m looking forward to meeting some new people (and barns).
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Original Post:
I started thinking about this recently when I asked myself the question: what do I love about this area that I now call home? In other words, I was trying to find new ways to be positive and look for the good in my new location. I have been living here for almost two years but sometimes I still miss “home”. Even though I chose to move here for the right reasons, and I’m not that far away from where I came, I still struggle with these thoughts off and on. So, instead of dwelling in the past, I decided to appreciate the present. To find the good and appreciate what I have, here and now and to build a connection to this new place.
One of the coolest, and most unique things about Calvert County (and Southern Maryland) are all the barns that stem from it’s rural history. I love the country roads and all the farms or pieces of what are left over, from old farms. I had a lot of that on the Eastern Shore, as well, but there were never this many barns and they’re different. Since a lot of the ones found here are tobacco barns, there are just SO many more, because they needed more of them to dry the tobacco in. I’m also tying this project in with my background in geography and environmental/land use planning interests. I see the urban sprawl and trees and fields being chopped down, daily, so this landscape is changing rapidly. By taking these photos, I want to be a part of documenting how looks now. I have a feeling it will change quite a bit in my lifetime.
So, with all these things in mind, on July 1st, 2015, I decided to start this year-long endeavor! Here are my rules/goals:
- photograph a different barn each day from July 1, 2015 – June 30, 2016.
- if I am out of town or something prevents me from shooting, I will shoot multiple barns for each day that I am gone, as close to the dates missed as possible.
- any type of camera goes – iPhone, point and shoot, DSLR etc
- barns must be located within Calvert County, MD limits
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154/365: 12.1.15/3:42pm/
Crooked Red Barn
December is here and that means I’ve completed five full months of barn-shooting, can’t believe it’s been that long, already smile emoticon With this one, I went against every editing instinct and resisted the urge to straighten it out because this is how it sits, crooked and falling apart right next to Ponds Wood Rd. It took me months to know that underneath all of that brush, there was actually a barn and even more time to see that it is still a little bit red!
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155/365: 12.2.15/2:55 pm/Prince Frederick/Tobacco Ridge Rd/5D Mark III/16-35mm 2.8L II
Foggy Barn in the Woods
The fog was looking very cool this afternoon, so I’m glad I was able to get it into my barn shot! Hopefully, this is the last of the dreary photos for awhile. I need some more color in my life.
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156/365: 12.3.15/1:02 pm/Prince Frederick/Dares Beach Rd/5D Mark III/24-70mm 2.8L
New Town Red Barn
This is not really in a new town but it sits on a vacant property, right in the middle of a heavily developed area, referred to by that name. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when this landscape will change but for now, this old red barn sits here in the weeds.
Lucky for me, it was easy access to pull in and shoot. I was waiting for all the leaves to fall, so you can see it best.
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157/365: 12.4.15/3:08 pm/Prince Frederick/Simmons Ridge Rd/iPhone
Subdivision Barn
I found this new one, on foot while running with Maxwell. I was pretty sure when I turned into this new subdivision, I would find a barn since a lot of these setups used to be farms. I like this simple one with the white tree, behind it and the thing on top of it. Not sure what that is called, I don’t think it’s a weather vane…
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158/365: 12.5.15/3:30 pm/Dunkirk/Lakeview Dr/Canon 5D Mark II/24-70mm 2.8L
Weebles Red Barn
This one reminds me of the old Fisher Price Weebles Wobble barn (am I dating myself?). Anyhow, I’ve known about this one since the very beginning of this project but I was waiting to shoot it, for some reason. I guess today was the day, I like the bright blue sky, too. Lots of color and rustic charm 🙂
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159/365: 12.6.15/4:45 pm/Prince Frederick/Barstow Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Perfect Timing Barn
I had just left a meeting and I only had about 15 minutes of daylight left, so this is what I ended up with! It was not a bad time to be in this area, it has some of the best sunsets AND barn views!
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160/365: 12.7.15/3:32 pm/Prince Frederick/Goldstein Rd/Canon 5D Mark III/16-35mm 2.8L
Awesome Barn
This is a fitting name for this one, it has so many cool attributes. When I first pulled up, the other side was covered in red siding and made it look boring & common but then the rest was revealed, and I was happy with my new discovery.
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161/365: 12.8.15/3:15 pm/Prince Frederick/Stoakley Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Combine Barn
All the times I’ve driven by this one, I’ve always said I’d save it for another day when the sky was pretty behind it. It’s pretty simple on it’s own so when I saw a man and his combine, I knew I wanted this one for today. I turned around and asked him if I could take a photo with the two together. He’s also in there, somewhere, he said he didn’t care. 🙂
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162/365: 12.9.15/2:38 pm/Huntingtown/Twin Oaks Ln/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Simple Barn
There was something appealing about this simple one, today, not just because it is convenient to my house. 🙂 Sometimes less can be more, I suppose.
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163/365: 12.10.15/3:10 pm/Huntingtown/Old Town Rd/Canon 5D Mark III/70-200mm 2.8L
Old Town Barn
I was in a hurry but there is always a barn to be found, close by! Love this one looking down the hill from Old Town Huntingtown.
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164/365: 12.11.15/5:08 pm/Prince Frederick/Main St/Canon 5D Mark III/70-200mm 2.8L
Bleakness Barn
Got way too close to running out of light, for today’s barn. Luckily, I knew this was sitting here, all alone on Main St. In some ways, the dark lighting is what makes this one better, so I’m glad I ran out of time for any other options. And now I will keep believing that things happen when they’re supposed to happen, and how they’re supposed to happen.
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165/365: 12.12.15/2:25 pm/Saint Leonard/Mackall Rd/Canon 5D/70-200mm 2.8L
Horses and Wreath Barn
We spotted my first Christmas-decorated barn, today, along with a couple horses out for an afternoon snack. I couldn’t pass it up, hoping for more soon!
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166/365: 12.13.15/4:31 pm/Prince Frederick/Mallard Point Rd/Canon 5D Mark III/70-200mm 2.8L
Barns and a Tree
I was back on one of my favorite barn roads and had plenty of options to choose from. I thought about not including one or the other but I really loved the tree in between, so, here’s two for today!
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167/365: 12.14.15/2:48 pm/Dunkirk/Jewell Rd/Canon 5D Mark III/24-70mm 2.8L
Close Up Red Barn
When the day is dreary, you seek out a red barn! That’s one of my mottos, anyway. It doesn’t always work out that I find one but when I do, the colorful scene always brightens up my mood 🙂
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168/365: 12.15.15/3:01 pm/Prince Frederick/Leitches Wharf Rd/Canon 5D Mark III/24-70mm 2.8L
Shadows Barn
If you guessed that the tree branch shadows on this barn are my favorite thing about this image, you are correct! (the winding road is pretty cool, too) This morning’s sunset was amazing but I was not in the right place to capture it along with a barn, so I ended up frustrated and gave up. This afternoon, I went to an area where I knew I could find a decent one, and continue on with my day. This one was not my initial target, until I saw the shadows, which I think make this simple setup way more interesting!
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169/365: 12.16.15/3:24 pm/Huntingtown/Huntingtown Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Overgrown Barn
Winter is the best time to see these overgrown barns!
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170/365: 12.17.15/9:41 am/Prince Frederick/Dan Bowen Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Christmas Colors Barn
If you use your imagination, this is a Christmas-y barn! Even though it doesn’t feel like it, we are one week away from Christmas Eve.
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171/365: 12.18.15/3:24 pm/Prince Frederick/Dorsey Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Black and White Tobacco Barn
I’m almost halfway through my project and still finding new ones on a regular basis, like this one! 🙂
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172/365: 12.19.15/10:04 am/Huntingtown/Old Town Rd/Canon 5D Mark III/85mm 1.2L II
Red Old Town Barn
You can find this one tucked back in someone’s yard, next to Rt 4. It is surrounded by pavement and development but it is still standing strong.
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173/365: 12.20.15/3:41 pm/Dunkirk/Southern MD Blvd/Canon 5D Mark III/85mm 1.2L II
Off Road Barn
I may or may not have taken the Subaru on a slight off-roading adventure, right off the highway. I thought I was turning on a legit road, that immediately turned into an overgrown farm lane…. I made it out in one piece!
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174/365: 12.21.15/3:21 pm/Huntingtown/Huntingtown Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Winter Solstice Red Barn
Short and dreary days sometimes make barn-hunting a challenge but I will not stop! 🙂
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175/365: 12.22.15/11:46 am/Prince Frederick/Grays Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Biscoe Gray Heritage Barn
I already knew of this one but I was just out on a random drive and ended up finding it, accidentally. I know there is a lot of history and information out there on this area, which is now part of the Calvert Nature Society and dates back to Native American settlements. In addition to this barn being a unique shape, another favorite element of this shot is the abandoned house in the woods. That, combined with the dreary day make this one somewhat eerie.
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176/365: 12.23.15/10:03 am/Owings/Neptune Ln/Canon 5D Mark II/24-70mm 2.8L
Winter Flowers Barn
The only thing wrong with this photo is the fact that the tree in front of this barn, has flowers blooming on it. Fall and winter are thoroughly confused but this tobacco barn is still awesome, no matter what the weather.
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177/365: 12.24.15/2:00 pm/Owings/Chaneyville Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Stormy Christmas Eve Barns
After shooting a red barn to go along with the Christmas vibe, we saw how awesome the sky was looking and decided that it must be documented! This is the warmest Christmas week, I’ve ever been a part of, and the rain has not been so much fun. I am grateful that at least the skies parted for this shot of three +. Merry Christmas Eve!
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178/365: 12.25.15/1:25 pm/Dunkirk/Lakeview Dr/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Christmas Barn
There are two Christmas wreaths on this one but I could not actually get them into the shot. But once again, we have Christmas colors featured here between the green grass and beautiful red barn. Merry Christmas to all, including all my favorite barns!
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179/365: 12.26.15/11:27am/Huntingtown/Plum Point Rd/iPhone
Beach Barn
I love this viewpoint, which mixes two of my favorite things, in one shot: barns and the Chesapeake Bay, which was right behind me as I shot this one. I have already photographed the one on the left but realized, that this was the best view I’ve seen of the other one, so I had to stop.
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180/365: 12.27.15/3:21pm/Huntingtown/Walton Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Country Red Barn
The Calvert County adventure continues with these barns along this country road. I always love when we find new ones and these did not disappoint!
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181/365: 12.28.15/9:48am/Prince Frederick/German Chapel Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
German Chapel Barn
Another new (to me) barn on another dreary day.
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182/365: 12.29.15/3:55pm/Dunkirk/Talbot Ln/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
Dunkirk Town Center Barn
This barn sits unassumingly, behind a ton of suburban development in the heart of Dunkirk. Jon may have decided to put his four-wheel drive to use, even though it was not necessary to get to this one. I can only imagine how this view will change, over the course of my lifetime.
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83/365: 12.30.15/3:44pm/Huntingtown/Ida’s Ln/Canon 5D Mark II/24-70mm 2.8L
Foggy Red Barn
I need the sun and color! Where is the sun!?! Well, until then, here is a pop of color in the gloomy fog.
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184/365: 12.31.15/4:10pm/Prince Frederick/Solomon’s Island Rd/Canon 5D Mark II/70-200mm 2.8L
New Year’s Eve Barn
Well, the year has come to an end and this day also marks my halfway point into this crazy, little project of mine. For the first time in six months, I have been struggling in finding the excitement in shooting my barn photos, which I think has less to do with it being winter and more to do with it being dreary and raining. There is beauty in the winter but the weather has made things a bit dull, so it’s been a little harder than normal to get out and do these, every day. But I still do and I will stick with it, for the remainder of the second half! This project has been one of the most interesting twists to my life, in 2015, and I’m looking forward to seeing what 2016 will bring, to the sunshine, to new (old) barns that I’ve yet to discover and eventually to a new season with more colors to add to my collection. Happy New Year’s Eve!
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