Oh Man

And I got a call from Oregon offering me a full ride. Decisions, decisions. 

Ilene's Barn for Little Village

This barn is featured on the "Iowa Red Barn" label for Wallace Winery. Ilene is co-owner of the winery and owner of the barn and sheep farm. Her family has been on working the land for about 100 years, with a three year exception. She applied for a grant from the Iowa Barn Foundation for repair money but found the restrictions and regulations to be too stringent.

Being on this farm was peaceful and homey. There were buildings surrounding me and animals roaming about. The sheep were quite entertaining. Once they realized I was there, they would charge in and out of the barn, confronting me with more beady-eyed faces in every round.

First Barn for Little Village

I am privileged to be the photographer for a local free publication called Little Village. Maggie Anderson's barn story is my first assignment. I will be posting my rough shots as I go. I shot two barns today and am hoping to shoot a few more tomorrow. The first barn is falling over but the composition remains beautiful and the decay is a photographers dream. Farm owner Terry Johnson was kind enough to let me on to his property and tell me a bit about the barn.

Terry has lived on the farm since he was three years old. The barn predated him and his family and he guesses that it's age is over 80 years. The barn was built with wooden pegs which you can see throuhgout the structure. While we talked he kept repeating that he wasn't proud of this barn. And I quote "Every time we get a big wind storm I look out at the old barn and hope it's blown over. Then I won't have to pay anyone to come do it for me."

A man offered to start taking it down for him in exchange for the lumber. He stripped some of the shingles off the roof and gave up, saying it was too much work. The evidence of his brief labor lays in a bare strip up the middle of the barn roof.

Enjoy the photos.

Admitted.

I got into RIT. Now I REALLY don't know what to do. I'm going to visit with my mom next week. And then, I suppose I'll have to make a decision.

Studio portraits of my mom

These were shot at the same time as the fur coat portrait. I was shooting these with a 4x5 camera... and lets just say, I need some more work. But my model was perfect and I can't wait to re-shoot

Plans for next year.

So, things have not worked out. Or perhaps they have. I'll be staying in Iowa City and searching for work. I'm assisting at Wilderness Studios this summer, during wedding season and then after that..... probably working part time and looking for supplement work. So if you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. I'm interested in photographing, writing, making videos, and numerous other small jobs. I'd like to stay in Iowa City but would be willing to travel to Des Moines on occasion for work. I'm not looking for a lot of money, just things that have the potential to make me happy, teach me something or benefit me in some positive way. I'll be posting my resume when it's updated from this semester.  Looking over it, I realize how many jobs I've had in my short life span. I should join over achiever anonymous and promptly take a vacation.