The Homestead
I've driven by the Homestead cottage for years - intending to capture the incredible surface textures on its failing paint and weathered planks. Nineteen years, to be exact. (Oh, the shame.)
Having read about Photographer Bastiaan Woudt's switch from Phase One to Fujifilm, I rented a GFX 100 for a weekend. The cottage was the perfect subject, and my longtime procrastination was rewarded.
The first shots were mind-blowingly good. The detail of a 102-megapixel image, the ease of processing in Capture One, and the resulting archival prints are simply a dream come true!
I've since visited the Homestead five times in the past several months - experimenting under various lighting conditions, be it an overcast day or noonday direct sunlight.
I've come to know the property owner, and after a tour of the grounds, she graciously granted me free access to roam the entire property at my discretion. She told me stories of her family, the equipment on the grounds, where the main road used to reside, and about the help's cottage next to the highway.
What I perceived as an abandoned property turned out to be a sort of "Museum of Very Fond Memories." Hearing these stories completely changed my perspective and approach when I took these photographs. There was almost a wonder and reverence in place. I wasn't viewing a pile of junk; the place and objects had a deep historical past and truly meant something to someone.
