Abandoned – LLOYD'S LENS PHOTOGRAPHY LLC

Fading Away

Hello Friends! Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Fading Barn On Muddlety Creek 100620a” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

The sands of time slowly erodes the work of our hands. I often pontificate about how time to mortal mankind is like a river of vapors that cannot be held back. It washes over this world and deposits gifts into our lives and then carries away our yesterdays. Such as it is with the old barn on Muddlety Creek. The once magnificent structure had rich tones of golden brown when I was a young man. No weeds or brush cluttered her door in those days and you could see it fully. Soon the rich tones of stained wood fades into weathered gray. Then the wood bends and warps as it melts into the landscape. The tin roof with it’s beautiful patina of rustic red is no longer able to shelter the hay inside. To my heartbreak a large section of roof is completely missing.

Image Titled “Fading Barn On Muddlety Creek 100620b” and is available for purchase by clicking the thumbnail and reaching out to me on the contact page.

I compare the condition of the roof to a similar angle from December 07, 2018 and I know that my self appointed task to document the fall of the old barn is nearly complete. The day I find her completely on the ground will be a bittersweet moment. I will no longer be able to stand on the side of the road and listen to her whispers of the family who worked together beneath her shelter. But in truth, she’s ready for a well deserved rest. The river of time will sweep away the remnants and carry them beyond our perception. Scientists say that when we look out into space we are looking into the past. The Supernova that will be seen by those who gaze across the stars actually happened thousands of years ago. Is it so to imagine that if the ripples in time’s river can be carried across the void to touch mankind’s vision that somewhere in the universe that the old barn is still in her prime and enjoying the company of her family?

And with that final thought I bid you all goodnight and hope you are blessed throughout your days.

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The Forgotten Lock

black and white photography

I was just out wandering around and looking for something interesting to catch in my lens when I notice the fence just off the main road a bit. I allowed my eyes to explore the area. I was looking for a trailing vine or maybe a small bird roosted in the chain link. Then I noticed the lock. It was just hanging there. I used the zoom lens to get a closer look at it. Locks are either indoor use or outdoor use. This one was obviously in the wrong place for a while. Time and the elements have frozen it with rust. I wondered if I had stumbled upon another love lock but a love lock should be on a bridge not a fence. Bridges represent transition where fences symbolize a barrier. Then on closer inspection of the image I saw that this lock was left open.

I realize that the lock was more than likely used to secure the nearby gate and was probably retired due to it’s inability to withstand outdoor use. But the symbolism of a rusty lock left hanging open on the fence was not lost on me.

The lock when open represents the concept of vulnerability.

The rust symbolizes the passage of time.

The fence symbolizes a barrier.

What is not pictured here is the gate. For the sake of the example lets say that the gate was open. That puts a whole new perspective of the story of the rusted lock. One of a person who has been receptive for a long time.

In the English language we generally use the word “love” to describe romance. But there’s also the concept of friendship, brotherhood/sisterhood, the relationship between a parent and a child, the affection we have for our pets and so on.

Perhaps the image that I captured is another “Love lock” after all. It’s just a different kind of love. A love for one’s extended family of community. Not a lock that holds in but an openness that invites the world to stop by from time to time and share a story.

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Stonework And The Return Of Nature

Color Photography

Hello Friends! Tonight’s feature image is titled Nature Returns 52619a

Many people have the opinion that the age of megaliths was when mankind truly began to conquer nature. We literally built a world made from the bones of the earth. As a child I found a book in my grandfather’s library that was all about ancient mysteries. All of articles in the book were about megalithic cities and artifacts like Stonehenge. I didn’t just wonder about how the stones were cut an moved but I dreamed about what it must have been like to live in those structures. I would imagine what the city sounded like with the music of ancient instruments echoing off of the stones. At a time when every meal was cooked over an open fire. In the days before the internet I would spend hours leafing through dusty old books and learning about stone cutting and leverage. I was convinced that I could build my own megalith o e day. But hey, I was ten years old and anything was possible and rocks were free so they fit into a ten year old’s budget.

Needless to say that as an adult I still have an affinity for stonework. I pass by the wall in tonight’s feature image every day and look at the large blocks of stone. I don’t really know the history of this retaining wall. It stands just a few feet off of the highway and in the winter when there’s no foliage I can read the lay of the land well enough to know that a structure of some kind once stood above the wall. Not far from this spot is the foundation of church that no longer stands and a forgotten graveyard that I have not had a chance to investigate.

But what has really caught my eye lately us the roses that cascade down the stone. They are mixed in with at least four other wild vines. My mind was taken back to my grandfather’s library and the pictures of ancient ruins in South America. Those pictures of vine covered temples and trees growing in the hallowed halls. The broken idols that once symbolized human mastery over nature are now the hunts of serpents and birds. Mankind’s victory over the forces of nature is temporary. The masterfully crafted stone blocks now tumble as the mountain rejects it’s constraints. Rain washes out the mortar and trees push away the stones until one day the wall topples like a child’s toy.

“Nature Returns 52619b” The trees are beginning to topple the old stone wall.

Perhaps if the world stands long enough a young boy will enter his grandfather’s library and whatever form the books will take will feature images of cut stone in Appalachia. Perhaps the boy will marvel at the ancestors skill in shaping the bones of the earth and read about our lives and wonder what must have been like to live in such a marvelous time when stone cutters and code writers worked side by side to tame the land.

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https://youtu.be/FDcrY6w8oY8

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I’m now using Zazzle to fulfil orders. What this means for you is a secure way to place an order, discount codes & a broader product selection! Simply message me on Facebook oruse the contact form on my websiteand tell me which image you want and I’ll reply with a direct link to where you can place the order.

Thank you again for your support of my page!❤

The Secret At The Top of The Staircase

Color Photography

The last remnants of snow seep into the forest floor revealing the old staircase. The vines and litter that coat them make for a slippery climb to the top. Taking care to be aware of my foot placement I started to ascend. My heart began to race about one third of the way up. I began to sense a trap. What would it be? Poison darts or would the huge log ahead of me dislodge itself and come rolling towards me? Or maybe the steps would just fall away and drop me into a snake pit. Nervously I take another step. There’s a creaking noise from somewhere near the top and I freeze. The tension in my legs tells me that I’ve instinctively prepared myself to spring out of the way. I began to suspect that the the trap must be that the trees will all come tumbling down and crush me. I look more closely at the next few stairs and make certain that there’s no trip wires or secret switches. Slowly but surely I take the next step and the one after that. I’m well past the point of no return as I make my way over the logs. I paused for a moment and adjusted my fedora before taking the last step and learning the secret that waits at the top. Do you want to know what I found? Can you guess the secret truth that was revealed to me? Well then, I’ll share it with you now. What I learned was… that I’ve seen way too many Indiana Jones movies and there’s nothing at the top of this staircase but creaky trees. Adventure is a state of mind that keeps us young. Thank you for joining me for this one!

Antique Service Desk Bell — Ring this bell for Facebook

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Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “What’s Up There?” and is available for purchase by using the Contact Form on my website. (Note, I do not share or sell contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

Antique Service Desk Bell in Black and White — Ring this bell to order prints or schedule portraits

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook for details.

The Old Barn On Muddlety Creek, November 2018

Color Photography

I had a few minutes to spare on my last trip to town a few days ago and decided to pay a visit to one of my favorite subjects. Namely, the old barn on Muddelty Creek. The past few years has not been kind to this majestic old barn. More of the roof has been stripped away by the wind. The framework is sagging more than the last time I was there as well. I have learned a little more about the history of the barn and how it came to be left derelict and neglected. It was and still is tied up in legal issues. As I stand on the quiet country road doing my work with the lens the damp air grows more chilled and a light snow starts to fall. I can’t help but to imagine the old barn in happier times. Children would have been playing games in and around the barn as livestock grazes in the background. A young boy and his sister poke their heads out from the loft door and look for shapes in the clouds. A young mother watches with safety concerns from a kitchen window as her husband reassures her that the kids will be just fine. He pauses for moment and suggests that perhaps he should go and look for the farriers rasp that he lost in the barn last week. She knows that she saw that rasp hanging next to the horse’s stall. Right where it’s always been since the day they were married. Soon after he enters the barn the children exit and go off to play a different game.

I’m roused from my daydreaming by a large snowflake that lands right in my ear. I’ll take a few more shots from a couple of different angles and wish the old barn well as I climb in the big blue truck and run my errands. What the future holds for the old barn is unclear but for as long as it offers it’s beauty and inspiration I’ll continue to come to this spot for a daydream and photos.

Tonight’s Feature Image is titled “Forgotten Harvest” and is available for purchase by using the Contact Form on my website. (Note, I do not share or sale contact information. EVER)

4X6 is $5.00

5X7 is $10.00

8X10 is $15.00

Some cropping may be necessary for certain sizes.

I’m also available for portraits by appointment. Use the Contact Form or message me on Facebook for details.