Rainy Day Road Trip: Back Roads and Old Barns
Exploring old barns and quiet farms under a grey sky, one mile at a time.
It was Saturday, and it was raining again. We hadn’t had a dry weekend in upstate New York since last fall. Once again, it was not the best weather for hiking, so we drove around the back roads in our area, looking for landscapes and old barns under the mist and clouds.
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The first two images are different views of the same farm. Many family farms in our area have shut down. Amish families have purchased some farms that would have otherwise gone unused. Or worse, broken up into building lots. Once a farm is broken up and sold off, it can never be brought back.
And here is another of the residents on this farm.
These scenes are all within 20 miles or so of home. Many on back roads we hadn’t been on in a while. This barn and the farmhouse next to it used to belong to family friends many years ago. It’s now unused.
This was a pavement-optional day. The next barn is on a recently paved small-town road. It’s no longer a working farm, but the owners are keeping up the barn and house nicely.
The cloud cover and diffused light on a day like this really set off the colors, giving us images with rich greens and bright reds without any harsh light.
There are fewer small family farms in our area every year. Many barns that were once the centerpiece of a thriving farm are deteriorating and collapsing over time. A few are saved, whether as part of a hobby farm or by a history-minded owner who has the means to preserve them.
They are all worth photographing and preserving. It’s part of the history of our area.
✅ Where to Find Me
You can find more of my work on the web at: Simmons Photography
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More of my work can be seen on Vero and Flickr.
🎒 The Gear Bag - Gear and Inspiration
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I rely on the weather-sealed Fujifilm X-T5 for shooting in wet, drizzly conditions.
Images in this article also utilized the Fujifilm XF 16-55 f2.8ii lens.
💬 Closing Thoughts
Small farms decline in New York - from the Times Union, Albany NY