mmmmm mmmmmmm MOSSY!

A few months ago - one of my good friends, Malcolm - came over and stole me away from my work computer for a lovely drive out into the woods near Acme for some much needed fun and conversation. He knows me - and my love for broken down, rusty, falling apart and forgotten things - so that when he told me we were going to an old Saw Mill ... he neglected to tell me about the amazing moss covered truck that would greet me when we turned the corner. I think he just "forgot to mention it" so he could see my eyes light up and hear me squeal like a schoolgirl. I think I even bounced up and down in my seat and clapped my hands before frantically searching for the seat belt release so I could go attack one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen!

These are some of my favorite shots of the outside of the ol truck. I just cant get over how much moss is on that thing! Its glorious!

Now....now that youve seen the outside - let me show you what I found when I pulled the door open (it wasnt too happy with me and creaked and groaned and got a little stubborn on me...but I won in the end) - I was shocked to see that the keys were still in the ignition and there was moss dangling down from that too! I had a bit of a hard time getting shots without sun glare but these are the best of the bunch and I think they turned out pretty well :) Enjoy!

It was a great afternoon and an amazing gift from an amazing man. :) Thank you Malcolm for spending the day with me and showing me this wonderful piece of history and for that sparkle in your eye and the giant grins you get when you are watching me run around, squealing at old junked trucks - You are a treasure of another kind. :)

Peter Iredale Shipwreck - Sunset of my dreams

While on Vacation with my family in June - we made a stop at the Peter Iredale Shipwreck and played in the sand and explored the remains for a while during the day...then my wonderful husband sent me off on my own with my camera after all the kids were settled in their bunks back at the cabin - so I could go see if I could get the kind of sunset photos I have always hoped for...and wow...did I ever!

Not only was it the perfect weather (stormy with sun patches) but I got a sunset AND something rusty...all in one shot! I spent a good hour out there and watched the sky go from bright oranges, to deep purples and amazing yellows. I couldnt get over how different the sky looked from one minute to the next and when I turned around away from the wreckage toward the shore, I was taken aback by the incredible misty purple and pink of the sky. Here are some of my absolute favorite shots from the evening. I took over 600 pictures just of this sunset...let me tell ya, it was hard to pick just a handful...let alone pick out ONE favorite. But the first photo (above) ended up being the favorite of 8 of the 10 people I emailed for input and they all picked the winner!

I entered it in the Northwest Washington Fair this year - and when I rounded the corner of the arts building entrance, I saw my photo next to a giant ribbon (its bigger than the 11x14 photo I submitted!) for a "Best in Show" and first place for my division prize! Im always coming in second or getting honorable mentions - so I was super excited to finally have a first place ribbon to display. Its a great feeling. :)

I couldnt resist trying out a filter in my editing program that makes water shots look like they were shot during a bright moonlit night...this last one is titled "Ghost Ship" and has a totally different feel to it than it does in its original version.

If you are interested in purchasing any of these photos - please visit my online store.

Peter Iredale Shipwreck - 2008

*Family Photo by random stranger - thank you random stranger!*

When I was younger - we would occasionally visit my father's hometown of Hammond Oregon and then head down the coast a ways to Seaside. I dont have many actual memories of those trips.... but I do remember visiting this old ship from time to time.

It's changed alot over the past 30ish years and it was one of the stops I wanted to make when we took our kids down to the Oregon Coast for our family vacation this year. I wasnt disappointed! I got to spend a week with my family, at the beach, with beautiful sunsets and RUST! I couldnt have asked for a more perfect vacation!

According to Wikipedia - "The Peter Iredale was a 4 masted steel barque sailing vessel that ran ashore on October 25, 1906...it was abandoned on Clatsop Spit near Fort Stevens. The ship was named after Peter Iredale, who not only owned the vessel as part of his shipping fleet, but was also a well known figure in Liverpool, England where his business was headquartered...Sailing from Salina Cruz, Mexico...they were bound for Portland Oregon with 1000 pounds of Ballast and a crew of 27 including 2 stow aways..." Needless to say, it was swept ashore in some knarly winds and remains there today. You can read more about it here.

Now that you know some of the history behind this beauty, here are some of my favorite "Daytime" shots of her and the wonderous power of the ocean to reclaim the ship. You can see the barnacles that thrive on her skeleton, you can see where the waves have carved their names into the steel beams...its a wonderful experience and I encourage you to make a stop there to see her before shes consumed completely in the next few years.

I loved crawling inside her - looking out at the sky and the ocean from within the skeleton of the hull. Its quite awe inspiring to be standing in the shell of what used to be a great ship - that housed various human lives...and to sit and reflect on all of the stories that must have been created inside the walls that used to be there...who were they? I always get a little lost in thought when I visit old houses and places that used to be inhabited by people, years before me...

I went back later in the evening when the kids were all settled in bed and my husband hurried me out the door of the cabin to send me off to get some sunset pictures...Im SO glad I did! I got to take some of the best sunset shots of my life thus far - though Im sure someday Ill find another amazing opportunity.

Ill save those for a seperate blog...They have their own story to tell.

Rust fix

One of my dear friends, Malcolm, took me for a sunday drive this weekend for a much needed rust fix. Dont get me wrong...photographing brides and babies is alot of fun but going out into the woods and finding a nice hunk of rusted metal has got to be one of my all-time favorite things to do. Weird...I know. But look at all this beautiful decay - the colors, textures and life it still has when viewed through a different set of eyes. I found a ton of things to photograph - but you know me...I took over 300 photos just of THIS car...so Ill break each treasured find into different posts so this one doesnt scroll down for miles ;)

I LOVE THIS CAR!

I think one of my favorite things about man made junk piles - is that once they start to rot, all sorts of new plant life emerges. I found these little flowery weeds next to this giant heap of decaying metal - quite a lovely sight.

I am a macro nut. I love to get up close to things and make pictures of the small details that most people dont really stop to notice anymore. Here are some of my favorite parts of the car. From the handles to the windshield wipers and giant seas of rust and moss...mmmmmm. :)

Look!! Can you see me in the side mirror reflection?? :)

I love doing rust photos in color but something about old abandoned cars screams "BLACK AND WHITE!" to me. Its so hard to decide which I like better...so here are a few in black and white - I guess you can decide for yourself. :)

I think Malcolm wins the "sneakiest way to get Jen away from her work computer for a day" award. ;) Offering to drive me out to a rust filled wonderland, a long car ride for catching up on each others lives and a few good hugs to boot - cant be beat really. Thanks Malcolm :) lets do it again real soon!