What is home can vary considerably depending on who you ask. It can be something extravagant, it can be something simple, it can even be a cardboard box. Home means something different to everyone.
The history of a home like the ones pictured in this gallery are typically not publicly available, so I’m unable offer much in the way of their past.
A home is a very personal and private place. It grows with us and over time to become a reflection of who we are; it tells the story of our journey through life, and what we’ve...Read More
What is home can vary considerably depending on who you ask. It can be something extravagant, it can be something simple, it can even be a cardboard box. Home means something different to everyone.
The history of a home like the ones pictured in this gallery are typically not publicly available, so I’m unable offer much in the way of their past.
A home is a very personal and private place. It grows with us and over time to become a reflection of who we are; it tells the story of our journey through life, and what we’ve experienced along the way. Sometimes this story can span generations. So when people leave, what remains begins to fall into a state of disrepair. Termites set in, the timber rots, encompassing vegetation becomes overgrowth and weatherboards become detached. The paint peels away and gradually fades, along with memories of what once was, leaving only incomplete hints to the story of its past life.
There could be a variety of reasons why these homes have ended up how they appear here. I can’t help but wonder what that story might have been when looking at these pictures. But, in almost all cases, wondering is all that’s possible.
The struggles that farming families have faced due to the onset of drought and climate change have been well-publicised over the past couple of decades. Shifts in weather patterns have had an adverse impact in some regions which no longer suits growing conditions that have been relied upon for generations.
In other situations, several neighbouring farms may be bought out as part of an amalgamation. As a result, these once loved farmsteads become surplus to requirements.
Some homes may have passed their useful life where the cost of repair and maintenance now exceeds that of constructing a new home.
Something that crosses my mind in each instance when looking at these pictures is, even though they sit unused, regardless of the current condition they all seem to be retained as if they are not unloved. Perhaps they still hold sentimental value to those who once called this ‘home’.
From an artistic perspective, this is a continuation of the idea followed with the
Streetscapes of Yubari gallery. I’ve followed on that idea of composing through a direct view of the facade.
The main difference from that gallery is, of course, the country from where the photos originate from, but also the distance from the subject. The vast majority of shots in this gallery are images composed from the roadside, a couple of hundred meters away, as opposed to directly in front of the building like those in the Streetscapes of Yubari gallery.
This is one of the more enjoyable galleries I’ve created. I love the adventure of just driving through the countryside without a plan, looking for the next subject.
The excitement that follows when I ‘find another one’ to add to the collection is difficult to describe. But, then again, things I enjoy which I find difficult to describe to others is probably another collection in itself. It’s also one of the main reasons I enjoy taking photos as much as I do.
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