On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
Steve from Mendocino
In the winter of 1971-72 I went on a photography road trip with my closest friend from Art Center. Most nights we camped unsheltered in our sleeping bags, which was perfectly comfortable when we were in Death Valley but got rather interesting in Nevada’s high desert. Snow on the ground and only the car to sort of slow the wind. It was cold.
Much to my delight, we found a couple of abandoned ranches in Nevada. Textures and shapes – my favorite subjects!
My photos are below.
Paul in St. Augustine
I see the face in the third picture.
PBK
I’m intrigued by the writing on the door in picture 8.
prostratedragon
Nice. Found beauty.
Spanky
@PBK: The picture is upside down.
OzarkHillbilly
I love photographing them too. Sadly, I don’t have your eye.
zhena gogolia
Wow, beautiful and spooky. I expect Van Heflin in The Prowler to come out from around a corner.
marklar
A master class in evoking mood and in composition. Thank you for sharing these.
cope
@Spanky: That’s why I couldn’t make out any if the writing. When I flipped it, I deciphered a date that seemed to be December 10(6?) 1930. That’s on my phone. Maybe on the computer I’ll be able to make out more.
As for the pictures in general, they are wonderful. In my artsy film photo days (late ‘60s-early ‘70s), these were the kinds of images I never seemed to be able to capture. I always blamed it on the film or format or my camera itself. Poor workman…you know the rest.
Thank you for posting these.
kalakal
These are exactly my sort of thing. Thanks so much for posting
Kevin
Great pictures. Makes me wonder what happened to whoever lived there…
Steve from Mendocino
Never noticed that about the door. At some point it got flipped. I’m squatting and shooting up. That’s the ceiling behind the door.
delphinium
These photos are fantastic! I too have a fondness for textures and shapes, whether from man-made structures or created in nature.
Albatrossity
Wonderful way to start a Friday. I like them all, but the one with the tilted fence covered with chicken wire is definitely a favorite!
pieceofpeace
The last picture is definitive. Love the weathered look on the stark, desolate land. Thank you!
WaterGirl
@Steve from Mendocino: It’s right-side up now.
Thank goodness I can see the writing now! Between not seeing the face in #1 and not seeing the writing in #8, I was starting to wonder if I should go back to bed.
cope
Gotta ask: tin roof, rusted?
arrieve
These are just gorgeous. A great start to the day.
Steve from Mendocino
@WaterGirl: Lol. So now I’m 8 feet tall looking down from the floor that is up at the ceiling that is down :) The door was apparently flipped at some point in its life, presumably to fit an opening that latched on the opposite side.
munira
These are great. Particularly like the pond and the old fence and the falling down barn – brings back memories of my commune days when we took apart old barns for lumber.
BigJimSlade
Great shots – love the first one!
JustRuss
Very nice, desolate and lonely. Really like the fence & sky pic.
WaterGirl
@Steve from Mendocino: Should I “un” fix it?