Three Frames
A new photography project begins with an idea. It often comes about by accident. Seeing a pattern in a set of images, or a theme developing, or a concept that challenges us to see differently. The latter is what this project is all about. It started by accident a couple of years ago on a trip to the Smoky Mountains in the winter. I didn’t know it would become a new pet project at the time. It wasn’t until I got home from Death Valley in January of 2025 that I decided that this would be my next project. The challenge; Photograph the same subject, create 3 unique images that tell the story of that thing, that place or that moment in time. It will take a while for this project to be fully realized, most photography projects take years not days or months. I am looking forward to working on this project and seeing where it goes.
The DeSoto
Along the backroads of North Georgia lies a place local photographers know well, Old Car City. With over 34 acres and over 4,000 cars, trucks vans all in some state of rust and decay, a photographer could spend days wandering the trails covered in pine straw and leaves. There are a few very iconic hood ornaments to be found, if you know where to look and spend enough time looking. One of those adorns the rusty hood of a 1950 Dodge DeSoto Custom Sedan.
Sadly several of the hood ornaments in Old Car City have been stolen. This is one of the few that remain, and in my many visits to OCC over the last 10 years, I have never found it. On my last trip, a friend let me know where I could find this one. This hood ornament is made of Lucite, and when it was fully functional it was illuminated…in 1950! Modeled after the Spanish Conquistador Hernando de Soto. I was pretty exited to finally see one of these hood ornaments, and decided that this would be another good installment for my Three Frames project.
The Amargosa
Situated at the corner of Highway 127 near Death Valley Junction in California, The Amargosa Opera House is a Historic building and Cultural Center originally constructed between 1923 and 1925.
Part of this project is capturing the same subject in 3 different images that successively reduce the overall scene down to a small detail. For this sequence it was obvious what I would narrow my focus on. The blue door against the alabaster walls stood out and was the primary subject. The mid day light provided minimal shadows and the pale color of the walls set against a clear blue sky tie the color of the door to the sky.
Spring at Carter’s Place
Tucked into a pocket of trees in Cades Cove, you will find the Carter Shields Cabin. Originally built the 1830’s, this cabin was home to Carter Shields from 1910 to 1921. In the Spring this little pocket is usually lined with blooming Dogwood trees.
Part of this project is capturing the same subject in 3 different images that successively reduce the overall scene down to a small detail. Architectural subject work really well for this project, but they will not be the only subjects I select. For this sequence I focused on the late afternoon golden light on the west facing side of the cabin. Ultimately the window on the side would be where the final detail image would land. The play of warm light and shadow on the wall against the rough hewn texture of the cabin was exactly what I hoped for as I drove out to Cades Cove.
