I had several alternative titles for this blog post built around photos I shot of The Stone House at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Virginia yesterday.
One was how to make the best of a trip to the dentist and the other was about the importance of looking for details. Please let me explain. (please see more photos and text below)
First, here is a quick history of the house, according to the National Park Service : “Located in Manassas National Battlefield Park, this historic structure served as a field hospital for not one, but two, major Civil War battles – the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) and the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run). Built in 1848, its early years were spent as the home of farmer Henry P. Matthew and his family, who harvested the peaceful Virginia countryside surrounding the property.”
It is a fantastic structure, located on one of the busiest thoroughfares in Northern Virginia.
I have driven by the house hundreds of times, usually too busy to stop but yesterday driving home from my dentist after undergoing a root canal, my Novacaine was starting to wear off and I thought what better way to take my mind off of things than to take some quick photos!
After surveying the house I started looking for some different angles to photograph some of the house’s distinctive details from. I assumed the house was closed so I set up with a wide angle under the front door when I heard a rattling noise. Second later the door opened as I was shooting and caught the door ajar.
Lucky me! The shots with the door closed are not as visually appealing or as inviting as the split second I caught with the door opening.
I love framing things through old windows so I shot windows both from inside and outside the house. While I was shooting indoors, two people started walking up a tall hillside located directly behind the Stone House adding a great point of interest to those images.
Photo Tip : Looking for different angles and specific angles is a great way to take a fresh approach to any photo, but it can be especially effective when
photographing a location that has been photographed thousands or millions of times.
In the process you may also end up seeing some things you might not have noticed if you had taken a broader approach to the scene.
Thanks for dropping by my blog today, Rob
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