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Buzzard Mansion
Buzzard Mansion
sofapez


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Abandoned Buildings (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Canon EOS-10D
Location: IN Route 67
Date: Apr 12, 2005
Aperture: 19
ISO: 200
Shutter: 1/125
Galleries: Landscape, Nature
Date Uploaded: Apr 12, 2005

"To dream that you hear a buzzard talking, foretells that some old scandal will arise and work you injury by your connection with it.
To see one sitting on a railroad, denotes some accident or loss is about to descend upon you. To see them fly away as you approach, foretells that you will be able to smooth over some scandalous disagreement among your friends, or even appertaining to yourself....."
Source: Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted,Gustavus Hindman Miller

After hour of driving gravely back roads aimlessly, in search of the perfect abandoned building (when in fact, I knew of several good candidates in the town where I live) I was near to giving up the search and settling for the sure deal. Then atop a gentle slope in the middle of a farmer’s freshly plowed field, stood this long abandoned mansion (except for the buzzards who dwell in its decrepit rafters). Intent on capturing this near macab scene, I began engaging the shutter as I crossed the cloddy expanse. To the birds, I am sure I looked strangely one-eyed. Then,nearly falling, I was forced to lower the lens and the raptors, who had watched my every move, chose this moment to depart while I regained my footing. They rode the thermals just beyond the scene and refused to return to their lanai perch while I was still present.

The farmer then appeared and told the mansion’s history. For more than 40 hard years it had sat empty except for the Buzzard family who roost and raise their young in its cavernous interior. This suits the farmer's need. They keep the fields free of varmints and they don’t eat the crops.

Eventhough I have images nearer the mansion, I don't feel they tell the story as well as this one.

Statistics
Place: 263 out of 500
Avg (all users): 5.1126
Avg (commenters): 5.5333
Avg (participants): 5.0741
Avg (non-participants): 5.1770
Views since voting: 1064
Views during voting: 392
Votes: 302
Comments: 17
Favorites: 0


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AuthorThread
 Comments Made During the Challenge
04/19/2005 09:26:25 PM
Looks too soft
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/19/2005 03:51:46 PM
I wish I could see the top of the tree in this shot...the way it is cut off doesn't seem to fit in my opinion.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/19/2005 02:51:19 AM
what a good haunted house that would be!! im a huge vulture/turkey buzzard fan... so 5 pts for the house and 5 for the birdies :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/18/2005 02:05:35 PM
A lot of potential here. Here are a few things I see wrong that hurt this image.
Detail is low, lacking sharpness. Image is a bit too bright. Attention seems to be drawn more to the trees than the building - perhaps a different point of view would help this more.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/17/2005 07:11:59 PM
Too centered? and a bit too flat. Otherwise, it's a terrific bldg and set of trees.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/17/2005 12:53:11 AM
good interpretation of the challenge. like your title and the birds in the trees.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/16/2005 09:37:39 PM
Love the birds, but having the tree nearly dead center distracts a bit from the quality of the shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/16/2005 08:55:14 PM
Very good shot, full of mystic atmosphere. I like it a lot and wish you good luck in this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/14/2005 09:01:21 PM
i wish this was closer
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/14/2005 04:12:22 PM
Love birds. Even buzzards. Pretty neat image. My only suggestion is that you might want to crop a little more on the left to pull the tree out of the middle of the shot. Where it is now effectively cuts the image in two. I thinking pulling the image to the left would greatly enhance the image. No one would notice if a couple of trees were gone. :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/13/2005 10:28:22 PM
I would have liked to seen the house closer to see a bit more detail.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/13/2005 10:20:33 PM
tree in the center overpowers the house
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/13/2005 06:48:04 PM
I think a closer view would of made it more interesting.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/13/2005 04:57:40 PM
I love it, 9 for you.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/13/2005 10:02:06 AM
This is a nice shot. I like how many lines are seen around the image and I also like the fact that the house is surrounded by nature and growth.. it makes it appear that it has been abandoned for a long time. Nice work.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/13/2005 09:59:30 AM
The birds are a great touch in this shot. Maybe a tighter crop to draw more attention to the birds/building.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
04/13/2005 01:25:09 AM
Nice. Could be sharper, but nice shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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