Thoughts on the Old and Abandoned Landscape

An Old White Truck With Complimentary Colors by Richard Lewis

An Old Truck With Complementary Colors by Richard Lewis 2015

Left in the Desert by Richard Lewis

Left in the Desert by Richard Lewis 2015

Old cars and trucks rusting in fields are common place in the American landscape. Some photographers find an eerie sort of beauty in them, myself included. Photographing old and abandoned things is relatively new for me and I recently came to a conclusion as to why.

Photography can be more than an interesting picture. A photograph can help derive meaning. While these abandoned vehicles become a strange thing of beauty when combined with their environment, there is more to it.

“Things are transitory, but nature is eternal” could be a caption for either of these photographs. Substitute “Life” for the word “Things” and it gets you thinking. Humans don’t last forever and we all leave stuff behind after we are gone. Not just our possessions, or these rusty vehicles, we also leave behind the results of our deeds and actions which can have a lasting impact on our families, communities and even beyond. This is something to consider while creating our legacies. What do you want to leave behind?

Thought-provoking? This is one reason why I really love photography.

Enjoy