robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

Not far from here there is a field of boulders beside a state highway. Long ago some kids with spray paint and a sense of shape and art made one into a large bison in tan, brown and black, one into a ten foot green and white frog and one into an apple cut in half and one half then quartered, red outside, white inside and black seeds. At first it was regarded as vandalism but then they noticed drivers were slowing to look or even get out and take pictures. So now they have some of the local taggers refresh the colors once a year or so. People give directions like 1/4 mile past the frog, apple and buffalo you take a right on the dirt road. It is past 20 years old now. The local gang taggers who refresh the colors put out the word "Don't touch the ART or tag any of the other boulders or we will come looking for you."

Katydid Loc: Davis, CA

Sorry if I offended you, Mark. It is just that sometimes it is so refreshing to see some genuine levity on this forum especially when it is at nobody's expense. I love photography but really don't want to take myself too seriously. It should be fun, and so far, it is for me.

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

No me. That would just be someone in a costume distracting the eye from the real subject.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

In many cases they have just moved on. Built a new house or barn and left the old one to time and the elements. Or they sold out to a richer neighbor when they were ready to retire and moved to town or across country to be near the grand kids. 4 or 5 small farms become one big one and the scattered houses, sheds and barns are left while a big new complex goes up at the house of the guy who now owns all of them. Modern machinery dictates larger farm sizes. One farmer can now care for the amount of land that several did before.

Yes they can be a bit sad, but they are history and tell a story of the passage of time. Families raised and gone off on their own.
People who know how can look at them and tell you a story of history and make them live again.
I have seen old foundations and little family cemeteries or where an old church was and a somewhat bigger cemetery. All those I have seen the present landowner has fenced them off to protect them and either let wildflowers and prairie grasses grow or keeps them mowed and neat. I saw one that the grass was cut except in front of the markers where there was a clump of native wild flowers growing and the fence posts were painted white. Those graves were probably so old no one living had known any of those people but the farmer kept that little grave yard up out of respect for those who had come before him on the land.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Come to PA, Amish and Mennonites and Amish horse drawn equipment.

ceh1024 Loc: Lutz, FL

I think there is a time and a place for both. If it is old and abandoned I like it with no distractions (people etc.) I like the mystery who lived there? why did they leave? what was their life like? etc. etc.

If it is a restoration or something similar then the perspective is welcome.

Chuck

david vt Loc: Vermont

well, if you put me there, I would look old and decrepit, whether or not you dress me up for the times.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

If I need to. I will add my wife in my landscape shots but only to emphasis scale.

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

I can't remember the times, and time, I have wasted waiting for people to clear a scene before I would take a pic. Now I try to wait until an unrecognizable person(s) (view of their: back, side, with a hat on, costume, etc.) enters a scene to help me display a scale of size, add color, and movement to a pic. I also sometimes hold a camera firmly on a wall, post, etc. and use slow shutter speed to allow a slight blur of people within a busy scene. Yes, now I embrace what I formerly used to shun. Hmmm, just like in life? Thanks for the free therapy session Doc.
Smile,
Jimmy T Sends

Jimmy T Loc: Virginia

Like Rod Stewart used to sing... "Every picture tells a story"
Smile,
Jimmy T Sends

haasrw1031 Loc: Gainesville - Originally Miami Florida

No you aren't the only one who uses non-descriptive Subject lines.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

There are many times the human element adds substantially to the image.
Only for a record is a sterile shot imperative.
From there is is taste.
In Death Valley I did both with people and a few without.
I generally prefer those with people in them

ceh1024 Loc: Lutz, FL

There have been times when I have been in that situation. I took a number of pictures with the people moving to different positions and then layered the photos in post processing to edit out what I did not want.

lamiaceae Loc: San Luis Obispo County, CA

I tend to shoot images myself mainly with one subject or one main point of interest. An old barn with a person is two. But I might like someone else's photo with a barn, farmer, and cow, just not my thing to shoot. I'm usually more interested in the textures and ruffles of the old wood and the like.

ELNikkor

A person near an abandoned house would either make it like, well, not abandoned, or a squatter being where he shouldn't be. A landscape, maybe in the distance and not immediately noticeable.