One of my favorite things to do is explore abandoned places. I love seeing nature take back buildings, and other structures humans left behind.
It reminds me that nothing in life is permanent, but we are strong enough to push through the garbage and become something beautiful. And that nature, no matter how hard we try to destroy it, will survive and turn trash into treasure.
Whenever we head out to one of these abandoned places, I wonder, how did these places come to be? Some of the places we head out to are difficult to get to in a 4-wheel drive truck. I can’t imagine walking (in the desert!) or taking a horse and buggy. The travel must have been extremely difficult and time consuming. As we drive, I think about the path they must have taken and how it seems so far from the city. But the city wasn’t the same then as it is now.
I took this image earlier this year at Organ Pipe National Monument. I chose this black and white version because it has a mood the color version just can’t make.
Black and white makes it feel abandoned and gives it a sad beauty. The dying tree arches over what is left of the dirt path. It points your eye to the decapitated fence. It feels sad, haunting, yet you can’t help but see the beauty of the earth reclaiming the fence and path.
Which do you prefer? The black and white or the color version?