 The house rested downslope from a rural Alabama state road on a rather steep piece of property. I pulled over, looked at it from a few angles, and then almost didn't take any images. From a photography perspective the structure was uninteresting. Maybe it would get better at the Golden Hour, but probably not. In my opinion, there is nothing notable about these images. The light is summertime high noon. If it conjures any feelings, it's those of Alabama heat and discomfort. I couldn't get any closer than the roadside (these are at full 300mm zoom), so the angles are rather mundane. Meh.
I took the images anyway, and then resumed my journey. I edited them that night, and then forgot about them. I've never displayed these photographs before. Looking back, I think these are notable images just for the subject matter alone. From the outside, it's a good house. It is heavily overgrown, but mostly fast-growing vines. It's been perhaps two or three seasons since the neglect began. Yet, it is apparently salvageable. The roof looks good. A satellite dish adorns each corner, giving clues to when it was inhabited. There is a story here. If you recognize this house, please don't leave a comment about who it belongs to or the story behind it or where it is because these stories are seldom happy. None of that is really important. What matters is that it is empty, and there are so many like it, and no one seems to be paying attention. There are way too many houses like this, fairly modern and functional homes, along the South's backroads and rural highways. They are everywhere. Everywhere. I see more and more each year. This is why these mundane images of an abandoned house in the middle of deep rural South Alabama are so important. This isn't right and it hasn't always been this way. Start paying attention and you'll see them, too. Modern homes. Good homes. All abandoned, all in plain sight. Then you won't be able to stop seeing them.  If you enjoyed this blog, please like the post and leave a comment or if you're feeling brave, share it on social media. This platform is my entire advertising budget and is how I share the word on my books. Also visit my Facebook, my author page and check out my photography book from America Through Time, "Abandoned Wiregrass: The Deepest South's Lost and Forgotten Places."
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