uncommons

Construction sites have worked their way into my daily assignment schedule lately, given the photo of St. Charles and this week’s addition of a site in Festus, home to a huge development that is returning to building following a break in the ongoing recession. While some on staff may groan about these assignments, I find them to be a delightful retreat from the norm, granting me the freedom to explore and find photographs that speak in a quieter visual language.

This particular assignment was perfect. Picture a desolate block of wintry Midwestern land in a semi-rural community south of St. Louis seated next to a bluff. A huge expanse of flat land looks like a wound with the excavated dirt. Only a handful of houses and apartment buildings inhabit the development. In the distance, a knife has cut the bluff in half, offering a great semi-aerial view.

The first action was a drive to the bluff using a side road that connected to neighborhoods overlooking the development. Then, a short hike in freezing woodlands offered up a perfect view above the bluff looking down at construction workers in motion. The only difficulty was getting close enough to the edge without slipping in the mud. That fall would have certainly cut the day very short. After making a few photographs, I returned to ground level as the sun began to peek through the clouds, casting short bursts of strong light.  I quickly eyed up an unusual mound of dirt that matched the roofline of a nearby house. A small aperture and a ray of sun was the perfect combination for a photograph. It is a shame that the image speaks of abandonment instead of construction. For the newspaper, certainly it could have been improved had there been workers on the mound, but the residential site was devoid of activity. I personally like it empty. It lets me enjoy the quiet atmosphere and the play of light.

How do you handle these assignment? How hard do you work it until you are satisfied with the results? Are you happy with photographs that have less of a human element and more of a landscape feel? I love it because some days I do not particularly feel like following a subject around or dealing with a multitude of people on assignment. Some days the freedom to find pictures that involve little more than a sense of adventure and a good pair of shoes is refreshing Maybe it’s a feeling of disconnect, or maybe I just need a little fresh breath of basic photographic air.

Development, Festus, Missouri