Old Southern Comfort

If you haven't noticed, I like photographing old, dilapidated things (except my clients-- you're all beautiful).  Buildings and cars are my two favorites.

I was driving home from a fun night of Oktoberfestivities in Helen, Ga, and passed this junkyard that I slammed on the brakes for.  I immediately made a plan to go back to it two days later, camera in hand.  The following shots are from this series.

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Obviously, I went a little crazy in this bus... but what's not to love?  First off, it was so cool on the inside, with the vines taking over the steering wheel and cobwebs slung from seat to seat.  But most of all, as I walked to the back of this old bus, I couldn't help but think of what may have happened inside.  Who sat in those seats and whose lives were once affected by the days in which segregation ruled the south?  I, myself, took a seat in the back row for a couple of minutes to reflect on this and to thank God for the blessings we have now, living in a country in which each and every human being has equal rights.  

That wasn't the only bus, however.  The school buses certainly stopped traffic too (corny joke, sorry!).  They made me want to yell, "school's out for summer!"

The hundreds of old cars and trucks stacked on top of one another, falling over, with busted windows and bullet wounds made for some of the most interesting photos on this excursion.  All the paint, once shiny and new, is chipped off and leaves have blanketed them, hiding their scars. 

This last photo is one of my favorites from the junkyard.  My dad worked for Ford Motor Company for 38 years and my sister followed in his footsteps until they both had to take buyouts when the company found itself in trouble.  The photo below reminds me of the classic all-American beauty of a Ford and what that company has meant in my life.