Three generations had often shared this farmhouse throughout the first half of the 20th century: an ancient uncle who lived to be a hundred years old and then passed away “suddenly and unexpectedly”, a husband and wife who worked the farm, and a pack of children who walked a good mile or two to the nearest school. When I visited this property in 1981 only one stubborn soul remained in the house. She commuted to a well-paying job in government every day but lived in the farmhouse “for the memories”, she said.
The choice a photographer makes in using colour or black and white must be a deliberate one. Very often older buildings are shot in black and white. In this instance only colour would suffice to portray the subtle beauty and the long history of this family home.
“Colour is very much about the atmosphere and the emotion and the feel of a place.” ~ Alex Webb
Location: rural Ottawa, Ontario
Date: Summer 1981
Source: Pentax ME Super with Kodacolor 125 ASA film
