Sutfin House - panorama
The Sutfin House
It might be fair to say that I am somewhat fascinated by this house. I have shot it from every possible side, under many different conditions and many angles. I have sweeping panoramas, such as the lead image, and intimate details of the deteriorating siding. I even participated in a paranormal investigation a few years ago. The house has become quite run down and the front is now mostly covered in plywood, while a chain link fence has been erected to keep people out. It's a shame that they can't restore it, at least partially, like the Craig House not too far away. If you are interested in learning more about the house, check out a post I wrote last year - Hiking Through History: Monmouth Battlefield - Part IV; The Sutfin House. I also wrote Monmouth Battlefield and the Sutfin House, published on the anniversary of the Battle of Monmouth. When the plywood and fencing went up, I was very disappointed because I thought I had forever lost one of my favorite subjects. Recently I began hiking along the other side of the battlefield and discovered all new compositions that didn't show the plywood or fence. These are the images I am presenting today. I am a big fan of black & white but haven't done a whole lot since my film days - I find the house to be the perfect subject for monochrome, especially when treated with some sepia or other toning. I'm not going to write too much about these images, most of what I have to say has already been said - I just want to share the images and, hopefully, inspire you to visit the house for yourself or find somewhere that inspires you and explore it to it's fullest. This last image shows the local fire department beginning a "controlled burn" of the brush in the field. As I was hiking along the trail, I noticed the flashing lights on top of the trucks, then saw the men walking around close to the house. My heart sank - my first thought was that they were going to burn down the house. Happily, that was not the case but I did make sure to do some shooting - just in case. I hope you enjoyed these new images as much as I enjoyed shooting and sharing them. I'm sure this won't be the last post containing images of the house as I have many compositions still to explore. In the meantime, thank you for stopping by and please leave comments letting me know of your experiences at Monmouth Battlefield or where your "Sutfin House" is. I would love to hear from you.
All photos are copyright Joseph S. Valencia
All Rights Reserved They may not be used in any way without express written permission of the photographer. If you wish to use any of the photos, or order prints of anything you see here, you may contact the photographer at valencia32photo@gmail.com
Hi Joe,
ReplyDeleteI love the second shot framed though the old fencing. It's looks great in black and white. I have a few older buildings that I loved shooting and it's sad to see them deteriorating to the ground.
Regards,
Patricia
Thanks, Patricia! I was hiking one day and saw that composition but wasn't able to shoot. I couldn't wait to get back. I have other shots with the house and fence but I think this might be my favorite - so far....
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