If you thought I was done trying to take pictures of random buildings in the woods, you thought wrong! This is Jenkins Estate (specifically the side of the stables at Jenkins Estate), a set of buildings and a plot of land listed on the National Registry of Historic Places (Jenkins Estate | Parks & Trails | THPRD, 2017). I wanted to use this group of buildings buried in the Tualatin hills as a training ground for how to find interesting angles of mundane things, in the hope that using an interesting building would lead to a more natural understanding of what makes for a good shot. That, and I had just purchased a new 50mm RF lens that morning and wanted to stretch it’s legs.

       Finding different shots of this site was a relatively easy task - the trails made for conveyer belt experience that naturally took me past nice lighting and dynamic shadows. I’ve included a couple of shots of the same building in an effort to to get some more experience shotting the same thing from multiple angles.

       In the case of these two images, both of the backside of the stables, I found that I like the second one more, mostly for it’s composition as it feels like the building is seated nicely within the bounds of the frame. The town down, right to left lighting made for a bright subject with a dark foreground and background, making me feel like the door would be the centerpiece of this tableau.

       The main house had a large blooming tree covering the right hand side, so I had to stray from my front-on style. Between these next two images, I feel myself drawn more towards the second - the tree feels more like something that is meant to be a part of the picture as opposed to cropped out. The house feels deep-set and weathered, while the sprawling grass drapes down the hillside.

       This estate is just off a major road on the southwest side of Portland, but it feels absolutely consumed by the forest. Every building is back-dropped by a skyline of evergreens, and every patch of grass is lit by the gentlest sunbeam. This historic site lends itself to a wonderful juxtaposition of nature and humanity.

-Best, Ben

Bibliography