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31 Mar 2008 • 240 views

camera	NIKON D70s
exposure mode	shutter priority
shutterspeed	1/250s
aperture	f/8.0
sensitivity	ISO200
focal length	14.0mm
resolution	1000x667 pixels

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comments (24)

Brave Face

Thank you for the encouragement regarding this series. I wasn't planning to stop posting shots from this trip, I just thought it might be time to break it up and post something else in between. However, since my personal aversion to series doesn't seem to be shared by anyone else, here is more from the West Texas excursion. Surprisingly, West Texas offered enough variety that I won't have to inundate you with shot after shot of cacti under big skies.

This is one of the few reasonably well maintained houses in Marfa, TX, but if you look closely even they are in a moribund mood as evidenced by the skull in the window. Marfa used to be a military town of about 8000, which dwindled to a population of 1000 and many abandoned houses after the military left.

In the 70s an artist by the name of Donald Judd moved there. As he became somewhat famous, Marfa became a destination for art enthusiasts. Today it has a population of about 2000 and it still sports a large number of decaying ruins.

Brave Face

comments (24)

Ginnie

Atlanta, GA, United States

31 Mar 2008, 00:43

Everything about this image reminds me of the West, Martin. The skull is the dead give-away and the orange is a pleasant surprise. I'm glad you've acquiesced to our wishes for you to continue your series.

marybeth

United States

31 Mar 2008, 01:16

Thank you for continuing with the series! All the colors here remind me of West Texas. I guess I never realized that Marfa was a military town that had undergone such a transformation. If you have more photos of this town, I'd like to see them.

Aussie

Brisbane

31 Mar 2008, 03:39

Superb colours Martin

vintage

australia

31 Mar 2008, 03:42

Love the colours please continue the texas series

chad

In front of a computer

31 Mar 2008, 07:32

An interesting shot, martin. I do likle those tufts of grass growing.

Blackdog

Great Britain (UK)

31 Mar 2008, 07:48

Interesting shot Martin - never been to Marfa but have seen a film on Donald Judd and the reaction he got when he moved there.

He would have approved of the clean lines of the window frame, and the colour combination, but the weeds would have had to go ;o)

Bill Phillips

Droitwich

31 Mar 2008, 07:52

I'm glad you have bowed to public pressure! I love the intense colour of this.

anniedog

Great Britain (UK)

31 Mar 2008, 08:08

Interesting colour combination. The sun must have been very bright. Love the detail of the skull in the window.
Ingrid

Jeroen

Netherlands

31 Mar 2008, 08:53

I think this is a good shot, but the photo is a little boring. Because of the blue wall.

Richard Standley

France

31 Mar 2008, 09:01

I like this intense blue enhancing the brightness of the lighting on the window. Well seen.

Ian Thompson

Europe

31 Mar 2008, 10:49

Great compositional sense and colour. I'm coming to expect these things from you!

Tracy

Great Britain (UK)

31 Mar 2008, 12:35

Love the contrasting colours Martin, this is a very effective shot.

Well spotted.

Ruth

United States

31 Mar 2008, 13:03

I would not have guessed this is Texas, in spite of what Ginnie wrote. The colors belie that locale. Lovely image, I like it a lot.

marietom

France

31 Mar 2008, 14:44

une composition très originale, bravo.

ray

Thailand

31 Mar 2008, 15:39

One day...I hope...I can find a scene like this, and make a shot like this.

I doubt it will be in West Texas, though.

Louis

South Africa

31 Mar 2008, 17:17

And some of the houses oblige with blue walls. Great one.

tim

united kindom

31 Mar 2008, 19:21

your eye for such fabulously contrasted scene's aways amazes me Martin

Astrid

The Netherlands

31 Mar 2008, 19:56

Martin I am glad you have posted this fabulous picture, love the colors and the shadows, thank you for your information with it, I am looking forward to the next pictures.

Nigel Clack

Glawsterrr!!

31 Mar 2008, 20:08

I like the composition and colour, that sun looks strong.

United States

31 Mar 2008, 20:31

Very nice shot, Martin. The scull is absolutely essential element here. If not for the grass that I think interferes with the cleannes of the image, but there was nothing you could do about it.
I'm not familiar with Donald Judd, got to google the guy.

Martin: Thank you for the visit and the comment VZ! It certainly gives me something to think about. I probably wouldn't have taken this shot if the grass hadn't been there. To me it is a symbol of the decay encroaching on this house on all sides that the owner is trying to hold at bay.

Nacha

United States

31 Mar 2008, 21:49

I like the constrast!

Roz Sears

Great Britain (UK)

31 Mar 2008, 22:11

What a beauty! I love the colour combinations. Great composition, too. (:o)

DrAW!

nigeria

31 Mar 2008, 23:08

good composition

not a big fan of series myself
so i try to take breaks amidst series so they don't get too boring

Spot the Pot

Richmond, vA

8 Apr 2008, 20:05

by looking at the small thumbnail of this photo - i thought for sure this was going to be a kitty cat in the window (imagine my surprise when the photo loaded) i suppose it could be a dead kitty cat *shrug*

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