Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2008/03/24
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]You have taken 'documentary' photography to a new level (on this list). Great story. Great human interest. And all built on an image of brickwork in disrepair. Kudos Bernard for the story and your new hip. Fond regards, George george@imagist.com www.imagist.com http://www.imagist.com/blog Picture A Week - www.imagist.com/paw_07 On Mar 23, 2008, at 11:03 AM, Bernard Quinn wrote: > > Easter Sunday morning is a good time for solving mysteries, and > today's Sunday Shot is the answer to a puzzle. When I first sent > out a picture of these ruins several weeks ago I had no idea about > their name or history. One of our fellow LUGGERs, John Braun, who > lives in Columbia, MD, suggested that I contact the Talbot County > Historical Society where the church is located. My friend Ray > Hardy, one of the world's distinguished cello makers saw the > picture. ( His son David is the Principal Cellist of the National > Symphony Orchestra, by the way.) Ray is also an excellent > photographer. He showed the picture to two friends of his, David > Crandel, who is a professional photographer, and The Rev. Lyle > Buck, a Presbyterian minister. The three of them formed a team to > track down the story of this ruin. Ray got in touch with Ms. Beth > Hanson, the Curator of the Talbot County Historical Society. She > knew the answer. > > These are the ruins of St. John's Episcopal Church. They are > located on the Miles River, in Unionville, MD, not far from the > town of St. Michael's. The chrch was built in the 1830's, and was > in regular use through the late 1890's when the congregation > declined. It was closed in the early 1900's when several people > were injured as some pieces of the ceiling fell on them during > services. The church has been deconsecrated for the past century. > > I am sending this picture today because it is also become my own > personal Easter story. In 1990 I was in a serious bicycle accident. > I broke my hip and pelvis. Complications developed. My hip became > very arthritic and I became so lame that I had a lot of trouble > walking even short distances, though I tried not to let in get in > the way of my photography. (Edward Weston is reputed to have said, > "If it's more than 100 feet from the car it's not scenic!" Believe > me, I know exactly what he meant.) Last July I had my hip replaced. > What makes this picture an Easter story is that I took it with my > Leica M8 with my 24mm f 2.8 Elmar lying on my stomach in the muddy > grass. I took seven or eight different shots from this perspective. > I had no trouble crawling around or getting up an down. Weather or > not this was a prudent thing for someone who will be 65 in a few > weeks to be doing is different question! :-) This is my Easter > Sunday picture because there is no way in the world I could have > taken this picture six months ago. My new hip is a gift of Biblical > proportions. > > > http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/Barney/St_Johns.jpg.html > > Comments and Criticisms Welcome!