As Luck Would Have It…

Sometimes we head out thinking our day will take us to one place and then it takes us to another.

Well that is precisely what happened on Saturday. We were headed out for our evening Meetup at Carrie Furnace (see below), with the plan of doing some scouting for future Meetups. We had a destination in mind, but along the way… we found the Mother Load for antique cars! At first we hemmed and hawed about whether to stop, time was of the essence and there were No Trespass signs were clearly posted. Also, there were no signs to identify the business or owner, just a lot with cars on it. Well, being the diligent folks we are, we decided to do some sleuthing to try to find the owner and seek permission to explore this amazing collection! We tried a local bar, the local fishing hole, and then the white pages. It took a significant amount of time, but in the end, our efforts reaped rewards.

The owner kindly came out to meet us and was willing to share these treasures. These images are just a small sampling of the collection. This by far has been the most representative collection of American Classics I have seen. Although these vehicles are in total disrepair, they were clearly loved. Hood ornaments intact. Row after row. We were like kids in a candy store!

There is always an element of luck in photography and I would say that on Saturday, luck was with us.

Our hope is to set up an event at this location. Stay tuned to our Meetup page for future updates.

And our luck continued… but not until after a few stress filled moments. We arrived at Carrie Furnace just before 4:30pm… in torrential rain. Everyone in the Meetup braved the rain for our introductory tour… the where you can go and where you can’t go update, as well as a history of the facility. As our tour came to an end, so did the rain… that’s when the real action started. The rain had settled the dust and added rich texture to the pipes and structures. Puddles lent themselves to reflection. Really the conditions were ideal to photograph such as wonderful location. As night fell, the sky cleared, and the light show began. RRPT owes a special thanks to Jeff J. for spinning wool. I think the flying sparks harken back to the days when the plant was active and the molten steel flowed.

Next up for RRPT – Ricketts Glen, May 23-24th – This is a great opportunity to try your hand at long exposure waterfall and river images.

Then RRPT heads to The Palouse – June 8 – 13th. The primary grain-growing region of the U.S. The Palouse is amazing in early summer, as the wheat, lentils, and canola turn the rolling hills varying shades of green and yellow.

To register for either of these tours, click here: Photo Tours!

See you soon!