Last week, Jim and I decided to revisit a stretch of road that we came across a couple of years ago after visiting the Springhill Miners' Museum with our two grandchildren and our daughter. Our grandchildren had never visited a coal mine before and we thought it would be a great experience for them.
It was during our trip home, that we came across this particular area. For some reason, we decided to take the scenic route home rather than the main highway.
As we left Springhill and drove along Route 2 towards Parrsboro, we noticed several blueberry fields and some interesting buildings that we felt would make great subjects for our photography. Unfortunately, we did not have our cameras with us at the time. So, we made a mental note of the things we had seen and we talked about visiting these spots again one day. It took us three years to get back there, but we finally returned with our cameras in hand.
As we drove along Route 2, we passed an abandoned Arts and Crafts Bazaar in Half Way River and I asked Jim to pull over as the building cried for me to stop and visit for a while. There was a story there and I was curious to see it.
I tried to imagine this house of crafts during it busy years and thought about the people who walked through its front door and left with something special in hand. I also imagined the many conversations that went on in that building especially as they closed the door for the last time.
With all of this in mind, I took several shots of the structure focusing on the best way to highlight the bazaar and make it stand out.
A couple of days later, I sat down at my computer and started to process one of the bazaar images. I began with my usual post-processing routines but I was not really satisfied with the results. I was having some difficulty finding a creative way to tell the story about this building and its surroundings.
One of the problems I was having was that there was a lot of green in the scene. The various shades of green were great as a background and helped to draw attention to the bazaar; however, it was not very exciting. I felt its story deserved something special.
As I tried different effects using Nik’s Plugin, Color Efex Pro 4, I came across the Infrared filter. Suddenly, the bazaar was surrounded by massive balls of fluffy cotton candy and the stage was now set.
Next, I used the Polaroid Transfer filter and adjusted it to my liking. The sky changed colour, the edges softened and I found myself thinking of Dr. Seuss; as well as, all the exhibitions and fairs I visited as a kid. It all seemed perfect for this image.
So, now the stage has been set, the curtain has been raised and it is time to enjoy the show. Come one, Come all to The Bazaar.
Judy Hardiman