Virginia

Views of the Abandoned Fairview Church of God in Woodstock, Virginia /  by Todd Henson

In mid-March my father and I found ourselves taking a back road conveniently enough named Back Road. I saw a church highlighted by the sun atop a rolling hill and took a left onto Fairview Road to get a better view. I hadn’t expected to find a second church just beyond the one we’d seen, and was quickly drawn to it as it was an older abandoned building. The second church is named Fairview Church of God, matching the name of the road, and it’s a wooden church with the white paint peeling off and the mostly green metal roof, matching the green shutters, showing many areas of rust.

I wasn’t able to find much information about the church, but it appears it may have been built around 1940. I don’t know when or why it was abandoned. As mentioned, there’s a second church very near by, Mt. Zion Lutheran Church, that’s in very good repair and obviously still in use.

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Variations on a Theme: Wild Geranium - Spring 2025 /  by Todd Henson

While out photographing trilliums in spring my eye was also drawn to the many wild geranium blooms. I chose one particular subject that included both bud and bloom and got to work experimenting with different variations. In the end I had two versions I liked.

For the first variation I went for horizontal framing and chose a bolder, darker, more vibrant portrayal. This image is a 2-photo focus stack for a slight bit of added depth of field, though it doesn’t really add much.

Variation 1: Bolder, darker, more vibrant

For the second variation I went for square framing and chose a softer, lighter and brighter portrayal.

Variation 2: Softer, lighter, brighter

Which, if either, do you prefer? Leave a comment below and let me know.

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White Chapel Methodist Church - Fort Valley, Virginia /  by Todd Henson

White Chapel Methodist Church in Fort Valley, Virginia

My father and I were on a day drive through Fort Valley, Virginia, enjoying the beautiful scenery when another car came up behind us. Not wanting to slow them down I chose to pull onto a side road to let them pass. Of course, they ended up pulling onto the same side road. 😊 So I drove a little further to find somewhere to turn around when we saw this beautiful little church on a small hill.

A front view of White Chapel Methodist Church in Fort Valley, Virginia

As I often do I tried to find some history of White Chapel Methodist Church, but didn’t find much. It appears a more recent structure than I usually photograph but I was struck by how beautiful it looked against the slightly stormy backdrop, so I thought it might make for some equally beautiful photographs. I hope I’ve done it justice, and that anyone who attends the church might enjoy them.

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