The diamond in the rough.

Sometimes we don't see things that are happening around us. Whether it's out of view or edited out, sometimes a diamond in the rough is staring you in the face and you don't even know it's there.

About a week ago I saw an interesting real estate ad for a nice little home in England. It was on a rolling countryside with nice green grass all around it. There was one little thing that was not mentioned (and for some it might not be a huge deal) but it was located next to a nuclear power plant. I suspect this would help lower your utility bills being in such close proximity to the source, but there are a few negatives with it as well.

Over the years I have been fortunate to see a lot of America by car. I am not kidding, I do enjoy driving. For the past 6 or 7 years my camera has been by my side. I have taken pictures of funny signs, a gas station with a very peculiar name, and even horse drawn carriages when I went through Amish country. That was very cool.

It's when you go off the highway when you find the photos. All you have to do is go about a mile or so off the highway and you capture what life in rural America is all about. It's small town living with some of the best food, best scenery and nicest people who appreciate you stopping by---and meaning it.

The photo above is a great example of what you don't see in the picture. Around exit 217 off highway 55 there is a really cool old house in the distance. It actually looks like its haunted but since I have not gotten close to it, I don't know for sure. But it's big, it's daunting, it's out of the ordinary. After taking photos of the house I went back to the highway and saw this barn. It was just beautiful. What you don't see in the photo are the 2 gas stations and the construction going on around it. It's completely congested and unless you were looking for a farm, you would pass right by it. Thankfully, I didn't.

Looking for the surprise photo is what makes photography fun. Editing out all of the unwanted distractions is what makes a snapshot a photo!

Thanks for stopping by.