Last spring on one of my first astrophotography expeditions I happened upon this barn in Milford at about 2 am. I was immediately smitten. It was beautiful and only about an hour south of my Arlington home. It also had a very, very isolated road behind it with zero traffic.
I always prefer to announce my presence, but sometimes at 2 am that’s not an option, so I stay in public spaces. I figured the roadway would be safe enough and I got one of my first shots with this barn that I was really proud of shooting. After getting a few more shots of the barn I went to the road behind and got some pretty decent shots of the Milky Way, especially for being so close to home.
I visited the barn and the road a few more times, but could never get there early enough to introduce myself to the folks that lived adjacent to the structure (opposite side of the street).
Fast forward to now:
I hadn’t been there since last year, so Monday night I took off before sunset with the mission of meeting the barn owners before bedtime. Sure enough, as I crested the hill that led to the barn I could see two trucks in the driveway. Success. As I walked up the driveway, I started to rehearse the conversation in my head.
“Hello, you don’t know me, I’m not selling anything. May I take pictures of your barn and then hang out on the road behind your house all night?”
There had to be a better way to say it. I rang the doorbell while still deep in thought of how to initiate this conversation.
The door opened much more quickly than I would have anticipated and I was greeted by a tall, older man in his mid- to late 70s. As he cautiously cracked the storm door a ball of fur escaped between the crack, through my legs, and out into the yard. It was a BEAUTIFUL tri-
colored Australian Shepherd.
I learned quickly that the homeowner’s name was Perry and his pup’s name was “Mick,” as in “Dundee.” I loved them already. Mick and I were almost immediately engaged in a decent wrestling match in the grass as he lapped up the attention. Perry told me that he was especially excited to have company because he hadn’t been feeling well and It had been a few days since he’d felt up to playing fetch with his pup.
Then it hit me…
“Would you be willing to trade thirty minutes of fetch for permission to take pictures of your barn after the sun sets?”
“The old barn there? You want pictures of it?”
“To be honest, it won’t be my first time taking pictures of your barn, but it will be my first time stepping foot on your property. I’m a big fan of your barn!”
I showed him the shot I had gotten a year prior.
He looked up at me and said, “I can’t believe that’s my old barn. My goodness. You are more than welcome anytime you want here and behind the property. Is there any way you could get that picture to me?”
The smile on his face made me very happy. I told him I’d absolutely give him any picture he wanted. He gave me his email address and phone number and said I was welcome anytime. After a long game of fetch, I bid Mick and Perry a fantastic evening and thanked them for their hospitality.
Today I ordered Perry and Mick a nice canvas print of this shot. I’m excited to see his face when I pull up next time with my pups to give Mick some company while I shoot, and a big ol’ canvas that Perry can hang above his couch of his “ugly” barn.
