Dunbar Lutheran

Rural churches fascinate me because they can be looked at from several different perspectives. They can be looked at as scared places. They can be viewed as historic places. But they can also be seen as part of our landscape, just like our rolling hills and cloud-filled skies. Whether they're nestled against a tree-filled hill or surrounded by fields, they look as if they belong there. Rarely do they stick out like the proverbial sore thumb. They only look out of place when they are no longer there.

Unfortunately, like many aspects of the landscape, these churches are fragile elements. I'm afraid that our landscape will soon be missing some of these churches. While many rural churches are active or are maintained by their former congregations, many more have been left to be worn down by time and weather. And while I've tried not to be too sentimental or nostalgic in doing this project, I think that is unfortunate.

This shot of the Dunbar Lutheran church in Central Iowa is a good instance of a church at home in the landscape. I'm not entirely happy with the composition -- the small fur tree blending visually with the trunk of the foreground tree is a little distracting. But a critical part of any type of photography is compromise. To create separation between the trees required moving to a point where a power pole intruded or moving to the side which I felt made a less effective photograph. It brings to mind this definition of compromise I read somewhere: "Compromise: A solution which neither party likes."