Quiet Morning at the Barn - Oakesdale, Washington

There are plenty of barns in the Palouse that one could capture on digital film. Of all of the ones I have shot, this one is one of my favorites. Why? I love red barns. There is something about how the red stands out against the blue sky and green crops that make photos pop. Red is a very popular color for barns and came about by accident. According to the Farmers Almanac, hundreds of years ago farmers would seal their barns with linseed oil, which is an orange-colored oil derived from the seeds of the flax plant. To this oil, they would add a variety of things, most often milk and lime, but also ferrous oxide, or rust. Rust was plentiful on farms and because it killed fungi and mosses that might grow on barns,  it was very effective as a sealant. It turned the mixture red in color. The morning I shot this photo was before co-hosting a Palouse tour with Jeff Clow. Jeff and I were the only ones there and it was a beautiful serene morning. I noticed the moon shining in the sky and made sure it was included in my composition.