The area I call home has not escaped the conditions that have led to the decline of the American farm and the steady disappearance of barns. Suburban sprawl that's turned farmland into subdivisions and country roads into highways is nothing new to Lake County, Ill.
That's why it was so refreshing to see this old red barn a few feet from the road I drive to workout most weekday mornings.
Its only recently, though, that I thought about photographing it, mostly because I'm usually focused on an hour in the gym, rather than making an image.
But that all changed a few days ago, when an early-winter storm covered our area with snow and ice.
When the snow finally stopped and the skies turned a stunning blue, I could no longer resist.
The bright sunlight -- something I'm not a huge fan of when it comes to my photography--bounced off the snow and ice to turn tree branches and open fields into a shimmering winter palace.
Still feeling the effects of 60 minutes in the gym, I pulled the car into a nearby subdivison, walked across the busy street and shot a few frames.
I'm glad I stopped.
I hope you are, too.