Assimilated

[sm4him]

not by the Borg, but by the sinister Kudzu.

This one really may belong more in the "Just For Fun" gallery, but it's my second HDR attempt--the first using photomatix software--so I put it here because C&C would be fine.

I came upon this house on my way to a doctor's appointment about two weeks ago--how I'd missed it before, I don't know. As soon as I saw it, I knew I needed a photo of it. I've actually been meaning to do a series of "Kudzu Garden" photos but haven't had the time to scout out the best Kudzu formations for it yet.

For those unfamiliar with this vine, it's a particularly invasive plant here in the southeastern US, having been brought here from Japan in the late 1800s. This stuff can grow up to 12 inches in a single day!
When I saw this house, a whole Stephen King novel happened in my head, as I imagined the inhabitants the night before, preparing for bed--hearing odd noises, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary--only to wake up the next morning, trapped in their home as the Kudzu begins to assimilate them one by one...until all by one of them has BECOME the Kudzu, and he alone must find a way to kill off the evil vine.



This was a 5-exposure HDR--it should have been more, and I know that there is not enough detail in some of the dark recesses of kudzu (although, I think that works pretty well with my little story), but honestly, I was somewhat fearful for my well-being when I took this photo. This is not the best area of town, and I really was a little concerned that someone might not appreciate me taking pictures, given some of the "private enterprise" that happens in some of the surrounding houses. In fact, there is a trailer just to the left of the house (photo right) and slightly down a hill. Let's just say that there seem to be a LOT of people coming and going from this little trailer at all hours of the night. I had tried twice before to go take pictures but both times, there were people outside milling around and there was NO way I was getting out of my car.
Then I realized that if I went early enough, all these people would still be sleeping it off and there would be much less danger. But I was still pretty nervous and just wanted to get the shots, and get out.

One other thing--I cloned out one small pole in front of the house--I thought about trying to clone out the light pole, but:
--I'm not very good at cloning and
--I'm not sure what I'd do about the kudzu at the bottom growing up around the pole.
So I just left it there.

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

This is a really hard subject to photograph because of the subject matter. You have so much of the same greens off those leaves engulfing the home. It is an interesting scene.

I might try a different crop for impact, take out the empty space at the left and the bottom and fill the frame with the home. I'd like to see more room above the lamp post too.

 

[charlie76]

Thanks for the interesting narrative. 12 inches in a day is unreal!! I guarantee that house is damp and moldy and generally disgusting inside.

 

[sm4him]

This is a really hard subject to photograph because of the subject matter. You have so much of the same greens off those leaves engulfing the home. It is an interesting scene.

I might try a different crop for impact, take out the empty space at the left and the bottom and fill the frame with the home. I'd like to see more room above the lamp post too.

You're absolutely right about needing more room above the lamp pole--that's one reason I considered trying to crop it out, although the lean of it and the kudzu growing up it adds something to the scene, imo. But I took these using the roof of my car as my tripod, because I was so nervous about being there I didn't even want to take time to get my tripod out and set it up!
So I set my hand under the lens to lift the camera angle up a little, but didn't want to lift it too much for fear of introducing too much shake.

I may try working on the crop and see what I think if I do it like you've suggested, but without going back, I'm just not gonna GET more room above the pole. And I'm kinda scared to go back.
On the other hand, I could just wait a week, and it'll probably have completely covered the pole anyway. :lmao:

Thanks for the interesting narrative. 12 inches in a day is unreal!! I guarantee that house is damp and moldy and generally disgusting inside.

Charlie--yeah, 12 inches! A day! This is why the southeast is going to be choked to death by kudzu LONG before California finally falls off into the ocean.
Not only is the thing almost certainly moldly, damp and disgusting--but being in these warm climes (and the particular area it's in), it's also likely infested with every vile critter imaginable--termites, roaches, rats...and stink bugs. Ugh, now I'm gonna have a whole NEW nightmare story about this house. :lmao: