Photo Challenge: Weathered and Worn

It’s time for another Brenda Photo Challenge! The current theme is Weathered and Worn. I suggested this particular theme and knew that I could pull a few photographs out of my travel inventory to meet the challenge! Please note I will be a bit occupied today and away from the computer. So there may be a delay in posting your comments. Also, I will be visiting other participants within a few days. Thank you for your understanding!

First out of the gate is an example of the weathered and worn beauty of nature. Does it get any better than the Grand Canyon, carved by the mighty Colorado River? The canyon depth averages 4000 feet deep over a length of 277 miles. I have been fortunate enough to visit the spectacular National Park twice. I sure hope that this destination is on your bucket list! There is no picture that can do the place justice. It is definitely a locale that you have to see in person. I captured the scene below at sunset while walking along the south rim trail. The photo is taken at f/5.6, 1/250 second, and ISO 200.

Next is an example of man-made treasure that served its function gracefully over many generations. This photograph is a detail of Mecca Bridge, located in the covered bridge-rich territory of Parke County, Indiana. It was built in 1873 by J. J. Daniels and rehabilitated in 1993. It crosses over Big Raccoon Creek near the town of Mecca, and it is now open to foot traffic only. It was a drizzly fall morning for this photo shoot. But the combination of the hand-hewn stones, weathered red boards, and sky-reaching vines beckoned for an image capture. I enhanced the photo with a textured background to add richness and depth. The camera settings were f/4.5, 1/13 second, and ISO 200.

And we humans can get quite weathered and worn too! So I couldn’t resist taking a portrait of this chap who hangs around the Pasteur and Galt Apothecary Shop in Colonial Williamsburg. We enjoyed our visit in this delightful shop last year, with its fascinating collection of medicinal herbs and drugs. The skeleton specimen is one of several medical-related artifacts also on display. The walls of the shop are actually a plain cream color, but I enhanced the overall image with a highly distressed textured background to compliment the subject. The photo was taken at f/7.1, 1/50 second, and ISO 800.