The house on the hill
This is probably one of the most photographed houses in the Wairarapa area. It is located in the rural community of Ponatahi just one hour from Wellington. Some people called it the haunted house, and truly when you look at it closer it looks quite spooky. But the story of this house is that it was purchased by a farmer who had the intention of renovating it to make it the new home for his family. Unfortunately all this happened during the time of farming recession in NZ, and as a consequence, the farmer couldn’t keep up with the renovation costs, and had to cope with the sadness of getting divorced at the same time. So, he let time and weather take care of the house.
The house can be seen from many kilometres away, and to me it always looks interesting and sometimes even beautiful. The Sunday I went to Ponatahi for a drive I took another look at the property and took a step back to photograph it with its surroundings and not concentrating in its dilapidated state.
alicia scott photographer 
Well framed.
Thanks!
There’s such a good story told within this photo.
Thanks – sad though …
simply stunning
Thanks so much!
I like the way you frames this, and the story (unfortunately it is a sad story) is a sign of what can happen, we are never sure of what will happen to our plans…thanks
robert
Indeed – what was intended to be a dream house became a nightmare …
What a great shot – I found a couple of abandoned old houses this year in the Waikato which have a similar vibe, but not such a prominent position in the landscape. Off subject a little…..My Grandma used to walk me past an old house on Old Renwick Road in Blenheim as a pre-schooler, interspersed with trips to the wooded part of Pollards Park for witch stories – all innocent stuff?. Anyhow the particular house we walked past was the centre of many of her stories always with something about ‘the haunted house’ in there – I distinctly remember a white horse which I think figured in the stories too…..anyhow years later she sent me a newspaper clipping from the Marlborough Express where the tenants of the said house reported a scary haunting event and a very disturbed nights sleep? Maybe my grandma was onto something!
Txs for your comment and the lovely story you’ve shared! There are really a nice number of abandoned houses/buildings in NZ and all with unique stories. The one you have mentioned is quite spooky though, and it reminded me of the images I took at the abandoned Fever Hospital in Wellington which I posted last Halloween 😉
I look forward to having a look at your blog tomorrow. Txs again.
Your deep, dark sky is an excellent treatment to set the mood for this. Did you use a red filter? A few other questions arise–how long has it been abandoned? Is it possible to get inside for more shots? Probably not, I think. Anyway, a very intriguing distant portrait.
It’s a wonderful black and white photo. I love the great contrast and the way you placed the elements within the frame. Brings such a calming balance to the scenery. It looks like the photo was shot with infra-red film, but more likely you used red filter – either while shooting or in the post-processing. Great work!
I would just like to add you that I have nominated your blog for an award. For more info please look up my latest post: http://munchow.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/sprinkled-with-awards/
In tomorrow’s post I will nominate you for the Inspiring Blog Award. Congratulations.
A gorgeous image.
Love this! ♥
Thanks Leslie!