AMERICAN SPIRITS

This is one of my favorite old buildings. It stands in the beautiful and faded Upper Peninsula village of Michigamme, and this is the second time I have photographed it. The building used to be a bar and some say it had a shady reputation years ago. Unpainted for many years, its gray clapboards harken to another era.

When I began to photograph the building, I was initially attracted by the classic lines of the door and window. Only after working with the composition for several minutes did I realize that through the windows, I could see an American flag gently waving in the breeze. That made the picture for me, because it spoke to me of the American history this building has experienced. I removed all the color except for the flag-which I think enhances the feeling of time and history.

LIMITED EDITION: This photographic print is part of a limited edition produced by photographer Lee Rentz. The edition consists of 250 prints, which includes all sizes and methods of printing.