Since Stan Godwin retired from teaching and moved back to his family’s home in Brewster, I have taken several of his photography classes. The last one was Black and White. His six-week classes are a combination of art history, weekly shooting assignments, and group critiques. Stan announced this spring that he would mentor any of his students if they would agree to sign on for a one-year project. The purpose of working for a long period of time is to develop one’s sense of photographic style. I am to email images to him each month. He may or may not make comments—but if we fail to send him our photos, we are kicked out. (I’m not sure if that’s how he stated it…probably.)

Losing It: Documenting Chatham’s Past is my project theme.  It may evolve in another direction, but so far, this is my intent. 

These are my submissions for July:

Mitchell River Bridge
The state’s only wooden drawbridge is coming to an end. Some townsfolk fought for a completely wooden replacement, but the Department of Transportation plans to build a wooden superstructure on top of a concrete and steel substructure. Auto access across the river will be closed for two and a half years! This boy from Colorado was vacationing with his father, who also fished from the bridge when he was a kid growing up on the Cape.

Phillips Farm Stand
The Phillips Farm “lost it” a long time ago. “The Cornfield” is now a street sign for a housing development. The family still operates this self-serve roadside stand. It was next to their waterlogged entry for the July 4^th parade.