Out on Highway 54 in the all but vanished town of Wellsford, this little wooden church is one of the few things still standing. Wellsford was once a small prairie town that peaked around a hundred years ago and slowly emptied out, losing its post office and eventually its town status, so the church and an old one-room jailhouse from the late 1800s are pretty much all that are left of it. Built in 1911 the church is a quietly photogenic subject standing alone against the wide Kansas sky. The emptiness around it adds to the composition and rural feel, so can experiment with letting the flat prairie and big horizon frame it. You can try using a corner to set the roof line against the endless sky. Soft, low light early or late in the day warms the old boards and suits the lonely mood, while a moody, overcast day works just as well for a more sombre/haunted feel. The old jailhouse nearby is also worth checking out while you are in the area and together they tell the story of a forgotten place. The church sits right by the road and is easy to photograph from outside, though being this remote it is unlikely for the interior to be accessible. This is a quiet, slightly haunting stop for anyone who likes documenting disappearing small towns. (Wellsford, Kansas, USA)
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