Laurie's Challenge

On January 11th, Laurie posed a challenge on her Glimpses of South Pasadena blog: "...show me your local Craftsmans!"

The reason she did so is we're having trouble photographing them. Well sure, you can see this house. You can tell it's a Craftsman home. But can you see the porch? No. It's so well shaded I'd have to take professional lighting equipment up there to get you a shot of it.

Pasadena's famous Craftsman homes were built in the early part of the 20th Century by - well, by craftsmen, who knew what they were doing. I've never been inside this house but I'll bet it stays warm in winter and cool in summer. The owners probably don't have to turn on the air conditioning until at least noon even on the hottest southern California days. The walls are thick. The windows are shaded from direct sunlight.

Craftsman houses are simple, made with fine materials. I find them beautiful. Many are painted in dark colors and it's hard to get a good shot of them because they hide in their own shadows.

As soon as I read Laurie's challenge I knew this was the house I wanted to photograph. The first time I saw it three years ago it was weathered and tired. But the new owners have brought it back to its former glory. If only you could see the porch!