Once upon a time when I was new to Practically Canada I was strolling through our local bookstore. For the first time ever, I laid eyes on one of the Ghosts of North Dakota photo books. Instantly, I was captured. Naturally I gravitate toward desolate, creepy things–it’s a quirk that leads me to long walks in cemeteries and a love of all things fall. {But now I’m getting off topic.}
Ever since that first peek at Ghosts of North Dakota, I’ve thought a session in one of the Practically Canadian ghost towns would be simply the best. I also knew it would take a very special senior to pull off such a sweet spot…it would also take a special senior to want to trek out to a ghost town with me for their senior portraits.
Maddie is that special senior. While eating Easter dinner with her family {they were kind enough to take Derek and me in for the holiday} we started chatting about photos. She told me she wanted something really different. She likes vintage, she’s got timeless beauty, and for some reason enjoys my company enough that she and her mom didn’t mind spending an hour in the car with me en route to our location. She was perfect for this location. I’m so glad she was game for a ghost town and I’m so excited to share this preview with all of you tonight.
You can read up on Balfour, ND–where our session took place–right here.
While we were in town we started by this gorgeous church. While Maddie and her mom adjusted her headband…I was craning my neck to see into the windows of the church. Irritated that I clock in at a solid 5’4.5″–and no one puts windows at that height–I decided to try the door.
Click…
It was unlocked.
YIKES!
You guys. This was honestly crazy. Inside, everything was just as it had been left. Hymnals in the pews, Bible open on the podium. Music on the piano. Extra chairs set up in the aisle–overflow seating. In the basement, table cloths were on the tables, centerpieces on each one. A vacuum was set out–like someone was tidying up before a potluck. Cobwebs coated the piano, dead flies littered the window sills.
Like church ended one day, they locked the door, and never came back. So eerie.
We were sure not to disturb anything, and I count us lucky to have had a chance to explore this gem!
Next we moved over to the community hall. Again, there was peeking in the windows and a lot of oh-my-goshing. Then a pickup truck pulled up behind us. {Creepy!} Lucky for us, it wasn’t an angry resident or a ghost–it was the mayor’s {yes, Balfour, ND has a mayor} father. He was happy to tell us about the town. He even let us into the Community Hall, and was okay when we disclosed the fact that we’d taken a few shots in the church.
Perhaps my very favorite images we shot this night in Balfour, was the series with Maddie and her cello. Simply gorgeous. The colors. The clouded sunset. Just perfect. Take a look.
When we left Balfour, we were hot and sweaty. We’d stayed longer than I anticipated. Mosquitoes had found their way into the car. And as we drove home, the sky opened up and dumped rain on us. This was really a magical session. I’m so glad to know Maddie. She is fun and is a gifted servant of Jesus. Thank you so much for hanging out with me and letting me capture these special portraits! What a fun way to kick off senior year.
Amy
PS–before we left Minot we shot a few images downtown. And I just couldn’t resist tacking a few of those onto the end of the preview!! And can I just say that I would trade nearly anything to have skin {and hair} like Maddie’s. So. Pretty.
