Everyone has one

I mentioned my garage project to two of my workmates and both of them said, yes, I could photograph their garages. Their initial reactions were as you might expect: You’re what? Really? Why?

Because garages are cool, I said. Or something to that effect. And after they explained their own garages, they told me about someone else’s.

There is a garage in California that contains antique furniture from a house twice its size. The collectors had moved from the UK to the US, from a large house to a medium house and the furniture that didn’t fit filled the garage. And then there was a divorce.

And in Louisiana, a man who lived through the Depression had saved everything in his garage, aluminum cans, plastic bags that bread came in, and the walls all around where the car just barely and precisely fit were packed with stuff. He collected timber that lay on the floor between where the tires would go. And then Katrina brought six feet of flood water to clear it out.

Garage stories. Everyone has one. What’s yours?

Please may I photograph your garage?

Several years ago I started a photography project on garages. I invited myself over to my friends’ houses and followed leads about interesting garages. Gradually people sent me pictures of their garages. The blog is now international, she says grandly.

How are you using the space? Do you have plans for your garage? Does your garage have potential? Are you ashamed of it? Proud of it?

What do you do in your garage? Do kids still play drums in there? Somewhere in our neighborhood a man was sitting in an easy chair in front of his. I would like to take a picture of that.

This is an amateur, labor of love project, so there’s no money in it, only the post secrets thrill of talking about the space.

I’m not going to identify the garage’s owners or vehicles (unless they want that). I’d rather photograph the space without a car in it, if possible.

If your garage is willing to participate in this project, please email me at “the.wertis AT gmail.com.”