Automotive garages such as this were once a common site in villages and towns up and down the country, but are now few and far between. Many will have been knocked down or repurposed for other ventures, but if you look hard enough some still remain.

The Pioneer garage featured here was spotted on a recent road trip I made travelling from Cardigan on the way to Poppit Sands along the St Dogmaels road. Having driven past it I instantly knew that I had to stop and photograph it on the way back due to the strength of its photographic appeal.

The corrugated metal roof sits on an old stone building with a wonderful wooden sign that faintly still displays the garage name and its most recent proprietors namely “Lewis and Jones”. I imagine in a few years time with constant weathering this lettering will cease to be visible, so in my mind it’s important to document and capture some photographs of these survivors whilst we still can!

In its prime I’m sure this building was an hub of activity with motorists from a bygone era bringing their daily drives in for work or to fill up with petrol. The fact the Gilbarco petrol gas pump is still here is fantastic considering that it probably dates from the late 1940s. The patina on the pump is lovely with a unique look formed by years of paint peeling and weathering, which gives it a wonderful artistic look and feel. The Gilbarco branding enamel logo is also still present which gives an insight to the company logos that were in vogue from this era. Gilbarco an American company in origin interestingly continues to manufacture garage related products. With the company originating in 1865, when Charles Gilbert and John Barker of Springfield, Massachusetts, teamed up and constructed a new machine to produce and distribute fuel for gas lights. The companies first petroleum pump, the T-1, was introduced in 1910 with the Gilbarco brand first appearing in 1929 with them landing on British shores during 1945.

A number of the close up images featured in this series of images feature elements that certainly appeal to me as a photographer, the Champion spark plug brand sticker still proudly displaying in the window, although less vibrant than when first placed there many years ago. Also the remains of an instantly recognisable brand with its bold yellow signature colours, the Duckhams Oils thermometer and retail sign which probably dates from the 1980s still hangs on the wooden garage doors which display some great peeling blue paint.

Looking for all the interesting details in this subject matter is part of the joy for me, and the fact that so many still remain is testament to a great community I would imagine.

I photographed this set using a new acquisition to my photography equipment, namely the camera I recently tested and have now purchased, the Canon EOS R6. I’m looking forward to putting it through its paces on future shoots but its portability, autofocus system, Canon colour science and the quality of the image it produces from its full frame sensor is a wonder to use. I paired it with a the RF 50mm 1.8 STM lens for this shoot which allowed for a nice field of view and use of Bokeh when required on the details.

I hope you enjoy this set of images as much as I did shooting them!

All photographs captured on Tuesday 17th August 2021 at the old Pioneer Garage near Cardigan on a Canon R6 with paired with the RF 50mm f1.8 STM prime lens. © Hall Photographic 2021 - All Rights Reserved.