Old Mill at Sunset

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I stopped to shoot this old mill because the area above the falls was frozen more than normal and reflected the mill in the ice but I ended up doing a second shot with the waterfall too. The last rays of the setting sun were glowing in the mill windows and on the buildings.The little house on the left had some Christmas lights that reflected in the water to round out the shot.One thing that perplexed me here was the fact that it was 14 degrees out,the water was bitter cold pouring over the edge, but the concrete dam breast right beside me that I was leaning against was almost warm? With no gloves on,I held my hand against the wall and it felt almost warm to the touch. It is hard to believe the sun could have warmed that up in 14 degree weather with the cold of the water drawing into the concrete.

Keep The Lights On

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This is the second image from the historical society property. It was dark at this point so I had to use a long exposure of between 30 and 60 seconds to get the sky to show some color. The texture in the snow is from being shoveled but it still looked decent. the lamp-post had to be lit with my spotlight because it does not seem to work. This former residence is now part of the historical society property and now houses all the research data and information for those researching the history of the area.Of special note is the large clock on the right side of the image,which once stood a few blocks away at a bank until it closed and has now been situated here as yet another piece of history to enjoy.

Illuminating History

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This is my second attempt at shooting this location,which is a local historical society.This time we got just enough snow to cover the grass so I went for the shot in case we get no more snow this year. I took my own luminaries along to add a little seasonal cheer.I drove by the location two hours before and nothing had been shoveled but when I returned the walkways were done but that was okay.Numerous cars slowed to look and several people walked by and asked what the special occasion was and I said just a photo shoot going on,and they all said how beautiful it was with the luminaries.Tomorrows post will feature a second shot I did after this one from up the sidewalk looking the opposite way.Special thanks goes to Cynthia for turning on lights inside for the shot.

Last Train Out

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This is an image I did at the Strasburg Railroad recently and every bit of illumination except the lamp-post was added by me to create this scene. I directed my flash into the train car and the station buildings to give the appearance of it being open for business.I have a short pole to extend my flash about 8 feet up which helped light the roof line. The temperature was right around ten degrees so it was a rather chilly shoot.

Biting Cold

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I shot this a few days ago when the temperature was exactly four degrees and a light breeze blowing which multiplied the effect. The problem was I decided to walk 50 yards from where I parked without gloves and carrying a metal tripod.After a minute or two I could not feel my hands and the pain got so intense it made me dash for my vehicle. It took at least 5 minutes till the pain subsided and I got warm again. Hope not to repeat that anytime soon. I also walked onto what I thought was the solidly frozen stream but as I took the third step I heard cracking,so I gingerly backed up

Can I borrow a Heater?

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This image was taken this week as temperatures hovered  around the single digits in the morning.I was cold in my truck with a heater so imagine how it felt in the buggy. At least they don’t need snow tires,and I often wondered how deep the snow could get and still have this setup navigate okay? It seems the wheels would offer little resistance and the horse should get through a foot at least with no trouble.

Room for a King

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We finally got a couple of inches of snow,so even though Christmas has passed,I just now got the opportunity to photograph this unique nativity scene still on display in a yard in a nearby town. I know little about it but it appears to be made by someone with some talent and creativity. I backlit it to create the rays on the snow and then lit it with a variety of flash pops to highlight the figures and detailing in the wood.

Can I have Your Attention?

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Seeing I was the only male around,these twelve doe were watching my every move. I was simply driving down a back road and as I rounded a curve they were standing right there in a field. There was a fence right beside me and I had to peak out of the car window to shoot over it and try not to spook them. Add to that the fact I was in the opposing lane of travel hoping no cars would come,which thankfully none did and I managed to get this image of the curious group. A few seconds later they all bounded away with their white tails bouncing.

A Sweet Train Station

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Another view from the RLPS gingerbread display featuring the Gem-sylvania train station.Ice cream cones form the forest on the left which includes a hunter peeking out from the trees. It’s hard to see in this small version but there are root beer barrels on the dock and the one guy is shoveling icing off the station sidewalk.

Gingerbread Courtyard

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Every year the folks who work at RLPS Architects come together to create a spectacular gingerbread creation,and I have been lucky enough to be invited to shoot along with the main photographer who always documents this for them.Each year I walk in,I just stop and stare at all the details and funny little vignettes they come up with. This scene of a town square is just one small corner of the creation. The following paragraph is from their website and describes the display better. I did not do too good a job this year with my shots but it’s always fun trying.

Drawing from images of Scandinavia, employees and their families spent countless hours transforming various edible materials into picturesque cottages, unique shops and mining operations. The candy structures are positioned along a fishing pier made of pretzels and mountains forested by ice cream cone trees coated in sugar sprinkle foliage and icing snow. The raw building materials for these creations included over 70 pounds of Charms hard candy, 30 gallons of icing and more than 50 pounds of candy, pasta, crackers and cereals.

 

A Texaco Star

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I came across this little vignette from the past as I was heading to Cape May recently. Not sure I could find it again,but when I passed it,I quickly hit the brakes and turned around. I walked in and was greeted by the friendly owner who seems to have a real love of old things and the restoration of those things.This image was actually taken on my return trip because it was darker then and I could use my lights to illuminate the scene.The truck was parked at what I felt was a rather tricky angle to photograph and to also include the station,so this is somewhat of a compromise visually.

On Guard

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I took this image in Cape May after ten o’clock when all the tourists were snuggled in their beds,and the two shots are for comparison to show what the scene really looked like before I added light to it. All the light came from either my spotlight,which illuminated the soldiers or my flash,which lit the church. I knew I was sleeping over in my truck that night so I stayed up till almost midnight wandering around shooting photos because I had nowhere else to be till I hit the hay.

The Mason Cottage

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This is another shot I did on my day trip to Cape May and was one stop on a home tour I wish I had signed up for. The details in the architecture just astound and leave me in awe of the skills that the craftsmen had in that era. I can’t imagine trying to replicate this stuff nowadays.