There were columbine flowers in every color of the spectrum at Longwood,but 15 mph winds caused problems in the higher plants,so this group low to the ground was a perfect choice to avoid blur and they were a pleasant composition to boot.

A tower like structure can  be seen beyond the tulip garden at Longwood.

This is a good example of seeing beyond the basics and trying for something a little more visually appealing. The bottom image is what I saw driving by and the colorful tree made me stop and inquire if I could walk in the yard for a photo. I thought the blue bells contrasted perfectly with the pink tree,and I knew getting in low and close to the blue bells would make them a nice strong foreground element and you can clearly see what camera angles can do to improve a shot.I think the photo is nicely balanced and is a new favorite of mine from this spring, and special thanks to the family that left me onto the yard in the first place.

Handheld at a slow shutter speed and quickly panned created this blur of floral color. Basically just goofing around.

I never write down what the names of flowers are,but I liked the subtle pastel look of these among the bell-shaped flowers.

I will be sharing some shots in the coming days from spring at Longwood Gardens. I have not shot flowers for a couple years,so it was a nice change to see the beautiful displays at Longwood.

These purple flowers are supposedly some species of invasive and yes we have them at our house as well, but this field looked lovely with loads of them in bloom. you have to get just the right angle to see their color at its best and a polarizer helped with the capture. I am sure they will soon get tilled under in preparation for the first crop planting.

I have taken shots of Amish clothes hanging out on wash day before but the way these were hung like a color wheel really caught me eye. Not sure if there is a logical reason to hang them like this but I thought it looked great.

This young Amish boy gets the royal treatment as his two sisters pull him down the back roads around Intercourse,Pa. He turned to look back at me for a short period which was perfect and I even got a shot of his mother smiling at me in another shot.

This is a shot taken at the local Historical society with the currently blooming tulips. The layout makes it tough to get the old clock in this shot but I gave it a go anyway.

I went for a bike ride yesterday and I came down this street and the sun was shining on the front of these homes. I liked the light so I rode home and got my gear and headed out here. I set up my tripod on the sidewalk across the street and composed the shot and then went and sat in my truck to use my tablet to operate the camera while the light changed. Now here is where the story takes a crazy turn. I decided in the end I wanted to shoot till it was dark in the hopes of getting some lights on in some of the homes, and because of that I ended up being here for an hour and a half. Just as it was getting dark,three police cars come pulling in where I was parked and I thought you got to be kidding. Turns out some woman who lives nearby thought there was something fishy about a camera set up and a person sitting in a truck. The officer came up to me and could not have been nicer and said hey someone called and we can see your legit but we have to check anyway. Thankfully he was very understanding and to be honest after 30 years of being a photographer I have had occasion where people try to tell me what they think I can and cannot shoot and I usually stand my ground when these situations present themselves and this officer was as respectful as any I have ever encountered and I thanked him for that. People are so paranoid these days,even the most basic things get misconstrued and it ended up another classic story for my archives.

It has been a while since I actually felt like shooting something but last night I decided to head out to do a rainy reflection shot. Between constant battles of depression and stress that both suck the creativity out of me, Lately I have been in a real funk and it felt good to get out and shoot something for my own pleasure. I have shot this place before and wanted to do something that included the barn and the illuminated cupolas and the wet road seemed the perfect opportunity to do that. I was hoping for a gorgeous sunset to light up the sky but the stormy clouds work too.

Heavy drifting snow called for the cavalry to come out and do some serious snow moving,which this team of john deere tractors handled with little effort. My would I love to play with one of these toys.

The old Chevy has the camper hooked up for a road trip down memory lane.

After the recent mid march snow storm hit, some Amish kids created this little snow man complete with a take me to florida sign

Just finished my birdhouses in preparation for spring and now it snows. They are a colorful touch in the monotone landscape.

This John Deere tractor has a powerful snowblower attachment on the back and was busy clearing this farm lane after the recent snow storm we got. This thing was launching snow over thirty feet and I would love to own one.

A carriage with a bit of color and style is part of the recent mud sale in Gordonville. Blowing snow made getting this shot a bit of a pain, but I was glad I made the trip.

I was out looking for snow photos and came across this Amish guy plowing with a tow motor. I was half a football field away but he still noticed me in my car. He then drives toward me and asks if I had a problem,sarcastically of course. I said no and he says then get going.I said I will when I am ready and right now I am not ready.That irked him even more and after he drove back , he was pushing snow like nobody’s business. I left after our little interaction and scoured the back roads but they were pretty quiet.

I snapped this image before the local Mud sale officially got under way this weekend. For those not familiar with them, mud sales are held in Amish country in the spring and get their name from the typical muddy conditions of spring. A snow storm came through the day before and coated these buggies that are lined up for purchase at the auction. I just did not have the desire to battle temperatures in the low 30s and winds of 20 mph during the actual event,so this will have to suffice.

This buggy/trailer combo caught my eye as it headed down a street in town and I honestly never saw anything like it before and probably wont in the future. Around these parts ingenuity is taking to a whole other level and this is someones idea of salvaging stuff and staying dry at the same time.

A trucker cleans up his big rig in the bay on the farm building as the sun sets behind him,marking the end of another days hard work completed.

I was at an auction and noticed the sky intensifying so I decided to go look for a shot, but as I rushed down the back roads it started to fade quickly. I was forced to stop where I was and try for something/anything before it was gone,which was about a minute after this was taken.Its nothing earth shattering but I like the colorful stream flowing in the foreground.

I noticed this inviting warm lighting reflecting on the wet road on a cold and raw winter day so I snapped a quick shot. I think it is a sewing shop and it looks perfect with the old architecture.All the action is downstairs the way it looks.

I pass this lovely home several times a week and always liked the front window under the porch because they have a small scene with an open Bible proudly displayed for those passing by to see. I thought the decorated bushes might look nice reflecting in the wet roadway so I stopped one evening and captured this image. A little snow would have been a nice addition but we are experiencing one of the mildest winters that I recall in a long time here in the northeast.