I never knew the Amish held scooter training sessions but this appears to be just that taking place.The three wheeled scooter helps the youngster get the feel of using the foot to push and then maintain balance as you cruise.Mom kept a keen eye on the youngster and helped offer pointers on technique as they moved down the road.
This family literally came walking right out of a cornfield that was right beside me on a back road as I was photographing a one room school. I waited till they were a little farther away to snap a few images but the little guy in the wagon still noticed my camera. This was a sunday morning and they were headed to a local farm up the road for worship services.
Instead of driving around and looking for photo opportunities,I occasionally pick a spot on a back road and wait for potential subjects to come to me. This pair of buggies caught my eye because the one had the two horse setup and both were open buggies. For this particular shot,I had mounted my camera on a window mount and had it wrapped in a brown blanket to hide the camera and keep it low key.You could barely even see the lens,but the guy in the second buggy let out a loud laugh and I heard him say “there is a camera in there” as they passed. They nodded to me sitting in the truck and surely had a story to tell their friends.
Wash day in Amish country can be a rainbow of color.This is one of many aspects about the Amish that I have no clue about.They are very reserved in general,but they seem to like colorful things as well,which to me seems ironic,but I have many things I do not totally understand about them,but that is fine.
This buggy load of local residents enjoy a cool summer ride with temperatures near seventy-two degrees.The young lad on the back is adjusting the reflector and was oblivious to my snapping the photo.I like the colors they wear,but wonder if they have any significance?
An early autumn scene in rural Lancaster county Pennsylvania includes an Amish man guiding a load of harvested corn back to the barn. The flowers on the right add a touch of color to brighten the day.
A group of Model A owners takes a day trip through the Lancaster county countryside,which occasionally means passing a horse and buggy. These vintage cars are not going to set any land speed records,but they travel in style and grace and allow one to slow down and enjoy the scenery on an autumn day.
These Amish barn builders seemed to have no fear of height as they worked on this barn roof with no safety harness system.What really blew my mind was how they stood on the metal roof that was most likely a very slippery surface as can be seen in the top photo. They all walked in unison carrying each piece across the structure which seemed a little iffy to me. The bottom image gives you an idea how high they were.
A sunday evening ride in Amish country passes by a one room school.This buggy had an extra rumble seat in back adding room for an additional three family members. Take note,all four hooves are off the ground at once,which at one time was thought to be impossible.
Two Amish girls sit low to the ground to plant a crop as their brother guides the contraption down the field.
This unique moment was one I was glad to have captured but it would have been better with a longer lens.I was driving when I noticed what appeared to be a wheelbarrow load of black puppies being unloaded at an Amish farm and as I scrambled to grab the camera and focus,I see one lone white puppy coming out of the mix.The boy was being very careful with each one and had a big smile the entire time. A 200mm lens barely reached and the light was terrible but just the white puppy and the way I captured him lowering it made for a rather unique moment in time.
Without a little help from the rock garden,the mail would not be delivered this day.She is giving it her best shot to help with the chores.
Occasionally I see something I don’t expect to see in the Amish community and this cinderella tent was one such sighting.Maybe they got it at a yard sale,but I am sure their imaginations will make the most of it.Dad is offering junior a hand to ride to the ball.
These two Amish brothers were feeling pretty good as they headed to the buggy with several pairs of new shoes each.I bet the ladies are a little jealous right now.
This family was enjoying a snack break of chips and soda as they headed down the road one afternoon.
A trip to the mailbox means an opportunity for a free ride from a sibling.Notice the reigns wrapped around her neck.
Thanks to a willing older brother and an extra harness,these Amish kids can go for a make-believe buggy ride. I like the use of the wooden chairs for a more comfortable ride.
A busy day harvesting hay features mom at the reins and dad on the wagon piling the hay bales.The children are off in the distance doing various chores.
This is something I have never seen before.An amish home with a buggy in the driveway and a VW Bug in the garage.Maybe the bug is there in case they are late for church? At least they kept it black as expected.
An Amish grandma gets a back seat tour of the Lancaster county countryside in this tiny cart.Hopefully the young driver keeps it to a slow crawl or someone might be getting a swat on the hind quarters.
This little scene turned out way different than I thought it would and here is why.As I drove past this farm lane I quickly glanced in and saw what I thought was 4 children ready to head out for a wagon ride,and all I saw was the kids all loaded and ready to lead the horse,so I decided to go a short ways up the road and wait for them to come by.After about three minutes,I became impatient and drove back to see what the hold up was,and that’s when it became clear that the horse was fake and it was a training session I had witnessed.By then all but one had gone somewhere else and it is one of those shots I will play over in my head that I should have gotten.
This hot air balloon finally got to a spot low enough that I could include some of the farm landscape below it.Hot air balloons can be a bit of a challenge to shoot,especially on an evening like this when it was slightly breezy, because they cover so much ground that keeping ahead of them and putting yourself in the right spot for a shot becomes tricky. The crew landed in a farm field shortly after this shot was taken.
This image caught my eye with the two young boys learning the nuances of handling the horses and equipment from their father.As I was working on the shot, I zoomed in and realized there were two more children in front of the father that I never even noticed. They are hard to see in this small version but the hats are there.
One thing I can tell you about the Amish and that is they are keenly aware of their surroundings. I was parked in a spot along the road to capture this family passing by and was using a long lens around 400mm to keep some distance, and I no sooner raised my camera and the dad immediately looked back.Their must be a young one up front because there is a car seat plopped in the back with the kids,unless the child is strapped in with the siblings watching.
These three Amish sisters are enjoying a ride in the back of the buggy but the smallest one might be getting impatient and asking mom up front,are we there yet?
Like a scene out of an old western,the young gunslinger stares down the stranger as a defeated opponent rides off into the sunset in the background.
This is a perfect example of being in the right place at the right time,and the only thing that was problematic was the low light and the resulting wide aperture and fast shutter speed needed to freeze any motion.The children seemed to be headed for a collision and the horse was definitely not happy as they got closer to each other.There is actually a wagon being pulled behind the horse cart as well.
I spotted these four brothers enjoying a snack together on the rear of the buggy at a back road store.As I snapped this,the little one started pointing and he was telling his brothers to look at the tourist buggy that was going by and they all waved.Up until a few years ago,there was no such thing around here,but numerous places offer buggy rides that can be small buggies or large wagons that haul fifteen at once,and the big one is what he saw. The bottom image was taken the same day and features an Amish teen on his electric scooter as he passes the tourist wagon on the way to the same shoe shop the boys were at the top of this hill.
This bunch of friends enjoy a ride around the back roads of Lancaster county. When you are sitting in such close quarters,you cant help but have a great conversation about all the things that young minds ponder.
Working in RGB for my photography,I noticed these three Amish friends heading down the road in that exact color scheme. Now all I need is a group of four dressed in CMYK and things would get interesting.
Donald Reese Photography 