Very hot and humid weather has been creating the right conditions for afternoon storms recently.I photographed this set of storm clouds from the safety of my truck and used the tablet to fire the camera sitting on the tripod outside. There was only one lightning bolt,but it was to my right off camera. Amazingly,it never rained here,but came down in buckets just up the road.
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A Day Made For Infrared
Summer Flight
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.
The Loner
I have always been drawn to lone trees for some reason.Maybe growing up as an only child makes me appreciate the solitude that trees such as this one seem to convey to me.This was shot in infrared and the effect is perfect on this image.
A Round The Hay Field
This field of round hay bales looked especially appealing in the late day light of an approaching storm. I was slightly concerned as I shot this because I was on my truck roof with my tripod extended and there were a few flickers of lightning in the distance.The lower image includes the machine that makes the bales and a load of bales ready to leave the field.That image was taken across the road in a second field that evening and I am pretty sure the large field got drenched before they were collected.
Scherenschnitte
A window along main street in Lititz,PA includes intricate scissor work called scherenschnitte. I have no idea how this is possible but its pretty cool.
There They Are
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.
Slow and Slower
The Original Porta-Potty
This set of outhouses were loaded on the wagon for transport and since its not something you see everyday,I thought I would snap a shot.I have seen numerous one room schools in my area working on their outhouses and my thought is that the government is imposing some new rules on them and that is why they are being worked on.
Battle Ready
Local historical site held a civil war weekend.I captured this re-enactor with a cannon.
Crop Rows
I have no idea what crop this is,but the rows looked appealing.
Don’t Look Down
These two Amish men were pressure washing this barn roof for some reason,and they had one single rope haphazardly laying across the roof.The guy on the left has no rope and it was at least 40-50 feet to the ground so he must have little fear of height,at least till he trips.They say it’s not the fall that kills you,it’s the sudden stop.
Harness Hauler
Can You Go Riding?
These two Amish girls were busy cruising on their tricycles and it appears they might be waiting to hear if the other two can come and play. The younger one might be asking mom if they can join the three wheeling fun.
Duck Dynasty Fans?
If any of you are familiar with the american TV show duck dynasty,you know the one guy on the show coined the phrase,”happy,happy,happy”. Imagine my surprise when I saw it on an Amish buggy recently.
Painterly Skies
The remnants of a late day storm include gorgeous clouds lit by the setting sun and a small rainbow appears where rain still falls in the distance. The clouds have an impressionist painting kind of feel to them.
Count Your Toes
Amish children are very industrious and teamwork is something they know very well.This is a scene I have witnessed many times over the years,with siblings pulling a rope hooked to the push mower. Every time I see the bare feet and the spinning blades,I get a little nervous,but they have it all under control.
The Running of the Horses
This might appear to be a race between brothers and their horses but it is basically the young boys bringing the horses in from a day of wheat harvesting.The one boy was giving it his best shot to catch up but the other two knew he did not stand a chance.
Amish Fed ex
These two Amish boys caught my eye because they had their scooters loaded down.After I took the photo,I noticed the box had we ship fed ex, on the back.Not sure if it’s a box of hats or what the shipment might contain.
Amish Balloon Sight Seeing
This series of images were captured on friday evening in rural Lancaster county.The top image was taken as the pair of balloons slowly drifted across the fields on their way to landing on the road.The second image is my favorite and includes a buggy load of locals who rode up to watch the spectacle and the second deflated balloon is barely visible on the right in that image.The third shot includes some Amish volunteers who stepped forward to help fold the balloons up. A young man who was a tourist came over to me in utter shock to tell me the balloons were actually sitting right on the road,and I said relax,you see stuff like that in the country all the time.I was surprised they waved this truck to come through while they were getting ready to deflate.
Road To The Rainbow#2
Shot number two from tuesdays storm.Taken just up the road from the image posted yesterday.Rainbow was starting to fade at this point,but grew stronger after I left this spot.
The Road To The Rainbow
I went out last evening for lightning photos and came home with a rainbow shot.A serious storm blew through with zero lightning strikes but it was close to sunset and I could see the horizon beyond the storm looked relatively clear and I thought to myself the conditions are just right for a rainbow or a great sunset,so I better drive around and see what develops.This rainbow suddenly appeared and was absolutely intense and lasted a good while,but I was not in the best area to take advantage of it but this image with the still glistening road satisfied my quest.The sky and clouds turned absolutely gorgeous after this and I may post one or two in the coming days.
Sweet Relief
I spotted this group of what I think are mules in a field recently and as I was getting out of the car,the one decided to take a dirt bath,which might be for the flies? This one mule did this three more times but the others lost interest after this initial shot and moved out of the photo. It was funny to see all the maneuvering on his back and the dust cloud it created.
Nova Scotia
Colorful fishing boats are lined up at the dock in this rural scene taken in Nova Scotia. The Church was the finishing touch to my composition on this dreary day.The one thing that still sticks in my mind is how friendly everyone was in Nova Scotia.I stopped a few places to shoot photos and folks who lived there would offer me the chance to roam around their property to get more shots.Some had little coves with boats and it was a very unique experience.
Triple Crown Of Cuteness
This little guy is barely two feet tall and seems to be mimicking his mothers movements.Put a tiny saddle on him and find a monkey as a jockey and he could possibly win the triple crown for cuteness. Don’t let his small size fool you ,he is a little stick of dynamite just ready to explode across the pasture.
Motoring in Infrared
Another image of the E-M-F car group as they sit parked at Historic Poole Forge. This image was shot in infrared so the foliage goes white and the sky dark.The old mansion sits on the hill in the background.
A Bridge To The Past
Once again I was lucky enough to hear about the E-M-F car club taking a road trip through my area. One of their stops included this location which includes a covered bridge and I was lucky enough to get this image featuring the red 1911 White parked in the foreground and the green 1909 Locomobile coming through the bridge. E-M-F vehicles are early 1900s vehicles built by Byron Everitt, William Metzger, and Walter Flanders.These unique vehicles are a treat to look at with all their detail and they harken back to a simpler time.
Red Calla lily
These calla lily blooms are in a planter in front of our house and I shot them near dark one evening. The red maple in the background went a purple hue which I left as is.
My Birdhouse Projects
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I have been a bit slow on the photo front these days and part of that is trying to keep our property looking good. I spent some time building these posts and the birdhouses that are mounted on them.One is a regular little village for our feathered friends,and some birds have been checking it out, and the one with the fancy black finials has no holes for birds to enter and is more decorative than functional and the black decoration around the copper pieces are actually dresser drawer handles that we had laying around.Making a round bird house is more tricky than the basic ones and I used funnels for the roof on those. Not really great photos,but I had fun building them and thought I would share the results.
Colter Bay
Sunset over Colter Bay in Wyoming features silhouetted trees and majestic mountains.I remember this day well because I left my Gitzo tripod sitting at a parking area and realized the mistake five miles down the road,and was doing over a hundred miles on hour on the highway to get back to it before it was taken. Amazingly enough it was still there.
Donald Reese Photography 