Nostalgic Flight

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This bi-plane was among my favorite subjects at the air show, but it was not very accessible,so these three shots were all I could muster. After I had gotten permission to return later in the evening, I noticed many of the planes were getting put into the hangers and I figured this one would be away all night. Much to my surprise it was out all night but it had covers placed on its engine,cockpit etc,which made it less than desirable to shoot in that state,so I had to dream of what might have been if I had gotten to light paint this classic. I used other planes parked on the field to frame the bi-plane and add a touch of interest to the shot. I am not sure what the CAP on the wing stands for but it might be civil air patrol?

Heat Seeker

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Really I have no clue what kind of missiles are hanging from the wing of this plane but they look intimidating nonetheless. This was the last light painting session I tried at the airshow. For some reason my laptop went haywire at the start of this shoot,so I did not have enough time to do this one to the degree I wanted.

Fishing Convoy

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Can anyone guess what I absolutely hate about this image?  It is the obnoxious reflective vests that were given out to Amish children recently after some Penn State extension agent decided they needed to wear these to be safe. As far as I am concerned, if you cannot see a person at the side of the road in the daytime without one of these vests on,then maybe you should not be driving. What used to make wonderful images of local culture, has now become an eyesore in neon yellow. I wish some people would keep their noses out of other people’s business and stop trying to fix problems that never existed. It surprises me a little that a culture that likes to stay low-key actually accepted the idea of wearing these things. Certainly I want them to be safe, but I truly can’t remember any problems before the vests were introduced.

The Book Of Eli

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I recently spotted this crazy machine as I traversed the countryside and I just had to stop and shoot it. At this point I cannot determine if it was originally a real machine, or more likely the creation of some futuristic artist? My title as crazy as it is,refers to the movie starring Denzel Washington that takes place in a post apocalyptic world,and as soon as I saw this thing, it reminded me that it would have fit in this movie perfectly. I hope to return to it and try some light painting to see what I can do with it and hopefully find out more about it as well. If you get a chance, rent the movie and see if you agree. All it needs is a flame thrower shooting out the front and I could name it scorched earth. Might be a good subject to try my burning steel wool on?

A Little Ingenuity

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No matter how many times I travel the back roads in Amish country, I am constantly amazed how many strange things I come across. This teen had jury rigged a wagon and small engine to make his own motorized transportation. He drove this thing several miles across the country while cars passed him left and right. He probably has a plow for it in the winter.

 

 

 

Work,then Play

amish-tractor-scooterCaptured this Amish youth heading down the road on a tractor and upon closer examination,you can see he is hauling his transportation with him on the back. The two-wheeled scooter is the transportation of choice for Amish youth,as bikes are frowned upon. Last year I spoke to an Amish guy who I noticed coming up a hill at a rather fast pace,and it puzzled me how he was doing it? Turns out he had an electric motor added and it was all hidden on the frame. It intrigued me enough to think about buying one since he said it ran about $400 for everything. Well in the year since he got his,price went up to near a $1000 so I will stick with the bike for now.

The Barnyard Bully

 

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This rooster might think he is the boss of this barnyard but it wont be long till this pint-sized donkey grows up and kicks him to the curb. The rooster looks like he is ready for a fight the way he is strutting. If only he would have hopped on his back for a ride.

 

Lip Service

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I did not even know I had captured this image till I was at home on the computer. I fired a sequence off and he did this right in the middle.Not sure if it is a comment on my skills or what but I had to post his funny moment.

Full Moon setting

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This full moon was shot last month on the morning following the rise of the super moon the night before. I headed out before sunrise and tracked this moon as I looked for a suitable foreground and I found this farm. As I was getting myself all primed up to capture it as it got lower on the horizon,wouldn’t you know it,what appeared to me to be a crystal clear sky,was actually hiding a bank of dark blue clouds and about the 4th frame of shooting,the moon started to be gobbled up into oblivion,which is seconds after I shot the top image. It was a surprise to me,but that’s how it goes with full moon shooting it seems.

Hex Barn Garden

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This barn with hex signs is located on a historic property in Lancaster county and had colorful blooms filling the garden. I waited almost forty minutes for a buggy to pass by to complete my composition. Shot with a 17-35 wide-angle.

Sleeping? Think Again

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I wanted to post this series to show some of the reactions I get sometimes. The top image was the one I was after and was shot at a good  distance, but as they got farther out in the field, I decided to move and get a rear view straight on. I was not totally watching the whole time and as I got in position I thought is he sleeping on the back?  Well photo 3 shows the answer to that question,and when I get something like this, I wonder what would dad think if he knew he was doing it?  Not sure what crop they are planting but I am leaning toward lettuce. There was about 2 seconds between photo 2 and 3.

The Deluge

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This heavy storm came through our area and in some local towns it just sat there and dumped buckets of rain.This shot is not the greatest foreground shot,but it was not pouring on me at this point,so I had to record the cloud formations where I was because they were changing moment to moment .

Amish Essentials

 

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On a sunday evening out, there are a few things you want to have. The first is a bucket of pretzels,hanging on the right, a bag of goodies hanging on the left, the volleyball net,hanging underneath and of course your best man on your right. Have these things,and an evening of fun is just around the bend.

 

Ready Yourself

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Lately I have been keenly aware of a dramatic shift that seems to be taking place in the good old U.S. of A. This blog is supposed to be about photography, but each day the news brings something more bizarre that makes me wonder if we are perhaps approaching the point of no return? From random shootings to government surveillance of its citizens, to the fact that many people are hoarding food and weapons,something is definitely in the air. I have said many times that if our founding fathers were to be planted back here today,they would be in utter shock at how far we have slid. I come from a very conservative region,and have no intention of offending anyone who has different views, but from my vantage point I see a population of apathetic citizens who want to be led around like lambs to the slaughter, so ready yourself because a storm is on the horizon.

Dreamy Mansion

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Two views of the same Victorian home shot in infrared. The sky was stormy and the sun was barely out,so infrared was not as strong this evening. I like both images about the same. This home has the most gorgeous wrap around porch that has to be seen in person to be appreciated.