Category Archives: Winter

A Christmas Memory

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sleigh orig

This winter scene came to be thanks to the generosity of the homeowner, the sleigh owner, and my crazy desire to live in the past. The red sleigh was loaned to me by a kind lady who I have done photos for,and the property was made available for my idea by a generous gentleman who entertains my wild photo ideas. The two photos represent my vision for the shot,with the top being the final shot and the bottom was my pre-planning stage to decide where to place it.

This property is an ideal backdrop for the sleigh and the building on the left was actually hand-built by the owner and his son several years ago. I put a light on a stand in that building to shine light out the window across the snow toward the sleigh and lit everything else with flash. From the light illuminating the sleigh to the shadows on the roof from the pine tree,I had to light every element. The old lantern was provided by the property owner as well,and the fancy gift packages and decoration on the sleigh was courtesy of my wife.

The tricky part in doing something like this is knowing exactly where you are going to place the sleigh,and if you look closely at the bottom shot you can see two yellow stakes at the runners leading edge,which were my target spots on the snowy night. I placed a stick in the ground to mark my shooting location and had to walk very slowly as I pulled the package laden sleigh into position.One of the annoying things I had to deal with on this night was the fact that it was still snowing as I started to get the sleigh off the trailer,so I had to keep a tarp over it and try and set packages in place on the sleigh with a tarp on top of it. Thank goodness the snow stopped just in time to let me finalize everything or else I would have had to scrap the shoot. I will definitely remember this night and the fun I had doing this shot.

The Old Church

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linden-hall-church

I photographed this old church in Lititz,Pa on a recent cold winter morning. This church is located beside the linden hall girls school and the church was built by a father in memory of his daughter. I used flash to create light and shadow to accent the details.

Roadway Reflection

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This early winter scene was made possible by a large puddle on the road,allowing for a reflection of sorts.This was hand-held and had to be shot rather quickly because of cars zipping along the road.I did not feel like having either myself or my camera take a bath,so I got as close to the water as possible and snapped. Nothing spectacular,but not bad considering. Warm temperatures helped to put a little fog in the air as skies cleared.

London Bridge

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Yet another scene from the Dickens gingerbread display. Take note of the smoke effect above the buildings,which is the result of thin metal rods that have spiral paper attached and during a long exposure,the spinning spirals blur ,creating the smokey chimneys. London bridge can be seen in the background.

Wreaths on Bridge

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I photographed this local covered bridge on Christmas morning before anyone was out of bed. I had to drive about fifteen miles to get there and saw only one other car on the road the whole way there. Sure I am crazy for getting out of bed that early,but the local covered bridge society decorated the bridge with lighted wreaths and I wanted to get a record of it before they get taken down,and this was the first snow we have had of any significance,although it wasnt nearly enough.

Home for the Holidays

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This is another wonderfully decorated room in the home of the flower shop owner featured in my post of December 17th. This room was full of tasty treats during the get together and the live rose arrangement on the table was what initially caught my eye. I was allowed to come back a day later when the food was removed and captured what I consider to be a very elegant setting. The use of picture frames,mirrors and various design elements form a cohesive layout that appeals to the eye. This is the result of dozens of flash exposures,both inside and outside and I even flashed the hanging lamp from the top,so you could see the design cut in the tin. Such a cozy setting is certainly a home for the holidays.

Tomato Pie Anyone?

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This is another light painting session in the town of Lititz,and features the Tomato Pie restaurant. Rain started moving in mid morning on a recent sunday and I decided to take advantage of the resulting reflectivity on the road and shoot this scene.This normally busy road is fairly quiet on a sunday,which I needed to be without cars. My camera got fairly wet during this session and walking back to the camera every so often to check results was a nuisance, but when you are alone,that’s what you do. My camera was across the street about fifty yards away,and I used a wireless remote to fire the camera and radio poppers to fire my flash,which I carry on a pole to light whatever I want,which was pretty much everything from the sign, to the buildings and tree. Shooting in subdued light allows the flash to overpower the ambient and give you the lighted parts you need. By the way,I have never had Tomato Pie,but I hear it is quite delicious at this establishment, but I think I will stick with apple pie myself.

Ice Dance Serenade

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Yet another scene from the Dickens gingerbread display this year. The ice spins with the skaters on top and to see the myriad of cords and plugs under this display,you would think you are watching Chevy Chase in Christmas Vacation. The town is full of street lights,and various items needing power.This was taken with a 17mm in pretty close to show the tiny skaters better.

The Tigers Eye

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I am not quite sure why I enjoy photographing store windows at Christmas so much,but I do know that I like to challenge myself and see what I can come up with. This store in Lititz,Pa is called the Tigers Eye and always has very classy window decor. The cool evening light contrasting with the warm interior light drew me to shoot this image.

A Warm Welcome

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country-lane-home

 

This is an exterior view of the old farm-house were yesterdays music room was photographed. After I wrapped up picture-taking inside,I rushed outside to try and get this luminary shot before it was too dark to balance everything. I lit the fence,Christmas wreath, and ivy with flash as daylight quickly faded. The property was all aglow with dozens of luminaries lighting the way for arriving guests.

Symphony of Sound and Color

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of being welcomed into this home to photograph this room just prior to a large get together. The owner has an amazing flower shop next to the home and while I was there recently,he invited me in to his home for a brief tour and I immediately fell in love with his sense of style and decorating tastes. I asked if I could photograph what I refer to as the music room some time ,and he said sure and that I could do it on the night of the party if I wanted. Well I photographed this right at the edge of when I needed the light to be low enough outside and when the guests were starting to arrive,but I pulled it off. He then invited my wife and I to stay and eat and enjoy ourselves,and needless to say it was a night to remember.

If you notice the large harp in the room,that was there thanks to me telling the host about this young lady Who had played at our home a few years ago,and she is not only an amazing harpist,but she sings like an angel to boot. I parked myself in the corner chair and let the music resonate around me in this glorious setting. From the Baby Grand piano to the antique stained glass to the gorgeous tree, everything came together in this one moment in time. Hopefully I can post a few more vignettes from the property soon, and to our gracious host,may I extend our heartfelt thank you for such a wonderful night.

Moravian Poinsettia Tree

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Lititz Pennsylvania is but one small town in Lancaster county, but when it comes to faith, traditions, family values,and a sense of community, Lititz stands heads above most communities in the region.Family run stores dot the main street and each one brings a unique touch to the community and every event the town puts on,residents come out to support in grand fashion.

The town is dotted with churches,and among the most scenic is the Lititz Moravian church,which dates back to the mid 1750s and is a place of unique beauty. Every year,the congregation creates a 12 foot high poinsettia tree in the main sanctuary to honor or remember someone special. I happened to be in the church square last sunday photographing at sunrise and one kind lady asked if I wanted to take a peak inside.The handbell choir was practicing early and I had always wanted to photograph the tree,so I accepted the offer.

I went in,quickly set up my tripod and shot a quick series,adding some flash to the tree,the pews, and I also went outside and lit the stained glass with a flash as well. I had wanted to get permission for years but never made the effort,and as I came to find out that morning,the tree was coming down after the sunday service,so it really was the perfect moment to get this image.Each Christmas season the church has several Christmas vigils where attendees get a lighted candle ,sing songs,and these dates are quickly filled. Also note the Moravian star hanging above the pulpit.

Days Gone By

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lititz-old-toysThis little vignette is one from my series on store windows in the quaint town of Lititz,PA. Each year at Christmas the shops in town create unique window displays that I find appealing and this one with the old blocks, the bear, and the santa caught my eye. I lit the scene with a flash at various angles to highlight certain items. The shop is called days gone by,hence my title.

 

 

Here Comes Santa Clause

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santa

 

This is another room from my mansion Christmas shoot this year. This scene was done by a local doll club and they are always one of my favorites among the participants. The club did everything but supply the real Santa kneeling there and the packages on the left which I supplied. This shot was a little more difficult than I originally had counted on and a few complications made it a tough shot to finish. First I shot a series of exposures lighting different elements with my spotlight,then Santa came in to the scene and my friend Larry helped light him with a flash. Well everything went fine till I got home and realized Santa had leaned on the bed a few times between shots and it had moved,and I had bumped my tripod ever so gently at some point creating alignment issues.

Every piece I layered on top of the base shot had to be put on difference mode in Photoshop to make sure they were aligned correctly and it became more laborious than I had planned on. Despite all that,I am very pleased with the final result and Santa did an outstanding job,despite my making him kneel there for 15 minutes on a wood floor. He has a real beard,a great outfit and I think we created a very magical image. I met Santa during this event and he is part of the festivities each year,but I had to get him out of bed this morning because we shot this at five thirty in the morning as we waited for the light of dawn to illuminate the windows.

Its Christmas Time

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This image of a store display in the small town of Lititz Pa is just one more challenge I set for myself taking photos. I love the various scenes you see around Christmas time in this town and window decorating contests keep shop owners busy at this time of year. The challenge was to capture something half decent,while having to do everything from the sidewalk outside and while the store was closed and dark. Reflections everywhere on the glass from street lamps,traffic and other businesses was my first challenge and trying to light things was my second challenge.

The clocks were lit by flash at various angles through the windows,all the while blocking reflections bouncing toward the camera. A wide-angle used up close allowed me to compose the shot and achieve some balance and allowed me to see several clocks in the store.This was shot at five thirty in the morning so I had time to experiment without bothering anyone.The one thing I wish were different is the dark area in the bottom middle. There were various items piled on the table,which did not look good lit,so I left them in shadow.

A Tasty Dickens Village

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dickens-gingerbread

 

Every year a local architectural firm takes a week out of their busy schedule to create a unique gingerbread village of some sort. The display is always incredible,with each employee vying to claim first place. The edible display is always full of humor,intricate design and detail and covers an area approximately ten feet by eight feet.It has scenes inside the buildings,lights, and they are generous enough to allow the public to come view it on certain nights. My good friend Larry is the official photographer for this project and he is gracious enough to allow me to shoot on the night he does his shooting. This little vignette from one corner features a bakery,complete with hot cross buns in the window,queen victorias secret on the corner,baskets of scones and baguettes out front and a sweet old lady out front offering cookies. It has become a holiday treat I look forward to every year.Another combination of flashlight,spotlight,available light.

A Delectably Delicious Tree

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bakery

This is yet another display from the historic mansion Christmas event. This display was created by a local bakery and the tree is adorned in fresh gingerbread ornaments that include snowflakes,trees and ginger bread men. There appeared to be other food items on the tree but I was not exactly sure what everything was.The left window sill features gingerbread houses and various other items round out the composition.The first exposure was done capturing the exterior light and then everything was lit by a hand-held deer spotlight in a very dark room. When you do this technique,you must be careful not to kick or bump anything as you light things or you get registration problems.

This was the only shot I did this year alone in the mansion,which can be a little spooky in the dark as you hear every sound in the old structure. Thankfully the strong smell of gingerbread filled the room and kept my mind from being distracted by noises. If only I would have had a big glass of milk,I might have been able to sample the bakery delights.

A Simple Christmas

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hans-herrThis is another Christmas display in one of the rooms at the old mansion I mentioned the other day. This display was done by the folks from the Hans Herr House,which is the oldest homestead in Lancaster County and  is a registered historic landmark. It is a more natural setting,with no lights on the tree,and basic food related items that harken back to a simpler time. I lit the entire scene with a small hand-held flash with a snoot to direct the light in very small areas. The figure is very life-like kneeling at the tree and helps balance out the composition.

Wood Shop Warmth

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This image is part reality,part imagination. The barn and lamp-post were part of this scene yesterday and they were coated in a light dusting of the seasons first snow. I have always enjoyed the paintings of Thomas Kinkade for their dream like quality and I also like the effect of warmth in a cold setting,so I added some warm light to the scene to invite the viewer into the scene and maybe take a peak in the window of the wood shop to see what the craftsman might be making. The gentleman who owns this barn made the unique doors,which if I recall correctly have a passage from the Bible carved in them. I noticed there are icicle lights on the roof line,but unfortunately they were not lit,so Hopefully we will get more good snows and I will remember to return.

Bottom of the food chain

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The other day I posted an image from my Canadian Rockies photo trip a few years back, and I got to reminiscing about the experience I had at Moraine Lake, which is shown here. As usual I like to travel in the fall, because I thoroughly enjoy the early mornings with frost and the fresh air this time of year, and I always wait till the bitter end to make any sort of reservation. This trip I decided I would stay at the moraine lake lodge with my wife for several days to take in the mountain grandeur, but I was quickly told we were not staying there after hearing it was almost 400 dollars a night. I stood my ground and we stayed one single night in a room with a fireplace looking out at this lake. To me it was worth every penny,as I woke to head out before dawn to shoot under a lovely sunrise.

Let me explain a bit about my one and only trip to a place where you can be the main course on the menu at any moment. When we arrived, there were two nice sized bears in the parking lot roaming around, which gave me reason to ponder my usual early morning escapades. Signs were everywhere to travel in groups of 4 or more, and make lots of noise. Upon checking in, I said I wanted to hike the 30 minutes or so to this lookout to shoot sunrise, and the girl at the desk said you have two options. First was simply sleep in, and the second was to carry a bottle of pepper spray that was about the size of a small fire extinguisher. I opted for the spray, headed out at dark in the morning and was totally alone for at least an hour. I made so much noise going up that trail, hand on the trigger just in case, and a few prayers said along the way. I kept thinking all they will find is my gear, a chewed up pepper spray bottle, and a bear taking a nap. It really was nerve-racking, but the view up here was unbelievable. I have never seen such aqua/turquoise color in water ever. The angle of the rising sun was less than ideal,but it was sweet nonetheless.

The following day we stayed at a B&B in Banff, and the owner showed us his scrapbook of a mountain lion he shot under his porch. The thing was being held under its front legs and was taller than this guy,who was pretty darn tall. Its kind of humorous, because I started seeing signs for mountain lion activity in places we hiked and I would extend my Gitzo tripod legs all the way out,thinking I would whack this thing if it got any bright ideas. Someone said if they are stalking you, you would never know it till they pounce. Nothing gives you a better sense of being alive than to know you are not the king of the mountains and you better tread cautiously.

Nature’s Pristine Wilderness

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Today I thought I would share an image from a trip I took to Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada some time ago. This was my only trip to this part of the world and it was simply breathtaking. The image shown is of the location called Spirit Island on Maligne lake, and it requires a 45 minute boat ride through incredible aqua colored waters to get to this final destination. The water is so cold,about 39 degrees  passengers are briefed on what to do in case of problems with the boat and the guide joked no one ever drowned here because hypothermia gets you first. Upon arrival at the landing area, passengers are told they have precisely ten minutes to get off the boat and shoot whatever pictures you can, and be back on the boat for the return trip. I have never been in such a beautiful place with such a miniscule amount of time to shoot. I remember setting a land speed record to get to the overlook before anyone else claimed the best angle, and I also remember some poor soul who had an expensive 35mm camera and his batteries were dead and he had no backup battery. Who on earth goes to such a destination with one battery?  Anyway, as I recall, this area is untouched by man except for the boat that pulls in, and seeing such a pristine landscape really was something special,even if it was for only 10 minutes. I know there are many amazing landscapes throughout the world, but this image is one of my most memorable from my few travels.I went in the fall and will hopefully share more images and experiences of this grand place in the future. I have a slide show presentation I do and within that show I have several quotes including this one from John Muir.   ” Climb the mountains and get their good tidings, Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves”.

Look Out Below!

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This image is one that came to mind when a friend called tonight to tell me the geese were starting to arrive in large numbers again in eastern Pennsylvania. For the last several years, tens of thousands of snow geese and tundra swans have made a stop at the Middle Creek Wildlife preserve in eastern Pennsylvania on their way north to the arctic tundra. Depending on the weather conditions, amount of open water on lakes, and other things I have no clue about, their numbers can soar to amazing amounts. The year I shot this photo, The snow geese population was estimated at near 180,000. This image was pure luck and there are so many layers of birds,it is hard to grasp the numbers in such a small image. I had a 44×66 print made of this which is unbelievable to see the birds in every foot of space. I was driving the park road and stopped briefly to get out to watch and an eagle flew over way up in the stratosphere, and because these birds go crazy when a predator is flying, they took to the air just as I started to focus, and I captured birds in every stage of land and air. The Middle Creek website currently lists snow geese at 35,000, and tundra swans at 2,500 and climbing. Early march is usually the peak, and if you are anywhere near eastern Pennsylvania, it would be worth your while to see this yearly spectacle of nature.The blue color in my image comes from a hillside in late day shade. My title is hopefully self-explanatory.

A light Dusting

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Yesterday we got a light dusting of snow and once again it was nothing to get excited about. For some reason I woke up a little early this morning, and took a peek out the front window, and I saw a nice pastel sky with an near full moon getting lower to the horizon. I hurriedly threw on some clothes, while my mind raced to think of any possible locations to shoot. Nothing came to me, so I just drove around and ended up with these two so-so images. Hopefully some significant snowstorms are still coming this year yet, so I can get some real snow scenes.The windows in the house are illuminated by the rapidly approaching sunrise behind me.

The Gathering Place

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Winter weather can often include interesting skies and nice billowy clouds. This scene features a group of Amish buggies attending a sale at the farm. This shot was taken from the roof of my truck to give a little better perspective on the line of buggies. Sometimes I get strange looks when I have my tripod set up on my vehicle roof, but you would be amazed how much an extra six feet off the ground can help. . The only thing you must be aware of is not shifting your weight if you are using long exposures, but this was a fairly fast exposure, so that was not an issue. this was shot in infrared.

Birds of a Feather

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Today I decided to shoot this group of hand-made birdhouses that I occasionally pass in my travels. They are for sale at a roadside stand that features a variety of items for the passerby.They are all made by an older gentleman who lives there. He has no electricity or power tools and cuts everything utilizing good old muscle power on an old miter box. Sometimes it seems I forget many of the places I have shot before, because the wife of the owner came out to tell me about a nice photo another photographer gave them years ago. Turns out it was my photo, and I figured I would share that image along with tonight’s shot. I came up with the title because I think many of the people who follow me here also have a good appreciation of beautiful places and things, hence birds of a feather, flock together. The top image was done with my flashlight this evening using a thirty-second exposure.

A Life Well Lived

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This photograph is one in a series I am doing at an old mill that is literally frozen in time. I picked the title because the man who ran this mill had very conservative beliefs, and knew the value of working hard and saving money. He was so diligent with his finances that he established a foundation that still oversees this mill for tourists to visit to this very day. What you are looking at in this photograph is the mill office/post office that served residents in the small surrounding community for decades. I placed a pair of shoes at the chair to allow the viewer to imagine the man who once sat there, wonder at the tales he could tell, and appreciate how simply he lived, and most likely more fulfilled than the majority of people today. Picture yourself sitting down after a hard day in the mill, snow blowing outside and a warm fire in the stove, as you turn on the old radio, you sip some tea, and rock yourself to sleep by lantern light. A little imagination can take you to great places.

From Dawn to Dusk

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Winter has once again relinquished its icy grip, and today temperatures climbed to the high forties.       I personally enjoy a good hard winter, with lots of snow and intense cold, but this winter season has been a real let down thus far. Thank goodness a good batch of fog rolled in overnight to envelop the landscape in an atmospheric wonderland, full of opportunities for photography. Once again, I had every intention of sleeping in, but looking out at 5am, I saw the fog building and figured I better get moving. As I dressed, my mind rapidly ran through all the locations I could think of and I finally decided to head to this church which sits on a hill overlooking a valley. Floodlights at the church backlit the fog, and as I worked the possibilities, I kept thinking, boy it would be great to have the sanctuary lit, and to my delight, a car pulled in and a member of the congregation agreed to turn them on. While I am pleased with my result, I must say the shot was taken at the very edge of where the ambient light starts to overwhelm the interior light and I literally got a few shots off till the balance tipped too far.If the interior had been lit a half hour earlier, the result would have been even better. Thanks to Glenn Buffenmyer for helping to make this church shot possible. The second image is an afterthought that I added tonight after shooting it on the way home this evening. I luckily had my camera with me to capture this colorful sunset. The best part is the images took only a few minutes on the computer instead of the hours I invest in the light painting photos here. If anyone cares to click on my gallery pages at the top of my page, you can see a couple other church location images under the fog gallery.

A Fleeting Moment

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I was hoping to sleep in this morning, but I woke up early thinking about several photo projects I am planning, so I bundled up and headed out for a potential sunrise. Temperatures were right at 20 degrees,which is not that cold, but when the sunrise is a bust, it seems colder as you wish you were home in a warm bed instead. After conceding the sunrise was not happening, I headed home and suddenly the rays broke through the clouds and side lit the plowed snow along this country road. It only lasted a minute or two, but I had my gear on the seat and captured the fleeting moment.

Graceful curves

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Yesterday I was sure the winter weather was going to come up short,but this morning we woke to nearly six inches of fresh snow. I spent most of my day inside doing light painting on a couple new subjects, but still found time for a quick winter shot. This is located at the same place I posted two days ago. The graceful curves of this wrought iron gate caught my eye as fresh snow accented the lovely lines.