This rainy evening found me photographing shops in Lititz and to say it was a little frustrating shooting in a constant downpour is an understatement. I started shooting across the street under the overhang because I wanted to stay dry and also capture the Tomato Pie restaurant window display,and as I was finishing that shot,I wandered out into the street and saw this amazing reflection and just had to try and record it. Now there are a few things to understand and one of them is the fact that this is a busy main road and its rush hour,and my exposure times were anywhere from 8 seconds to 20 seconds. The cars were lined up in both directions and were non stop so imagine trying to find eight solid seconds of no traffic passing. Well I had exactly four shots out of about forty that were car free and thank goodness I had the shot captured and the fact that I had to stand there with an umbrella for almost 45 minutes to get this is a testament to either my dedication or stupidity.

Something that happened while I was shooting this caught my eye and it was a pickup truck that stopped in the alley beside the building and I noticed the driver got out in a hurry and seemed like he was after something. I quickly saw he was actually trying to save a duck that was trying in vain to get across the busy road and this man actually stopped traffic in both directions and guided the creature across the road to the park. this lucky duck almost got hit three different times till the guy stopped the cars and got him on his way,to which I yelled nice job.

This covered bridge has always been a problem for me to find nice compositions because of the way trees are growing along the banks.The bridge was originally located at another spot and was moved here a few years ago.I was very pleased with my result this fall as I climbed down a steep bank and using hip waders,I was able to get in the water for a better shot. I was here at sunrise and as soon as the sun hit the leaves,they literally were raining off the trees in a way I had never seen before. Thankfully many fell in this little tidal pool that somewhat held them there for a while. I returned at sunset and they all had washed away,much to my chagrin. Thankfully I had the shot already so it was no big deal.

A stone lane leads into the autumn woods

This was actually a test run for a shot I hope to do this winter with full snow coverage.It is the local historical society grounds,and I recently spoke with them to see if they had any interest in adding some holiday decorations such as a nice wreath on the door to spice up the shot and I want to bring luminaries for the sidewalk on the left.  My first impression is they might be up for it. I will share a little information about the shot so everyone can understand the effort involved. First my camera was mounted on a pipe attached to a 6 foot ladder,so my camera is about nine feet off the ground so I could position the clock in the center of the main building and be close to parallel.Next I used my flashlight to spotlight the wall behind the clock to add some interest, and then I lit the lantern on the wall with my flashlight and the area surrounding it as well as the tree on the left. Things that complicate a shot like this are the brightness of the clock face which quickly overwhelms the scene at longer exposures,so you need to capture that early in the shot before it gets too dark,and there are street lights that have a terrible red cast that becomes hard to work around. Below is a visual in case anyone wants to try this crazy idea. I mounted a board to the ladder top,then a pipe fitting to that so the pipe can thread into the top. Lastly I used a bogen head and clamp to get my camera to be able to articulate however needed and it can go up or down along the pipe. The things on the camera are a wireless transmitter to fire it and a camranger to send a wifi signal to my tablet.

A stone wall and stream lead the eye into the frame from the left and the red barn sits nicely framed by a carpet of yellow leaves and maple tree.

Moss covered rocks lay just off to the side of this dirt road which meanders through the woods  that are currently ablaze with lovely fall foliage.

A very still foggy morning provides a pleasing backdrop for this tree showing a multitude of colors as it transitions toward winter.

This funeral home caught me eye because of the colorful windows and reflections on the wet road.I added some light using my flashlight on certain areas.

This scene is at a local park and features trees on the hill that are already bare and trees in the foreground about to drop their leaves. If you saw this park,you would never think you could get a nice shot like this,but careful attention to composition and eliminating junk by meticulous cropping allowed what I think is an excellent overall image at sunrise.

I have driven by this old home countless times but something caught my eye as I drove by this past week. Maybe it was the fall leaves scattered about or the sunlight skimming across the facade of the beautiful porch,but whatever it was,I was glad I decided to stop and snap a shot.The bottom image was taken the first day and the top one was taken at night the next day.The owner was very accommodating in letting me shoot it and even turned lights on for a little added drama.The detail in the porch is amazing and the craftsmen from yesteryear that made it really had talent.The focal point for me was the curved door entrance which had a certain grace to it and I can envision a Christmas image here if I can come up with an idea.

These woods were flush with fall color and a recent rain had everything nice and saturated.

Fog blankets this fall landscape in soft soothing light.

This is an old railroad bed behind my house that is being converted to a rail trail,and like I mentioned in the past,they are planning to fill it in to bring it to the level of the road behind were I am standing to shoot this. I put on my muck boots,headed into the swamp and tried to light paint the scene. The leaves were sitting in puddles that were at least 8 inches deep and I liked the way they were layered in there so I took a shot. My boots actually stuck fast twice and I literally walked right out of them in my socks into the muck. I think it’s a gem of natural beauty but elected officials have decided to fill it in ,so I am trying to document it so years from now when people want to see what we had and lost,there will be a record.

This is one recent morning that I was thankful that I got out of bed early to go shooting.Heavy fog and very still conditions created the perfect set of circumstances for great photography.The cool light of early morning was the perfect backdrop for the warm fall colors.

Fallen leaves signal the rapid approach of winter and provide a nice accent to this old farmhouse and barn.

Veterans day was celebrated Tuesday throughout the United States in a wide range of programs to honor the men and women who served our country, and one group of people in my area organized a special display of luminaries to honor them. Over four hundred bags with candles were placed along a local rail trail and visitors could walk the path and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many.I light painted this military jeep that was parked at the entrance to the trail. This was the first annual event and some things will be adjusted next year to make it more amazing. From a photo standpoint,the trail lights were way overwhelming compared to the tea lights in the bags and made capturing them a bit challenging,plus the tea lights were a blue color in the bags,so I adjusted the file to resemble the traditional luminary look. I may post another shot with the blue look later.

A variety of trees comprise this picturesque setting,and the large tree on the hill has a bit of a scary appearance with its outstretched arms and coat of ivy.

A stone wall is littered with freshly fallen leaves,as the sun illuminates the home in the background at sunset.