Sunlight peeks through some clouds and shines on this farm and tobacco field.
Calm Waters
This is a photo I took after putting on the hip waders and going out to about mid stream. The creek is a little lower than normal right now,so I was not worried about getting knocked over by the current,and it provided a nice vantage point during a slightly foggy day. Depth was anywhere from 8 inches to about 2 feet,which allowed me to navigate anywhere on the stream I needed. I carried only one camera with lens on my tripod and brought a polarizer,which helped with the reflection.
The Rolling Behemoth
Ever feel tiny and insignificant? Well that’s probably how the driver of this compact car felt as he hugged the curb and kept a little distance between himself and this rolling monstrosity. This huge Combine was on the move through several local towns recently as it made it way to the next cornfield for more harvesting, and it raised eyebrows more than once as it dominated the road. I shot this through my car window after I was lucky enough to get directly behind it. The only thing better than this would have been a smart car beside it,which would really look ridiculous.
Up,Up and Away
A hot air balloon takes tourists for a breath-taking ride over the many Amish farms that dot the landscape.
The Rural Landscape
A hilltop vista includes a one room school in the foreground and several farms dotting the landscape. A telephoto compresses the distance between each. Corn crops are ready to be harvested.
One Room School Dawn
Dawn breaks at a one room school,which will be active with Amish children in a few hours.A farm in the background and an outhouse on the right,round out the composition.
Misty Stream
A misty morning along this local stream provides a lovely spot to kick back and relax as fall approaches.
Foggy Morning Travels
A morning dominated by fog and low light created a tough set of circumstances for shooting anything that was moving. I had been searching for something to shoot on this sunday morning and had no luck,so I decided I was just going to compose a shot and hope something would come by to finish off the image. The Amish head to church at each others farms on sunday mornings from about 7am up till just before 9am,when the service seems to start,so after 9am there is no more activity on the roads. I set up on this back road at 815 and decided at exactly 9am I would call it a wrap.For 45 minutes there was not one single car,buggy or anything else on this road,and I was sure it was one of those mornings that nothing was going to pan out. I was watching the laptop clock and 3 minutes before pack up,I heard the sound of horse hooves coming. Buggies never travel this late in the morning,but here came two late ones,which allowed me one chance to get this shot,which thankfully I did. I think there was a little set of eyes peeking out the back as a hand pulls the canvas back a bit.Shot from my truck roof and connected to the laptop.
Colonel Sanders express
This Amish version of the pickup truck makes it way down the road with a load of chickens. It almost appears they were too loaded down by the bowing buggy wheels in the back.
No More Room
There is not even one more spot available for another passenger as these Amish girls enjoy an afternoon ride in a horse-drawn cart. Looking like a rainbow on wheels,these close friends were having a grand time on an early autumn day.
Reflecting on the Past
Another rainy shot of an old classic parked by the caboose.
The Rio Grand Caboose lodge
These old cars were part of a car club that was out touring the farm country,and I happened to spot them parked at a motel that is totally comprised of train cabooses. Each guest spends the night in his very own caboose, which come in every color under the sun. The evening was basically pouring rain,but after shooting under an umbrella for 30 minutes,the rain stopped and I began lighting the scene with flash. I thought the two modes of transportation complemented each other and harkened back to a simpler time.The yellow caboose is the Rio Grand.
Harvest Time at the Mill
If you think farmers are busy this time of year,you should try working at the local feed mill where many of the harvested items arrive for processing. This telephoto shot includes two tractor trailers dumping their loads,while two feed trucks head out to service customers.
Mobile Hammer Mill
This is yet another image of the mill as work goes on throughout the day. I was told the truck on the left is called a hammer mill, which as I understand things,mixes the various feed components on site for farmers. The sun came out briefly to illuminate the trucks while the grain silos remain in shade.
Feed Mill Pelletizer
Once again I was trying my light painting technique in the old feed mill. This time I was photographing what I think is called a pelletizer, which makes feed pellets and the two images show the machine in a closed, and then open position.The bottom photo shows the machines main part,which has a series of holes that form the hardened pellets. The room was very warm so I assume some heat process is involved as well. To do the two images,I first completed the scene with it closed and then simply opened the door for the next part of the shoot. Then I brought that image on top of the first and blended them.
Sunrise Balloon Launch
A hot air balloon festival was held locally this past weekend. This was the dawn liftoff at sunrise sunday,which was an absolutely gorgeous morning.
Till The Cows Come Home
This is a little different from the type of image I usually post,but something about all these cows spread all over the hillside caught my attention. My wife knows when I go out shooting,I might be out till the cows come home, which if you have never heard that phrase before,it basically means, for a long but indefinite time.
Tractor Drag Races
This is the time of year when the annual tractor drag race finals come to farm country. Actually,this is corn harvesting in progress and the red tractor is ready to move in when the wagon being pulled by the green tractor is full.
Full Steam Ahead
Another old piece of equipment from the past chugs along at rough and tumbles annual event.
The Iron Age
Another image from the rough and tumble gathering held recently. Obviously these machines were made in an era when things were built to last,unlike todays throw away society.
Arriving at the destination
A trio of Amish girls arrive for sunday worship as buggies make their way up the drive.
Ball of light
The sun sets on a rural farm scene
Morning Chores Begin
A new day begins on an Amish farm as the sky overhead begins to light up from the rising sun. A light in the barn signals the beginning of the first cow milking session,which must be done more than once a day.The field in the foreground was filled with corn last week,but as fall approaches,the harvesting becomes more frequent across the landscape.
Fun with Friends
When the temperatures turn cooler and you have your best friends around, can you think of anything better than a ride in your custom horse-drawn wagon? Complete with springs on the seats,a flag and four hoof drive, this is a sure-fire good time, and can you believe it,they are having fun without a cell phone or the need for text messaging.
The Blue Moon
This is last evenings blue moon as it began to rise behind this local farm. From what I understand the term refers to the second full moon in the same month. I decided on this location after conferring with the photographers ephemeris, which shows sun/moon rise and set for photographers planning shoot locations. By moving to camera right about 40 feet,the moon was coming up right between the house and barn,but the tree on the right was blocking the barn,so I had to go with this instead.Shot from my truck roof,which had the Amish wondering who this nut was on top of his truck.
The Food Chain
Have you ever seen so many cobwebs,you thought you were on the set of some science fiction thriller? Well this was the case as both myself and a fellow photographer spent an evening shooting in a local feed mill. I walked around looking for a shot and came across this corner of the mill that seemed lost in time. It’s no wonder spiders have laid claim to this place as flies were a real nuisance while we shot. I light painted this with an off camera flash trying to bring out the webs and dust and dirt as best I could. At least no mice ran by me on this visit. I have no idea what the machine does but it must not get used very often.
A Star is Born
This is a hibiscus bloom that got bent over in a recent storm. I only noticed the unique star shape on the underside after the storm passed. I thought the colors contrasted nicely.
Where is the tree?
This is the third cicada shell that I found this year in a strange location. These insects usually climb trees and hatch from there as they hang on the bark, but this one seemed to prefer greenery instead. The hibiscus was 10 feet from the tree,so maybe he was too tired to keep going. Not sure how the pollen got on him, but it was windy the day before. Their jagged legs are perfect for clinging. I only wish I had seen him hatch from here.they usually can be seen on the move around dusk as they seek out their spot to open.
Tobacco Rows
Went out sunday morning because the weather was unsettled and I was hoping to find something interesting. After a bit of driving,I came upon this partially harvested tobacco field which had nice curved lines leading your eye to the farm. Started out at ground level but decided the higher perspective from my truck roof might be beneficial,and in fact it was.The sun popped out briefly,adding a touch of sidelight to the scene as an added bonus.The green area on the left is uncut tobacco
A return to school
Cultures are always changing and the Amish are no exception.There was a time you would never have seen such colorful backpacks on Amish youth, at least not in my experience. This trio is sporting their favorite back to school accessory as they head up the road pushing their scooters.
Donald Reese Photography 