I snapped this in late summer as mom,pop and jr were meandering about the pasture. They should have named him spitfire, because every now and then he would just take off at full speed using every muscle he had available. They remind me they just came from the hair salon with their fancy hair.
Fall trees come in a wide variety of colors but few can match the wow factor that the Gingko brings to the Autumn table. It is a one trick pony but when it comes to grabbing your attention it delivers in grand fashion. The burning bush in the background is no slouch either.
While this image is not that amazing, the backstory is kind of funny. The day before I snapped this photo I had stopped at a Mennonite farm about two miles up the road to ask if I could try a shot of their garden which was on it’s last hoorah. They kindly agreed so I set up my tripod and waited for the sun to get near the horizon for my shot. I usually shoot a series of exposures every couple minutes because there is a point where everything is just right. While I waited a young boy came out to see what I was doing, so I showed him my tablet with my composed image displayed. He took a look and says “hey, thats not bad” which I found sort of humorous. His father came out near dark and I asked if I could go in the barn to light the inside,to which he gladly agreed.
So the very next day I am going down the road and I notice these 4 kids had just left the one room school and headed up this farm lane which connected to another road. I knew they were eventually going to come up this hill so I sat in my car and waited with a long lens. I took a few as they approached and when they were about 30 yards away I heard the one in the front yell “hey Don”? I thought did I really just hear my name called out? Well it turns out this was the boy from the night before who gave me his analysis of my shot and he had the biggest smile on his face as he got closer. So to get even crazier, the oldest boy in the yellow shirt asks “are you Donald Reese” which was mind blowing. We have a little running joke at work because in the last month I have had at least 5 different Mennonite people meet me and When I say hi my name is Don, they say are you Donald Reese? The most recent one happened when I saw a nice barn and fall trees and pulled off the road to take a shot. As I snapped away I noticed the farmer walking out towards me so I prepared for trouble. I said hi can I help you? and he said “well there are some questions”. I told him I was local and was getting some fall photos and guess what he asked me, “Are you Donald Reese”? I said as a matter of fact I am, and this 40 or so year old man puts his hand by his knee and said I have been admiring your photos since I was this tall! I guess people have been taking note of my images over the years and I am honored by that!
This image was taken at the Lebanon V.A hospital and it is the second year in a row that I was blown away by the color in this grove of trees meant as a place to rest and just enjoy the quieter things in life. It’s as if every leaf is shouting “thank you” for all you have given for us!
The inside of one of Lancaster Counties numerous covered bridges and on the outside some colorful fall foliage around a small old building awaits anyone strolling through! This was shot on a tripod with one exposure capturing the dark interior and a second exposure capturing the bright exterior. An overcast day would possibly allow a single shot to capture the dynamic range of both inside and out but there usually is some part that just falls apart in deep shadows or bright highlights. As a side note, I actually got permission like 10 or 15 years ago to string Christmas lights up on the exterior roof edge, but that was when I was young and nimble. It drew a lot of people to see the lit bridge. I still have huge totes full of icicle lights I purchased to do that. Just another fond memory of my many endeavors to do something special with my photography. I should write a book detailing my adventures including a few times I almost paid the price for what I will call my momentary loss of common sense..
Believe it or not this is a shot I have been hoping to capture for the last four years! Fall is a favorite time of year for me and I enjoy everything from the crisp cool nights and frosty mornings to the dazzling array of autumn colors! This location in particular is one I happened to drive past each of the last 3 years and every time it was when the inventory was anywhere from half gone to three quarters gone. Well fast forward to this year and for once I caught the field full of rich color. I stopped and snapped a quick shot and asked if I could stop by in the evening to do a tripod mounted shot under softer lighting? The young lady said sure and all day all I could think about was how awesome this opportunity was going to be to capture such beauty! Well evening finally rolled around and I arrived to notice that during the day hundreds of the most vibrant plants had been taken to the auction? This minor setback was never even considered as a possibility but as the owner told me once they get to full color it is time to move them out. Well I ended up shooting a little lower angle to hide empty areas and the owners thankfully allowed me to move some plants to fill in random holes. I was just settling in with my final composition and the light was getting more appealing by the minute and low and behold here comes a tractor with a wagon down the lane to remove even more? Not knowing what they were going to grab sent me into hustle mode capturing as many exposures from light to dark before my subject potentially might disappear in front of me. They did grab a couple dozen but mostly from the area out of my shot so in the end I finally was blessed to get the shot!
As a side note I wanted to mention that the owner and his family were very appreciative of the framed print I gave them and were extremely pleased with the final image. I must say it is very gratifying when someone acknowledges your abilities and the effort put forth to rise above mediocrity. I think both shots are great but I always lean toward the images that have that “alive” with light look that is one look I love because it imparts more than beauty as you can imagine yourself getting up for morning chores or maybe getting ready to turn in after a day of hard work. Most people are more than happy to hit a few lights on so I can go the extra mile.
A local farm stand is flush with pumpkins of all shapes and sizes.
I happened to drive by this porch of carved pumpkins during the day and decided to come back that evening. I had no idea if they would be lit or not but as I came up the road I could see the glow so I knew we were in business. This scene is about 10 feet off the road so getting a shot was very easy. What would a Halloween photo be without a little scare in the story? I parked in a field, grabbed my gear and headed across the road and that’s when I noticed a few were not lit? Other than the glowing pumpkins, it was very dark around them and as I set my tripod up a voice suddenly came from the dark porch saying I will have them all lit in a minute! Well after that unexpected surprise, they went inside and I commenced to adding a touch of light for that cool moonlit shot I had envisioned! It seems that creative endeavors done for the enjoyment of others are becoming increasingly scarce in a world of self absorbed people who have very little desire to do anything positive requiring the slightest effort! I know I am getting old when I feel the need to share what I see happening in society and maybe it runs in my genes because I did have some ancestors who were Preachers!
Another one room school delivers a fall message of hope using leaves and chain link fence.
Growing up eons ago we were always told to sit indian style in school. Fast forward to our more enlightened existence, we now ask kids to sit criss cross applesauce. I will never forget taking a photo in elementary school and I told the front row to sit indian style! Well the teachers head almost exploded at the damage that could have been done using this antiquated term! What a caption for a fence photo.
An ultralight slowly passes over an Amish family and gets a warm welcome to the country.
This is a rather unique sight for Lancaster County and reminded me of the Budweiser Clydesdale team. The group was very friendly and waved as they passed by. One thing I could not figure out was they had a lone car tire hanging off the back?
I have seen round bales, rectangular bales but I think it is time for triangular bales. Not the best stackers but a nice change of pace perhaps?
One of my favorite springtime scents is the beautiful Lilac. All the colors have their individual scent but all are amazing.
A couple friendly waves for the photographer!
This giant harvester is on the move on the back roads of Lancaster county and the horse pulling the buggy is not exactly happy with having to share the road!
This sunflower field was great but there was nothing to include when looking into the heads so I shot them from the rear so I could include the small farmette.
These freshly loaded round bales are heading to the barn for storage. Dad is at the wheel while his two young sons are to the right on the fender learning the ropes. The harvester in the background was not a luck thing because I put myself in the right spot and waited for the two to converge in one shot. Farm kids learn early on about having a good work ethic and I never question the parents personal decisions on safety related activities, but if one of those boys slides off, that steel wheel tractor ain’t stopping in time! We have had several kids here in Lancaster county this year crushed under wagon wheels and they did not survive!
Heading out to play a little baseball.
Approaching storm.
Some creative messaging from some one room school students using plastic cups!
Big brother offers his sibling a little summer fun. I was originally going to title this “Hauling Ass” but changed it at the last minute.
A local farm with a pick your own flower patch.
This crew of Amish kids were headed out for a day of fishing, but I thought it was interesting how the two runners are in the exact same position!
I mentioned previously that after the Amish girl Linda Stoltzfoos was abducted and murdered that I found I was affected by it so much I had no desire to go out shooting. Well I still do not shoot like I used too but I still enjoy documenting Lancaster county Amish life and our agricultural landscape. In case you don’t know the term Rumspringa , my understanding is it is a period in Amish teen years were they kind of are allowed to experience the trappings of the world with little repercussions from the elders. Beer drinking, parties etc are common events during this time. I am not sure you would say this shot represents Rumspringa but it’s not every day I get the finger from a wagon full of Amish teens, much less the one on the right giving me the loser salute! I remember years ago a Police officer told me he got a call from someone complaining about loud partying at a farm next door and the officer told me as he drove down the lane he noticed movement on the barn roof and upon shining his spotlight he witnessed half a dozen Amish girls without a stitch of clothing on. Now that is some serious Rumspringa right there.
Donald Reese Photography 