These two Amish girls were busy cruising on their tricycles and it appears they might be waiting to hear if the other two can come and play. The younger one might be asking mom if they can join the three wheeling fun.
Tag Archives: Amish
Duck Dynasty Fans?
If any of you are familiar with the american TV show duck dynasty,you know the one guy on the show coined the phrase,”happy,happy,happy”. Imagine my surprise when I saw it on an Amish buggy recently.
Horse Shoes For Sale
A group of young Amish entrepreneurs discuss the way they want to position their recently constructed collection box that tourists will use to deposit the money for horse shoe purchases.
Family Time
Mom and the boys enjoy a quiet stroll in the countryside on a cool summer day.
Amish Balloon Sight Seeing
This series of images were captured on friday evening in rural Lancaster county.The top image was taken as the pair of balloons slowly drifted across the fields on their way to landing on the road.The second image is my favorite and includes a buggy load of locals who rode up to watch the spectacle and the second deflated balloon is barely visible on the right in that image.The third shot includes some Amish volunteers who stepped forward to help fold the balloons up. A young man who was a tourist came over to me in utter shock to tell me the balloons were actually sitting right on the road,and I said relax,you see stuff like that in the country all the time.I was surprised they waved this truck to come through while they were getting ready to deflate.
After The Storm
This is another image after the rainbow from the other day. The whole sky took on a rather wild yellow/orange color and I actually changed my white balance twice thinking I had something set wrong because of the way it looked on my tablet.
Let Your Spirit Soar
This image was taken last evening from a spot I have tried to get lightning shots from several times in the past. This evening was looking like another major let down,and to be honest everything must be just right to get shots like this.You need to have lightning before the rain reaches you,you need lightning to strike where you are pointed,and you need the ambient light to be low enough to see the landscape and yet still have exposure times of eight seconds or longer.Granted you can shoot lightning at shorter times but you will waste an awful lot of frames at 1 second each till you are lucky enough to get one captured.For this shot I put a three stop neutral density on which added several seconds time to my exposure and this image happened during an eight second shot.
A friend called to tell me he was out and had just captured a strike with his new camera and that it was getting real windy where he was,and about thirty seconds later it came through where I was and I was getting a little nervous about the wind knocking the tripod over plus the lightning was getting closer,so I scampered to pack up real quick.
One very interesting thing happened this evening,and that was an Amish man came by on an open horse-drawn cart just as the lightning was picking up,and I heard him coming up the road singing almost a half mile away and he never toned down his singing one bit as he passed me. He had an open hymnal in one hand and the reigns in the other.I would describe the Amish that I have heard singing around here as more of a chant and that is what this man was doing. He looked right at me with a smile as he sang his heart out and let his spirit soar in the middle of farm country.For all I know he could have being singing, Please Lord,let me get home safe tonight. It was one of those moments that I cherish living where I do.
The Milk Run
A young Amish boy peeks out the back of this buggy to keep an eye on the two stainless steel milk containers being pulled in the wagon behind them.Of course this could be a homemade milkshake machine but one can only speculate.
Amish Tow truck?
I was driving around looking for shots when I noticed a buggy that seemed to be tail gating another buggy,but as I got closer it became apparent it was being towed. Here they are arriving at a buggy repair shop in the heart of Amish country.
Windmill Country
Actually it’s getting harder and harder to find farms that still use the old windmill,but this one stood out pretty prominently as I crested a hill and got this lovely view across the valley featuring numerous farms.The red barns illuminated by late day sun stood out as the focal point among the many farms.
The Enveloping Freeze
Finding any body of water around the area that is not completely frozen over has been a bit of a challenge this winter. This partially thawed farm pond was a bit of a surprise with temperatures in the single digits.It must be a spring fed pond to stay open at this point in the season and the temperature at daybreak was a crisp minus 5 degrees.
Sunset at Suppertime
This spot is a recent find I made and one I hope to work more in the future. The snow was very textured,possibly from strong winds at some point.This is an Amish farm and I think the light in the house is from a propane or kerosene light lantern.This snow was extremely hard to traverse because it had a hard crust that you would break through and sink eight inches with each step. I also got zapped twice on the electric fence going in and leaving this field,which my friend thought was hilarious. When I stopped to ask about taking photos,I was greeted by a large dog that appeared friendly as I called him over,and then after I was 6 feet from the car,he started growling pretty good and seemed like he was ready to rip into my leg,and thankfully the owner came out and the dog calmed down.
Almost Spectacular
This early morning image had all the earmarks of becoming a spectacular shot and although it turned out very nice,it could have been much better. the sky was just filled with clouds that would have lit up at sunrise but for some reason it kind of fizzled just when I was getting excited about the shot. I had to find the farmer in the barn as he was milking cows to ask if I could go on the land and he was more than happy to oblige. One funny thing that happened several times in the last week is me getting shocked as I climb over the electrified fences.Each time I gave them a cursory couple touches with the hand and each time nothing,until I start climbing or going under the fence and sure enough I get zapped. It kind of helps you get over the fence a little quicker.
Sunset Across The Valley
The last light of day skims across the farmland in this snow-covered valley. I came to a quick stop in order to jump out of my truck and capture this fleeting moment.Less than five minutes later,the sun had dropped below the mountains and the cold of evening began to envelop the region.
Dashing Through The Snow
This pair of Amish sleigh riders are zipping down the road in rural Lancaster county on a day that saw temperatures hover around five degrees. Judging by the fact that you can only see their eyes,its safe to assume it was a bit brisk in the old red sleigh.Next time you complain about your car not heating up quickly enough in winter,think of these two.
School and Home
This telephoto shot compressed the distance between the one room school-house in the middle and two Amish farms in the background. I find it humorous how modern schools have closed several times due to low temperatures,yet Amish kids still walk to school and attend on the days public schools are closed. I spoke to an Amish friend and he told me ”we love our children just as much,we just don’t think they need to be sheltered from every adversity”. Some people wonder how the Amish can live without all the modern gadgets,yet they have things many can only dream of,like contentment, humility and the list goes on and on. Imagine sitting in the outhouse at that school in minus 10 degree weather,and you can bet you would take care of business in a timely fashion.
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A Cold Sunday Walk
I photographed this snow-covered scene yesterday on a back road in Amish country and it includes numerous buggies and a few walkers as they head to church at one of the farms up the road. There is actually four buggies rounding the bend but they are hard to see in the distance. I really liked the youngster bundled in the green blanket and his sister wearing the bright yellow scarf. It was 16 degrees when I snapped this image,which was made possible by using my camranger from inside my warm truck to fire the tripod mounted camera on my vehicle roof. I had no intention of going out at sunrise because freezing rain was forecast,but as I looked out my bedroom at 5am,I could see stars,so I headed out.Clouds quickly moved in to ruin sunrise and this was shot at iso 1000,which I hate to do,but it was necessary to get a 500th second shutter speed. Was really pleased I Made the effort.
Dawn At The Farm Stand
I actually got out of bed to shoot a local farm stand before sunrise. I had been counting on a colorful sunrise but never expected the sun to rise exactly in the spot it did and for a layer of fog to spice up the shot. The hardest part was trying to focus in the dark before hand.
Take Your Pick
This farm wagon is overflowing with a variety of unique pumpkins for fall decorating. From the green one that looks like an apple to the white ones devoid of color,there is one for every taste.They say this was a great year for pumpkins,so prices should stay very reasonable.
Looking Back
Mom takes the boys for a ride out to the mailbox to retrieve the mail. The keen youngsters heard my car slow up and turned to see what the sound was. A long lens helped get the shot.
Busy Fields
An older Amish man heads back towards the barn while a young whipper snapper guides an empty wagon up the field.Notice the bare feet on the closer driver.
Honest Days Work
This Amish family is hard at work on a warm september day harvesting their corn crop. One wagon moves along to catch the freshly cut stalks until it is full, and the next empty wagon is heading up the field to take its place when needed. This year has been a banner year for corn and fields will be a buzz with activity in the coming weeks.
Heading Home
A long lens helps compress this farm country scene, which includes a one room school down the hill on the right and two Amish farms in the distance. Sheer luck found me passing this spot at the end of the school day as the kids and their teachers headed for home. I never really stop and consciously think about composition at this point in my career, but the old rule of thirds can be seen in this shot and that helps create a pleasing arrangement for the eye to move around the image.
Fresh Tobacco
An Amish farmer heads down the road with a freshly cut load of tobacco. I highly doubt he will exceed the speed limit.
It’s Crunch Time
This little fellow was safely sandwiched between his older sisters as they went for a trip to town on their fancy cart. This youngster wasn’t going anywhere without his sisters approval and he probably will fondly remember taking trips like this as he grows older.
Family Trek
This image was taken at the same location as yesterdays harvest shot. I noticed the family heading toward me on a crisp autumn day, so I leaned against a telephone pole,pre-focused the camera and snapped a frame as they passed. They were laughing and talking as the made their way up the road,and if you can believe it,not one person was talking,texting or otherwise wasting their precious time on the latest gadget designed to drain our wallets and minds.
Seasonal Sign
This is one time of the year I find very enjoyable for a variety of reasons. First,you can feel a change in the air and you know fall color is getting closer and the cold winds of the north will soon be bringing snow. It’s also a time to reflect on the summer gone by and watch local farmers harvesting their crops in the fields. As I have mentioned in the past,I like to find images of harvesting in which the workers are shown against a backdrop of farms to help tell a complete story. It’s a lot harder to find these scenarios but worth the effort in my opinion. Shown are Amish farmers cutting field corn to feed their cows over winter.
Let Your Hair Down
This is a little different as far as photos I usually post,but this young lady caught my eye on a local back road and I figured I would show it. Amish general keep their hair up and covered but this girl decided to mow the yard with it down. I blurred her face to keep her anonymous but in the image on the left ,her hair is almost at her ankle. For me,this is the longest hair I have seen,but maybe this is very common among the culture? Can you imagine drying it or working to put it up? Maybe it has never been cut?
All Played Out
Not sure if this is boredom of just exhaustion from playing hard,but this young fellow looks like he is ready for a nap.
Road Hog
This Amish wagon was loaded with harvested corn yesterday as it headed up the road to the silo. He had to pause at this bend in the road to let the buggy pass. Sights like this will become common in the month ahead.
Donald Reese Photography 