This cute little scene had me all excited as I drove by. I always have the camera in my lap and ready to shoot,so I managed to get a few frames off till they went around back.Shot this with an 80-400.
Tag Archives: Amish
Saddle up your Horse
Another day of driving around found youngsters out of school and having fun on the farm. I guess the scooter driver is trying to race the horse on the reigns. I like the way they are really in sync as they charge ahead. Hopefully the suspenders will not break or the horse might get a snap on the back.
Down in the Meadow
I had to post these two images to help tell the story. I was driving around looking for images and although you would never know it by the appearance of these, it was very late and very dark. I was using an 80-400 and was at 300mm or so and a shutter speed of a 350th second. That is too slow for this lens,but I braced myself on my truck window and snapped a few shots. All four siblings were near the wheelbarrow and the little one in the wheelbarrow with grass clippings piled on her had me in stitches. The father came pulling up with the team of horses and their attention focused on him. I really like the top image but if the little one in the wheelbarrow would be visible in that image,it would be priceless.All I needed was for the older boy to step to his right and she would have been in the image.
Life in the Slow Lane
This image turned out pretty well considering it was shot through my truck windshield. I had snapped a few frames from the side of the road and the boys saw me ,so they looked away. I drove around a little while and found them again,so I tried shooting through the windshield as they paused at a stop sign and sure enough,it was sharp. The whole family was dressed in the same color and the little girl looking out the back window and the mom smiling at her were added touches.
Stubborn as a Mule
All eyes are on the left mule as he turns his back on his friends.He insisted on standing in the middle of the row,but the boss who had a size advantage set him straight. Now he turns in disgust avoiding any photographs with his team.
Farm Field Infrared
Sun and clouds provide a nice day to shoot infrared.Willow trees are great for this.The whiter areas are where the sun was shining the strongest.I waited till the sun started to illuminate the trees and farm and the field was still in shade from the clouds.
The Silver Bullet
An Amish farmer heads down the lane with a silver tank of some sort, while another farmer in the background heads to his barn with a fresh load of harvested tobacco.
Balloon Welcoming Party
After following this hot air balloon one evening, it finally landed at an Amish farm and these young people came out to see the balloon being packed up.I shot this from across the street with about a 400mm lens as the audience looked up into the balloon. The young men actually happily pitched in to wrap the balloon up and carry it to the trailer.
An Autumn Postcard
This is another classic fall scene from the heart of Amish country featuring farmers hard at work bringing in the corn harvest. Pleasant temperatures and a mild breeze made for the perfect day to be out in the fields. A full complement of farms and silos provide the perfect backdrop to the men at work in the foreground.
Sardine Express
I have no idea how many passengers a little Honda CRV can handle, but I am pretty sure this idiot driver is over the limit and breaking several traffic laws.Yes I grew up in an age when wearing a seat belt was unheard of, but times have changed and this little scene played out as I was out with a friend shooting recently. How many people do you think climbed into this car? Not five,six,seven,eight,or even nine,but ten.There were four boys in the back,the driver,a child in the backseat between two adults,and a mother holding an infant up front. If for some reason, they were in a crash,this would have been an absolute disaster. I blurred the plate to protect the stupid. I am more prone to get involved than not,and this time I was wondering if something should have been said, but it was their decision to travel that way.
Got the Blues? Look up
A family is dressed in the same color scheme as the watch a sky diver make his way toward the ground at a community event.
A Rainbow of Scooters
I noticed these scooters parked at a one room school the other day, and contemplated shooting them.As I drove up the road to turn around,I noticed a youngster about a quarter-mile up the road heading toward the school on yet another scooter. I imagined the possibility of him passing by the scooters and me getting a shot,but lo and behold he actually stopped right at them and I quickly snapped the shot.
Dutch Country Corn Harvest
The Amish farmers have been busy in the last month harvesting thousands of acres of corn. Wet weather has delayed the work slightly,but it doesn’t take them long once they get going. I usually like to find a nice farm in the background,so the viewer can see the whole setting,instead of just the wagons.
Amish Childs Car Seat?
Every day you see something new,and for me it was an Amish buggy with a childs car seat in the back.Maybe they have being doing this forever,but its a first for me to witness it. It most likely is just sitting in there loose, but I could be wrong. Next they might have air bags installed.
Theodore Burr Arch Truss
This is the interior of a local covered bridge that has been closed for over a year due to damage from tropical storm Lee last year. Not sure exactly what the problem is,but if you look at the exterior,the bridge has a slight bow to it. This bridge sits approximately eighteen feet above the creek,but last years flood was an extreme one that hopefully wont be seen for another hundred years.I used flash to light the interior in an attempt to show the intricate construction that goes into these beautiful structures. This bridge was built in 1867 at a whopping cost of $4,500 dollars. The arch design is credited to inventor Theodore burr,who lived around the early 1800s and was a cousin to Vice President Aaron Burr.
Hot Air Express
I was chasing this balloon the other day and when it finally landed I drove up a dirt lane to watch it deflate.This Amish lady and her children pulled right into the field beside me,and initially the kids got out to run over to the balloon but the boy started crying, so they loaded back up on the wagon and I had enough time to get a photo.The girl had a basket of homemade treats that she was holding,and I was in my truck about 15 feet away hungry for a snack.
Cart before the Horse?
I have heard the saying, don’t put the cart before the horse,but never saw it in the real world till now. The horse and buggy on the right was leading the lone horse somewhere,but who knows.Not sure what the guy on the left was doing either,as he was just there on the backroad.This was a split second shot taken on the back roads.
Glowing Tobacco
Sunlight peeks through some clouds and shines on this farm and tobacco field.
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.
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.
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.
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.
