Tag Archives: lancaster county

Winter at the Cemetery

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I headed out to a local cemetery to try some light painting this past weekend and once again temperatures in the single digits tested my dedication to the craft. The sunset was nice and the colorful sky in this image is part light from sunset and the city nearby,which gave a neat effect. I used my nitecor flashlight to illuminate the chapel,trees,snow and tombstones. I always am on my toes when I am alone in places like this because I have seen homeless sleeping here,but not with the temperatures we have right now. I was also worried the gate might be closed when I went to leave but thankfully that was not the case.

School and Home

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school&farm-snowsceneThis 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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Bridge to Frozenville

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bridge-snowstormWe have been bouncing back and forth between temperatures than can reach 40 one day and then plummet to single digits the next,and while I like a good hard winter,it has been a little painful going out shooting lately. On this day I left the house at five in the morning and the temp was a whopping 1 degree,but as the morning progressed and winds picked up, the wind chill went to minus 18,and there were several times I could not feel my fingers as I controlled the camera from my tablet.I wore gloves with hand warmers,but changing camera settings is a bit tough with thick gloves,so they came off at times and that proved very painful and I could see my finger touch the tablet screen but could not feel it.Being near water did not particularly help keep me warm either but memories like that get etched in your brain for posterity and every time I look at this image,I will be transported back in time to feel all the cold again.

 

To The Rescue

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old-towtruck

For some reason I like to photograph old items from the past and when I do,I get to wondering about the history behind them. I found this old rusty tow truck for sale in a parking lot and it clearly had seen some mileage,but with a little searching on the net for the name emblazoned on the door,I did find the truck was originally owned by a gentleman named Edward Graf who had his own garage and was a certified mechanic. He was a life member of a fire company and from what I found at least one son has followed in that proud tradition and that’s why my title was aptly picked. This truck certainly came to the rescue of many motorists over the years and that ties in with serving in the fire company as well. I light painted the truck with my flashlight.

 

Tree Farm

Posted by reesephoto on

elizabeth-farms-snowscene

This lovely farm sells Christmas trees and they were generous enough to allow me and a friend to capture a few images.We arrived under heavy cloud cover but within a few minutes the sky started to open and I captured this shot as the first rays of sun illuminated the house and barn but still left the trees in shadow.

A Cold Sunday Walk

Posted by reesephoto on

amish-on-snowy-road

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.

The Historic Smithton

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Todays photo of the day features the Historic Smithton Inn located in Ephrata ,Pa. Innkeepers Dave and Rebecca Gallagher have painstakingly restored this beautiful property and it now functions as a highly rated B&B welcoming guests from all over the world who are visiting quaint Lancaster County. This year marked the 250th anniversary of the inn and the owners have hosted many events over the past year,which have benefitted many charities. Of all the folks I have worked with doing photos,Rebecca has been one of the most appreciative,which makes my efforts easier. I probably spent close to three hours bringing this image to completion and it included dozens of images.

The middle image is the starting point with no light added and the top image is after adding light from various angles. If you notice,the lamps were not lit when I got there,so I used a spotlight to light them and the ground below them.Most other areas were lit by flash.Take special note of the unique three-dimensional design on the wall shown up close in the bottom photo. I have no idea how that was done,but it is very unique.

The Chocolatiers Imagination

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wilbur-chocolate-display

Lititz Pa earned the distinct honor of being named Americas Coolest Small Town this year, and there are a variety of reasons for this accolade. From the small town charm, to the businesses that are an integral part of the community, to the residents that take pride in their town, lititz is one unique place that beckons visitors to return over and over.One of the attractions that draws visitors to Lititz is Wilbur Chocolate,which is famous for Wilbur Buds as well as countless other confectionary delights. The amazing display shown above is thanks to the creative genius of Chocolatier Kathy Blankenbiller of Wilbur Chocolate. Kathy spent countless hours making this masterpiece of nursery rhyme characters for the annual Lititz Chocolate Walk held on Columbus day weekend. It is currently on display in the Wilbur chocolate store,and is showcased against a backdrop of antique chocolate making items.

Kathy says the entire thing is edible and includes modeling chocolate,royal icing,licorice,Rice Krispie treats and more,and depicts at least 13 nursery rhymes plus a few jokes thrown in.I saw the dazzling display when visiting the store and inquired if I might record the masterpiece and the fine folks at Wilbur were very accommodating in allowing me to undertake this project.I cant wait to see what next years creation might be,but you can bet with attention to detail like this piece exhibits,it will be inspiring.

Merry Christmas

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This nativity is located on the square in the town of Lititz,PA, and a few years ago someone complained and the ACLU got involved trying to ban the display. Thankfully the land is owned by the Church and the ACLU and its misguided agenda were sent packing. Wishing all my loyal blog followers a Merry Christmas.

The Lane Home

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This snow-covered stone wall frames the lane leading in to this rural home. I looked out my bedroom window in the early pre-dawn light and had an inclination the sunrise would be good,so I bundled up and headed out in search of a scene to capture. I passed this place,hit the brakes and backed up to capture the gorgeous light on the landscape.

Dawn in a Winter Wonderland

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Todays post features a lovely older home that is owned by someone I know and it always seems to have such an inviting charm that beckons you to stop and sit on the wrap around porch and watch the world go by. The man of the house puts the lights up and then the lady of the house adds her special decorating touches to bring it all together and finally mother nature throws a dash of snow to complete the picture. This was actually pretty challenging to shoot because the house sits on a steep hill,so I set my tripod up on my truck roof,which gave me about ten feet of elevation to help get parallel.

Gingerbread Creation

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Every year the folks at RLPS Architects in Lancaster,Pa create an amazing themed gingerbread display for the public to enjoy. This year the theme was Italian Ice and this is one of a few images I was lucky enough to be able to shoot. You can’t take all the detail in on one visit because it is amazingly detailed and took 2000 hours to complete.Make sure you visit lefever photo under my artists that inspire tab. He is the primary photographer for this creation and most certainly will have amazing images.

An Illuminating Path

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cloister-lanterns

 

Lanterns mark the path for guests on their way to hear a chorus sing at the Historic Ephrata Cloister. Thankfully, snow had fallen the day of this event and made a perfect setting for the glowing candles in these lanterns.

Home for the Holidays

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This lovely scene was one I captured last weekend as I drove home in some rather treacherous  wintry conditions, but they were not bad enough to stop me from shooting this Currier and Ives picture postcard type scene. It was actually half snowing and sleeting the whole time and thankfully I had an umbrella clamped to my tripod to protect the camera somewhat. I have great memories of gathering with the family during the holidays and going to grandma and grandpa’s house to savor all the treats that only grandma seemed to be able to make. From sand tart cookies that melted in your mouth to glazed carrots that were a perennial favorite with the whole family,oh how we all long for the good old days. below are the beginning lyrics to two classic holiday tunes that you can sing to yourself as you imagine curling up by the fireplace in this classic home on a frigid night.

Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam,
When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
For the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home.
or this lyric from the song sleigh ride

There’s a happy feeling
Nothing in the world can buy,
When they pass around the coffee
And the pumpkin pie,
It’ll nearly be like a picture print
By Currier and Ives,
These wonderful things are the things
We remember all through our lives!

 

Glaze of Ice

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Icy-snow-tree-sunsetOpportunities like this don’t come along very often because freezing rain on top of snow is not that commonplace. The glistening coating makes for a lovely canvas for light to reflect and shimmer across the surface. I had plans for a cool shot after sunset but the sun disappeared behind a cloud bank shortly after this image. A light snow also came last night which has ruined the chance for more images like this but I have no complaints because we finally are having a winter with snow again.

 

Hoar Frost Coating

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hoarfrost-in-sunlight

As I mentioned the other day,this is what I left the house to seek out before dawn the other day. It is called hoar-frost and it is not snow but ice that accumulates on cold objects when the conditions are just right. Two days in a row the temperatures were in the single digits and one day it was all over the place and the next there was not even a single tree to be found with it. I have heard it referred to as radiation frost as well. Usually appears near streams or creeks in my experience.

Winter Wonderland

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A fresh snow blankets the sleepy little village of Lititz,Pa on a quiet night. These poor snowman and santa are trapped behind glass and wish they could get out to frolic in this winter wonderland.

Dashing Through The Snow

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lititz-zum-anker-reindeer

Finally found some time to visit Lititz,Pa again to capture some more shop scenes in the downtown area. The first scene that caught my eye was this set of reindeer,complete with illuminated red noses and a sleigh with christmas packages behind them. I had to rush a bit because they put the reindeer away at closing time,which is just the time the light gets good. A few pops of the flash added a bit of interest to bring the scene to life. This was shot saturday and then it snowed on sunday,which would have added to the shot but this turned out pretty good despite no snow.

 

Window Shopping

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I was pretty happy with my result on this image featuring an Antique store called the Moravian House in Lititz,Pa. The hardest aspect was getting the word antiques on the window to glow and stand out.The shop owners remembered me from the past and gladly left me inside to fire my flash out through the letters from behind. This can be a rather complicated process to get the look I want,and changing camera white balance and getting the flash at the right angle help me get the color the way I envision it.

A Zest For Small Town Life

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lititz-zest-store lititz-zest-store2

This is the time of year I really enjoy shooting store windows in the town of Lititz ,Pa. Lititz has a small town feel that just takes you back to a bygone era,and the stores get all decked out for the coming holiday season,which makes for a delightful evening walk through town. My favorite time to take photos is right around dusk,just as the shops are closing for the day.The quiet of nightfall in this sleepy little town is only enhanced by music emanating from the town square and with a little imagination you feel as if you were just transported to a Charles Dickens novel.This pair of images are of a store called Zest,and the owners always do a stellar job of decorating the windows. Light shining out from the store illuminates the freshly fallen leaves as the cool blue of dusk begins to envelope the street. Many stores are beginning to transition to the Christmas season,so hopefully I will find some unique subjects to share.

An Autumn Walk

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lititz-fall-sidewalk2

 

This image was taken this past weekend across the street from the Halloween home I posted yesterday, and after the three lamp posts came on,I decided to scoot across the street and get a quick shot. Between the lights,leaves and lovely homes,I could not resist capturing it. Again this was taken in Americas coolest small town,which is Lititz,pa.

 

A Spooktacular Evening

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This is the view from the sidewalk at the Halloween home I was invited to shoot this past weekend. These are the three pumpkin figures behind the fence,but the third one was hard to get with the angle I settled on for my main shot. The pumpkin figures were very simple but very menacing,which was very cool. My image from yesterday included the pumpkins on the porch,which are just visible in the distance. Other cool decor included flaming pumpkins,one of which is seen burning behind the figures and that involved soaking a roll of toilet paper in kerosene and letting it burn inside the carved pumpkins,which was awesome,and a ghost on a pole which was made to move by using an oscillating fan behind it,which was simply ingenious. The cool blue of nightfall and red leaves on the trees rounded out the fall scene. I had to shoot the closeup on bottom before the owners lit them because I had to get set for my main image.

Autumn Arrives

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This small roadside stand is packed with a variety of items for decorating the home. From colorful mums, to gourds and pumpkins. to corn shocks, and even hay bales,there is something for every decor. My current favorite is the cinderella variety perched on the hay bales. Sitting in the lower left corner are apples and pears that have the most appealing scent.

Dawn At The Farm Stand

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fall-market-sunrise

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.