An early autumn scene in rural Lancaster county Pennsylvania includes an Amish man guiding a load of harvested corn back to the barn. The flowers on the right add a touch of color to brighten the day.
Tag Archives: Photography
Autumn is Here
Pumpkins are starting to appear at just about every roadside stand you pass.This has been a great year for farming in the region and pumpkins are doing just fine as well.This is one stand I liked because of the nice farm in the background.
Amish Shopping Trip
These Amish girls head home after a short trip to the grocery store.The small horse cuts through the wind thanks to his low profile.
Putting The Hammer Down
A group of Model A owners takes a day trip through the Lancaster county countryside,which occasionally means passing a horse and buggy. These vintage cars are not going to set any land speed records,but they travel in style and grace and allow one to slow down and enjoy the scenery on an autumn day.
A Vintage Day In Amish Country
This group of model A enthusiasts took a driving tour through the back roads of Lancaster county recently, and one of their stops included the historic Resslers Mill,which is the setting they are driving past in this photo.This group of cars belong to The Susquehanna Valley Region of the National Model A Restorer’s Club (MARC). The purpose of the club is to encourage members to acquire, restore, preserve and exhibit the Model A” Ford.
No Fear
These Amish barn builders seemed to have no fear of height as they worked on this barn roof with no safety harness system.What really blew my mind was how they stood on the metal roof that was most likely a very slippery surface as can be seen in the top photo. They all walked in unison carrying each piece across the structure which seemed a little iffy to me. The bottom image gives you an idea how high they were.
A Day For Harvesting
Hay bales get stacked one by one as the team moves up the field on a sunny day in farm country.
There She Stands
Today marks the Thirteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our country on september eleventh of 2001. For me, like countless others, this day is permanently etched into my mind and like most I remember the exact moment it unfolded. For me it was a crystal clear fall day out in the country photographing blue morning glories on a farm, when the radio began to crackle with hints of something unspeakable. I recall driving as fast as I could to get to a television and being glued to it for days. Take a moment today to think of and pray for those who were lost that day, and especially their families who were left to cope with such heartbreak.
Every anniversary of this event, I find myself watching the documentaries on television and each and every time I am instantly taken back to that moment and overcome with a sense of deep despair, and I can’t begin to imagine the heartache for those who never got the chance to hold their loved ones again. I have never been to the twin towers memorial, but I have been to the Shanksville crash site in Pennsylvania and while it is not an over the top memorial, I can definitely say it is a place of quiet reflection that really hits you. I felt this Angel statue from a cemetery in New York was a fitting image for today. It is among my favorite infrared images that I have shot. If you have a moment and care to hear Michael W. Smiths tribute song to 9-11 called ”There she stands”, I posted a link here.
The Good Life
A father takes his eye off the wheel for a moment to glance back and talk to his boys who are enjoying a relaxing ride on the wagon while sitting in their favorite chairs.
Special Delivery
This unique moment was one I was glad to have captured but it would have been better with a longer lens.I was driving when I noticed what appeared to be a wheelbarrow load of black puppies being unloaded at an Amish farm and as I scrambled to grab the camera and focus,I see one lone white puppy coming out of the mix.The boy was being very careful with each one and had a big smile the entire time. A 200mm lens barely reached and the light was terrible but just the white puppy and the way I captured him lowering it made for a rather unique moment in time.
Our Mail Rocks
Without a little help from the rock garden,the mail would not be delivered this day.She is giving it her best shot to help with the chores.
Snack Break
This family was enjoying a snack break of chips and soda as they headed down the road one afternoon.
Got It Made
This little guy must be doing something right to get the best seat around.
Giddy Up Sis
A trip to the mailbox means an opportunity for a free ride from a sibling.Notice the reigns wrapped around her neck.
A Family Affair
A busy day harvesting hay features mom at the reins and dad on the wagon piling the hay bales.The children are off in the distance doing various chores.
Buggy or Bug?
This is something I have never seen before.An amish home with a buggy in the driveway and a VW Bug in the garage.Maybe the bug is there in case they are late for church? At least they kept it black as expected.
Hang On Grandma
An Amish grandma gets a back seat tour of the Lancaster county countryside in this tiny cart.Hopefully the young driver keeps it to a slow crawl or someone might be getting a swat on the hind quarters.
Amish Driving Lessons
This little scene turned out way different than I thought it would and here is why.As I drove past this farm lane I quickly glanced in and saw what I thought was 4 children ready to head out for a wagon ride,and all I saw was the kids all loaded and ready to lead the horse,so I decided to go a short ways up the road and wait for them to come by.After about three minutes,I became impatient and drove back to see what the hold up was,and that’s when it became clear that the horse was fake and it was a training session I had witnessed.By then all but one had gone somewhere else and it is one of those shots I will play over in my head that I should have gotten.
Trust Your Instincts
This was one of those nights I wish I had listened to my instincts and headed out to shoot earlier.I was doing yard work and noticed a transitioning sky and kept telling myself to head out but I kept stalling.By the time I saw the cool clouds forming,I found myself scrambling to get somewhere fast.Unfortunately this is the best I could find on short notice and the clouds to the left of my shot were much more dramatic,but it had no foreground interest that direction. Their was lightning as well but never where I had the camera pointed and I was a little nervous about getting out of the car to recompose.
Summer Flight
This hot air balloon finally got to a spot low enough that I could include some of the farm landscape below it.Hot air balloons can be a bit of a challenge to shoot,especially on an evening like this when it was slightly breezy, because they cover so much ground that keeping ahead of them and putting yourself in the right spot for a shot becomes tricky. The crew landed in a farm field shortly after this shot was taken.
Driving Lessons
This image caught my eye with the two young boys learning the nuances of handling the horses and equipment from their father.As I was working on the shot, I zoomed in and realized there were two more children in front of the father that I never even noticed. They are hard to see in this small version but the hats are there.
A Round The Hay Field
This field of round hay bales looked especially appealing in the late day light of an approaching storm. I was slightly concerned as I shot this because I was on my truck roof with my tripod extended and there were a few flickers of lightning in the distance.The lower image includes the machine that makes the bales and a load of bales ready to leave the field.That image was taken across the road in a second field that evening and I am pretty sure the large field got drenched before they were collected.
The Gunslinger
Like a scene out of an old western,the young gunslinger stares down the stranger as a defeated opponent rides off into the sunset in the background.
Traffic Jam
This is a perfect example of being in the right place at the right time,and the only thing that was problematic was the low light and the resulting wide aperture and fast shutter speed needed to freeze any motion.The children seemed to be headed for a collision and the horse was definitely not happy as they got closer to each other.There is actually a wagon being pulled behind the horse cart as well.
There They Are
I spotted these four brothers enjoying a snack together on the rear of the buggy at a back road store.As I snapped this,the little one started pointing and he was telling his brothers to look at the tourist buggy that was going by and they all waved.Up until a few years ago,there was no such thing around here,but numerous places offer buggy rides that can be small buggies or large wagons that haul fifteen at once,and the big one is what he saw. The bottom image was taken the same day and features an Amish teen on his electric scooter as he passes the tourist wagon on the way to the same shoe shop the boys were at the top of this hill.
Primarily Amish
Working in RGB for my photography,I noticed these three Amish friends heading down the road in that exact color scheme. Now all I need is a group of four dressed in CMYK and things would get interesting.
Exploding Umbrella
This was one of those images that just fell in my lap this past weekend.I was out in search of severe weather and the storms were approaching quickly.Suddenly the winds picked up significantly and at the same time these three Amish girls were heading up the road to visit friends.The umbrella blew inside out just as they past me,which had the three of them laughing and I managed to capture this shot as she wrestled the contraption.
Cozy Quarters
This youngster is situated right between his older sisters and that way he will stay out of trouble.
Coming Round The Bend
Two families head home after a sunday visiting with friends.I basically picked this spot,set up my tripod and hoped for the best.These two buggies were the only two that came by while I waited at least 45 minutes. I kept bumping up the iso as the light levels went lower and lower.I ended up at iso 1250 at a 500th second at f5.6 and the ability to freeze any motion was practically gone.
Can You Go Riding?
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.
Donald Reese Photography 