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IN THE FIELD: OLEY VALLEY COMMUNITY FAIR
A few weeks ago I paid a visit to the Oley Valley Community Fair. This fair has been a community tradition for 72 years.
First a bit of history…
The Oley valley is a fertile farming area in southeastern Pennsylvania where all sorts of livestock is raised and crops are grown. The valley encompasses several townships. In fact the history of the Oley Valley goes way back to the first German settlers of the early 1700’s. The township of Oley was formed in 1740 and in 1983 the entire township was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Daniel Boone was born in the valley. His family had a small farm where he lived until his early teens.
There are some neat old homes in fine condition in the town of Oley and many historic farmsteads in the valley.
Now back to the fair. I visited on the second day of the fair just as the gates where opening. Good thing I did because several exhibiters I was chatting with, mentioned that in a few hours mobs of people would descend on the fairgrounds.
There were several buildings/exhibit halls filled with baked goods, home canned goods, quilts, crafts, photography, examples of veggies, fruit crops, and all sorts of plants and flowers, all grown or made by adults as well as children. Local business were represented in yet another building. Outside in the fairgrounds, tractors and farm equipment were on display as were other forms of recreational equipment such as boats and all terrain vehicles. Open air buildings and tents housed exhibits of sheep, goats, pigs, cows, and rabbits to be observed and even petted if you wished. Ribbons and some cash prizes were awarded for the best of the best.
There was a bandstand where one could sit and listen to various musical groups while resting one’s feet. Food is another big thing at this fair. I seriously doubt you could go hungry. The amusement rides and the tractor pulls were a big draw along with the antique and classic car show. I missed the really big tractor pulls which were held the day before, but it was still fun to watch the smaller ones. And by the way, what is a community fair with out a pumpkin growing contest? Well I have to admit I have never seen in person so many huge pumpkins. The winner was a huge 799 pounder.
It was a great day for meandering around the fairgrounds and I am looking forward to visiting again next year. Maybe I’ll even try some of the famous French fries…it was a little early in the morning this time around.
IN THE FIELD: Autumn And Winter Atmospheres
During the autumn and winter seasons, conditions are often favorable for brilliant and colorful sunrises and sunsets.
Ever wonder why the sunrises and sunsets are often very vibrant during the autumn and winter months? Well, it’s partly due to the light from the sun at sunrise and sunset must pass through more of the earth’s atmosphere before it reaches our eyes. That’s mostly due to the angle or tilt of the earth in relation to the sun. Because of this, the light comes in contact with more molecules in the air. Much of the blue light gets scattered or diffused away leaving behind the pinks, reds, oranges and yellows which become more pronounced. Another factor is the clear dry air that is present this time of year compared to the more humid air of spring and summer.
For sunset photos, be sure to stick around for 15 -20 minutes or so after the sun dips below the horizon. That’s when the color can really be intense. For sunrises, get in position about a 1/2 hour before the sun peeks over the horizon and you may just have some of the most beautiful color of the day.
If you would like to reward yourself with some fantastic images that are taken in the cooler seasons, grab some gloves, boots, a warm coat and hat, pick up your camera and tripod and go out and feast your eyes. Just remember…there is no such thing as bad weather…it’s bad clothing.
f6.7
1/45th
cloudy WB
ISO 200
Shot in RAW
IN THE FIELD: Busy Busy Busy
Where’s David been ??? Well here goes…we have been getting ready for the “big move.” My wife and have built a new home. It is something we have talked about doing since we first met.
For the last year we have been renting a small house while our home was being built. During the last few weeks of October, we have been busy with settlement on the home, and moving all the stored items (80% of our belongings) to the new house. Additionally, we have been packing the remainder of our stuff, organizing various contractors jobs, shopping for necessities such as window treatments (we do have neighbors), a new refrigerator (have to keep food and beer cold), and new bed coverings (winter is on the way) along with other odds and ends.
I have even managed to free up some time and shoot 4237 photographs of the Autumn foliage all across the northeast part of the country.
Okay, so I didn’t shoot 4237 photographs of Autumn foliage. But I did manage to find a few minutes here and there to document the whole building process of the house and to photograph some classic cars and trucks. It feels odd not being out with my camera, but soon enough I’ll be out exploring our new territory and sharing what I find.
I do miss all of your stories and wonderful photos you include with them. My new office will be the perfect place to catch up and I look forward to seeing what all of you folks have been up to.
I would also like to thank you all for the likes and the follows…they are truly appreciated beyond words.
The final move is soon upon us….then we get to unpack.
f6.3
1/200th
ISO 100
cloudy WB
HOW TO: Speedy Abstracts
Last weekend we were out for a drive in the countryside on a beautiful Autumn afternoon. My wife was driving and I decided to get creative with my camera as we whizzed through the woods.
I set up the lens with a mid range aperture and the camera with a slow shutter speed. In this case it was f8 and 1/25th of a second. As we drove through the woods I pointed the camera out the passenger window towards the scenery that was zipping by. I was attempting to capture the various colors of leaves as they began to change colors, but in an abstract way.
Photography from a moving car, whether it is daytime or nighttime, offers endless possibilities for creativity.
f8
1/25th
ISO 200
cloudy WB
IN THE FIELD: First Flash Of Fall
Autumn is here! The days are getting shorter and more temperate…the nights are getting longer and cooler…and the Chrysanthemums are everywhere.
f9
1/160th
ISO 200
cloudy WB
IN THE FIELD: Not As Late As You May Think It Is
After I finished some yard work on Saturday, I got out the camera to capture some of the autumn color that remains in our woods.
The sun was dipping below the horizon, but there was still enough ambient light to get some shots without using the built-in flash or a speedlight. And I knew this was a situation which would call for longer exposure times and the use of a tripod.
One of the advantages of long exposures is colors can become more saturated than what you may find with shorter exposure times. I was also fortunate there wasn’t even a wisp of a breeze, so everything in the photos was sharp.
To start this exercise, I bumped the ISO to 400, set the aperture at f11 for good depth of field, and adjusted the shutter speed to 2.5 seconds for a proper exposure. I could have used a faster shutter speed, but that would have dictated the use of a wider aperture. Which in turn leads to less depth of field. I also used an electronic cable release to further minimize camera movement.
Some folks might say it was too dark to get a decent photo. I say phooey. The light sensitivity built into cameras these days is remarkable to say the least. My camera, which is at least four years old, had no problem making a proper exposure or auto-focusing. The newer models are even more capable.
Low light photography can be a challenge for your equipment or for yourself, but the rewards are worth it. Least in my humble opinion.
IN THE FIELD: One Last Hurrah
Back in August I wrote a post about one of our Limelight Hydrangea bushes that was struggling to stay alive during the summer heat wave. After some nurturing from us and much needed rain, it bounced back with full vim and vigor.
When these flowers first open in late spring, the flower petals are pale green. Later in the summer, they change to a creamy white. And in the autumn season, the flowers turn a vivid pinkish tone, then fade to a light tan as the colder weather approaches. These are wonderful shrubs for the landscape and offer four season appeal. They do grow quickly but are easily managed, by trimming them back in the spring.
The flower heads are quite resilient to heavy weather and most of them will remain on the bushes throughout the winter. Rather than trim off the flower heads after they dry, we like leave them on the bush for some winter visual interest.
I took this photo late in the morning a few weeks ago. I used a tripod, electronic cable release, and the camera settings were f5.6 @ 1/125th.
David Heilman 
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