Lifestyles...at Longwood

Processed with Alien Skin Snap Art3 and Photoshop

This week was busy after arriving back in Baltimore late Tuesday night from the beach; I met Marie, with Capital Photography Center, and we did workshop planning for fall. On Friday I met a great group of photo friends at Longwood Gardens.  On Saturday, I conducted a workshop shoot at the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and conducted a private lesson this morning! In between all that I had to clean up the yard from the horrible storms that blew through here on Friday evening.

Now for photography.........on Friday, while at Longwood, I was in a social mood and not so much into concentrating on making stellar flower images....so I spent most of my time wandering around after shooting some water lilies which had just begun to bloom. When it was just about time to head to lunch and join up with the group, I saw a cluster of Amish women in the conservatory. I love the uniqueness of the Amish and I tried making a few telephoto handheld shots without being so obvious. It is amazing how the children are protected and stay very close to their guardian women. In the opening shot I tried to convey that, by framing the children with just the silhouettes of the women's waists.

It always intrigues me how this group of people can hold on to their traditional garb. They were moving through the conservatory in a tight group. They seemed to be enjoying each others comapny and the conservatory...I kept making pictures.

I was trying to be respectful and not capture their faces as they really don't like to be photographed and often don't mingle with the outside world. When they came by me, the little girls were really curious looking at my camera and as the group passed me, they paused and I said it looks like its girls day out. Surprisingly I got a reply, yes, one of the women replied. The elder woman with them was turning 60 and this was in celebration of her birthday. I congratulated her on her birthday and told her I was going to be 60 this year too, we indeed had something in common...I wished her a happy day, she in turn asked me when my birthday was and I hers...it was a real treat to share some conversation and common human experiences.

Now on the other hand......after spending the day in the gardens just really wandering with Dick and Rad...we sat down by the rose arbor. As we sat there, a group of young Asian teens appeared on the hill in front of us. They were having a great time photographing each other...jumping up and down. They saw us and I had my camera pointed at them and Rad made a jumping up and down motion as they were too far away to hear us...and they got the message and proceeded to have more jumping fun. Differences in people....its what makes the world go round....from the reserved, cloistered Amish, to the fun loving out going Asian teens....I felt like my best shots of the day were these....not what I usually come away with from Longwood Gardens, but what fun!! It was a great day meeting photo friends at Longwood!

Captured with Nikon D4 fitted with Nikon 28-300 lens at 300 ISO 1000 at f 5.6 1/1000sec.