Amish Festival

While in Indiana on business, I thought I'd check out the Amish festival going on at Amish Acres in Nappanee. The Round Barn pictured here is a dinner theater.



Here's a few pics of some of the critters in attendance.





Wild Kingdom had a walk-through display with animatronics animals. I caught the lion as he was roaring.



These swan paddle boats were a popular activity.



People were lined up for the Kettle Corn.



There were over 300 craft vendors. My favorite was this gentleman who makes these awesome pots.







There was plenty of free entertainment.



The Medicine Man show was popular with both young and old.





I caught these guys backstage waiting to go on the stage. They look a little high strung to me.



I found these two lovely Amish women hard at work in the old school house.



And now for a few Random Shots.







There was a lot to see and do, but I was ready to head home after a couple of hours.

Jeff and Lisa's Wedding

"Hey Russ do you think you could help with a wedding this WEEKEND!? Uh I guess." That's how it started. Before the week was over I was the main photographer. At least it was a simple outdoor affair with a large gazebo.



Having shot several weddings in very poorly lit conditions in churches I was excited about not having to worry so much about the light. Of course Mr. Sun creates his own issues. I blew one shot completely do to too much sun.



The gazebo was a mixed blessing. It helped that I didn't have to deal with direct sunlight but also robbed me of quite a bit of light. I was forced to shoot at ISO 400.



Instead of a Unity Candle this couple opted for a clear vase with each family member pouring in a different texture of sand/stone mixture.



I thought this picture of the bouquet would make for a good background for like a photo book.



This shot was one that I overexposed the background (Not on Purpose). So I played around with it and just whited out the background. Not sure If I like it or not. It's also not in sharp focus.



Jeff and Lisa were a great couple and all and all it was a fun shoot.

Arcs Softball Championship

These are just a couple of pictures of my two granddaughters Emily and Hannah and their best friend Haley and of course the Team Photo complete with trophies.



I started out just taking pictures of my granddaughters at their softball games. However the coach of the one team got a look at some of my pictures and wanted me to shoot the whole team through tournament. Sanity must of left me because I said yes.



At this point they had only lost one game all season. As it turned out the one it out and became tournament champs. The long and short of it was I had over 1200 pictures from all the tournament games.



I stayed up late one night editing so they could have a slide show the coming Friday after the Big Win.

Down On The Farm

These are a few highlights from my recent Senior Photo Session. Ryan is just a Good-Ole-Boy who likes to keep things simple and down to earth, including his senior pictures.

















It was a great session. I loved the laid-back style. It was also fun shooting on location at the farm. And best of all they loved the pictures.

Maddies Swim Meet Botkins

Earlier this month I got to take some pictures of one of my granddaughters swim meets. This time it was outdoors, so lighting was not an issue. Knowing how to shoot a swim meet is another issue altogether.











There were a lot of kids and a lot of swim bags and other gear concentrated in this one area. Call me crazy but it I like the picture.