Do No Harm With Your Photography
Lancaster County in Pennsylvania is known for its Amish and Mennonite religious sects. The Amish are a closed sect that shun the modern trappings of life and choose to live without electricity and the machinery driven by it. They farm with horses and travel in horse drawn buggies which makes them particularly attractive to photographers. But, they also don’t want their pictures taken believing that it is an act of pride-fullness. When photographers visit Lancaster the sport is to sneak a photograph of the Amish. Photography guides recommend long telephoto lenses to hide what you are doing. I’d like to share an experience that made me realize this is a bad piece of advice.
Early one foggy Sunday morning while photographing a farmscape, I heard the familiar clip clop of horses hoofs on the road and looked up to see an Amish family in an open buggy dressed up for worship. It would have been and awesome shot, A buggy coming through the mist. The Amish family figured I would photograph them and looked really apprehensive. But I didn’t. I just waved as they passed by and could see the collective sigh of relief as they waved back.
With so many great photographs being created, we tend to seek out the shot that will stand out. For whatever reason we do this, likes on social media, print sales, or just adding to our collection of images that make us awesome photographers, we tend to not always think of the consequences. If I swung my camera around and photographed that family, I would have negatively affected their holy day. A phrase stuck in my head, “Photography Should Do No Harm.” That photograph would have done harm so it was the right thing to let it go. Now, I have a memory of a pleasant interaction with a Amish family, and they had an experience with an outsider that didn’t tread on their beliefs. That’s far better than adding another image to the photographs I’m posting here.
Lancaster County Farms
If you want authentic Amish in Lancaster County, you have to get off the main roads and away from tourist towns with cool names like Bird In Hand and Intercourse. Amish farms tend look the same so you end up driving around and looking for compositions and light. It’s good to start early and look for the views. Mist, if you are lucky enough to have it, makes everything better.
Amish Mist by Richard Lewis 2019
Lancaster Sunrise by Richard Lewis 2019
Lancaster Farmscape by Richard Lewis 2019
Amish Morning by Richard Lewis 2019
Lancaster County History
Old covered bridges are all over Lancaster County. This one has graffiti carved into it from the 19th century. Note the date 1870 in the foreground.
Pool Forge Covered Bridge With 19th Century Graffiti by Richard Lewis 2019
A History Of Graffiti by Richard Lewis 2019
Early one morning before dawn, I happened upon this old mill. The mix of early twilight and the one electric light was so eerie I had to stop.
Old Mill Site by Richard Lewis 2019
It’s one thing to finish a trip with lots of great photographs. Then again it’s even better if you come home feeling good that every photograph you make didn’t have any ill effects on your subjects.
Enjoy!
Thank you Rich. A thoughtful and thought provoking piece. And great pictures!
Thank you Bob. I appreciate the comment and am glad you found it something to think about.
Wonderful view of Lancaster County, great trip and great photos!
Thanks, You get to see what I’m up to while you’re sleeping.
Ahhh…I so appreciate your perspective and it show through in your art.
Thank you Jo Ann, I appreciate your comment.
I always know Rich that when you post something, I’m in for a treat! Today was no exception…through both your photography, as well as your words. What stands out to me is that even though you chose not to ‘steal’ the shot …you were ‘gifted’ with plenty! So glad you were there to receive it…and share your beautiful images with all of us!
Thanks Jan. I appreciate the compliment and your thoughts. I like your use of “steal” by the way. It is what happens when you photograph people whose beliefs are against it.
Wonderful pictures and story! Very informative.
Thank you Christina. I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
Absolutely beautiful images inviting meditation on a way of life you have treated with caring artistry.
Thanks Mike. I really appreciate the comment.
Excellent start off point… I was always miffed at peeps who enter Amish photos in competitions and me being uncomfortable acknowledging them, knowing the background. Probably what irks me most is that some judges judge these catches as if someone caught sight of the elusive “snow leopard”.
Hey on the positive side exquisite take on the early morning shots!!!
Great comment Mike. I can’t agree more with you. When these photographs show up in camera club competitions, it troubles me too. It’s one thing to hunt down and photograph that snow leopard. The cat doesn’t care if you take its picture. Even with street photography, people may not choose to be photographed candidly, but their moral and religious believes are probably not being violated. The Amish are different and it’s unfortunate they end up as targets, or prey, for some photographers.
Great representation of a place and its people! Makes me miss my farm!
Thanks Bonnie. I guess you never get over being a farmer.
Beautiful work, Rich. The mists make them. I, too, love Lancaster County. In the 60’s we once stayed (with our kids) at a Mennonite farmhouse near Lancaster. They’re not as rigid, e.g. we sat around their parlor at night and had a drink. But it’s the country side I particularly like, from Strasburg and its trains on the south to Bird-in-Hand in the north where my late wife used to acquire trinkets for her doll houses, and then on to Lititz (the Wilbur Candy factory), over to the Cloisters at Ephrata, and eventually to one of the antiques capitals of the area, Adamstown. In my blogging years Denise and I photographed all around there in 2011, and I revisited it all in 2016. Time to return. I must also confess that I was glad to see you out of the pines (like me getting off of the beach). It’s good for the soul.
Thanks for the comment Ralph. We’ve also been going to Lancaster for a number of years and have explored both the Amish and Mennonite areas as well as some beautiful natural areas along the Susquehanna River. It’s a special area and one that shows the big difference between the beauty in the Eastern and Western US landscapes.
One thing I love about photographing the Pine Barrens of NJ, besides the unique beauty, is that if you can photograph here, you can photograph anywhere.
Great back story
Thanks Lou!