The most enjoyable aspect, for me, of festivals like the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival in Indiana is seeing the wide variety of antique items offered by vendors.
Old and Modern Carriages. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Amish farmers and crafts people are common in this area. Horse drawn carriages are still in use by the Amish. The carriages pictured here are nearby an Amish vendor area, but since today is a Sunday, there are no Amish manning the booths. These carriages may or may not be offered for sale by the Amish, these may simply be antique horse drawn carriages displayed by others.
Checking out a newer model. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Old toys, tricycles and wagons are offered for sale.
A child’s pedal tractor tricycle. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Old containers. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
And, of course, a wide selection of old home and farm products are in the vendors’ booths.
Butter Churns. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Old Jugs. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
I like photographing these items; but I do not claim to be an expert at such photography.
Old Product Containers. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Old Kerosene Lanterns. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The variations in colors, patinas, shapes and sizes of old, collectible, nostalgic items and the wording and logos on old signs are fun to inspect and to photograph.
Old Signs. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Old Bottles. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
Old, colorful bottles in different shapes and sizes have a magnetic effect upon me.
Old Bottles. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Old Bottles. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The photographs in this post are a few of the many possibilities for making interesting images of objects that one can find at the numerous covered bridge festivals in this area. A small, unobtrusive camera, such as a phone or point and shoot, might work better in this environment than a DSLR. The items in this post are photographed as found in the vendors’ displays.
Our second stop in the 2019 Covered Bridge Festival was at Bridgeton, Indiana. The original covered bridge here was one of several that were set afire by an arsonist. The bridge was rebuilt as a replica of the original.
Bridgeton Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.The interior of the Bridgeton Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The Bridgeton Mill is still in operation. One can purchase a variety of flour products in the mill and see a portion of the dusty flour milling operation.
Bridgeton Mill at the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Bridgeton Mill as seen from a window in the Bridgeton Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Bridgeton Mill as seen from a window in the Bridgeton Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
There are many vendors of antiques, crafts, clothing, food and beverages available at the festival. We were here on a Sunday afternoon and it was rather crowded. We had lunch here and, of course, had to stand in a line for awhile to get our meal.
As at the Casey County Apple Festival in Liberty, Kentucky, I noted that there were many Trump promotional items, but no corresponding items for the current crop of Democratic Party Presidential candidates.
Vendor goods at the Bridgeton Bridge Festival. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
I’m sure that within the nearby urban area of Indianapolis, one would find a wider variation in political views.
In addition to shopping, one can take a carriage ride, enjoy arts and crafts and listen to local musicians.
Horse Drawn Carriage, Bridgeton, Indiana. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Bridgeton 1878 House at the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Dulcimer players at the Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The nature of this visit was not conducive to carrying around a large, heavy DSLR; consequently, the images in this post are all made via an iPhone 7 Plus with post processing in editing software.
A subsequent post will have more photographs of some of the interesting items one can see at these type events.
In early to mid-October my wife and I drove to Indianapolis with a dual purpose, visiting her relatives in the area and attending a number of the Covered Bridge Festivals that were taking place at that time of the year.
Please note that all of the images in this post are via an iPhone 7 Plus. Since so many people use their phone cameras exclusively now, I think these images will indicate that it is possible to get good photographs, within limitations, with the cameras in these modern devices. Note that these images have been post processed to improve the aesthetic quality.
Mansfield Roller Mill, Indiana. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The day after we arrived, one of Barbara’s cousins and her husband drove us around, taking us to two of the bridge festivals, past and through a number of covered bridges, through Brown County State Park, other tourist sites and a visit to their rather large cabin, which they use as a second home and sometime allow others to stay in.
Our first stop was the Mansfield festival, where the historic Mansfield Roller Mill is located. The roller mill is still functional and is now operated as a museum. I enjoyed walking through the mill and seeing the old mill machinery.
A smaller version of a roller mill in the mill museum. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Stair steps in the Mansfield Roller Mill. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The mill has multiple stories connected via stairwells, but there is also a service elevator for moving goods from floor to floor.
An elevator in the Mansfield Roller Mill. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.An elevator in the Mansfield Roller Mill. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
There are views from the second and third story windows of the creek and old water mill. The original water wheel has been replaced by a water turbine, which offers more technological advantages over the original water wheel.
A view through a window from the Mansfield Roller Mill. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.Mansfield Roller Mill Gears and Chutes. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
The cover for a flower dresser has been removed to allow one to see part of the mechanical parts. The aged wood of the flower dresser and other items have a really nice patina.
Flour Dresser. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
There were numerous vendors here, but we spent a limited time browsing, since we wanted to go to one of the other festivals nearby. We did walk through the Mansfield Covered bridge, though.
Mansfield Covered Bridge. iPhone photograph edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO modules.
I am grateful to Barbara’s cousin and her husband for their gracious hospitality and tour of the area. They went much beyond ordinary hospitality.
Subsequent posts will include more on the festivals and area covered bridges.
In mid-September, 2019 my wife and I visited Liberty, Kentucky for a number of reasons, but the timing was mostly because my wife wanted to attend the local apple festival.
This photographic genre is definitely well out of my comfort zone and I have to force myself to see and make these type images. I suppose this is a good exercise, nonetheless I feel much more at home in a wide open landscape with no one around and just the sounds of nature rather than raucous crowds.
Entertainment at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 52mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
A cropped version of the photo above is posted on Flickr. I cropped it to get a closer view of several of the performers, which I think is more appealing than this wide angle view that I made to take in the sign above the stage.
This festival had all the usual things that festivals have: entertainment and lots of booths with various goods, over priced food and beverages for sale to the attendees.
Liberty, Kentucky is a typical southern, rural, small town with down home country people, deeply religious and patriotic folk. Many of the families here have deep roots going back for many generations. The intermarriage of local families means that many of the residents or descendants of them are related in some manner.
Casey County Courthouse, Liberty, Kentucky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 40mm, 1/400s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Having grown up in a small, rural, southern town, I can understand the culture here. Most of the residents are conservative and have a long history of hunting, fishing and gun use as sport and as a means of supplementing their food supply. Hence, one will see such displays as this:
Leather handgun holsters at a vendor’s booth at Casey County Kentucky Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 400, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Many of the items displayed in the vendor booths are hand crafted, such as these beautiful wood vessels:
A craftsman’s display at the Casey County Apple Festival, Liberty, Kentucky Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 46mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 400, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
And, of course, many of the locals have ancestors that fought in the civil war, probably on both sides and that history is still prevalent in many vendor displays along with the hard scrabble life of rural farm history.
A vendor’s display at the Casey County Apple Festival, Liberty, Kentucky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 70mm, 1/80s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Flag booth at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 58mm, 1/800s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Everyone knows how much southerners like sweet ice tea.
A Casey County Apple Festival beverage booth. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 48mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
This is also Trump country.
A vendor’s display at Casey County Apple Festival, Liberty, Kentucky. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm @ 50mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Trump hats at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Trump items at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 62mm, 1/200s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
One has to take time to pick the best hat:
Trump hats at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/160s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
I did not see any political displays for any of the current crop of Democratic Party presidential candidates. I’m guessing the progressive movement is not very popular here.
There were many items to enjoy seeing and have fun photographing at many of the vendor booths. Here are just a few.
Transparent spheres at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Pink?
Vendor booth at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/320s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Manaquins at Casey County Festival Vendor Booth. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/250s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Dream Catchers at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm (pre-crop), 1/320s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.Toy display at the Casey County Apple Festival. Nikon D850, Nikon 24-70mm at 70mm (pre-crop), 1/800s, f/11, ISO 200, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
