Tag: Indiana

Covered Bridges of Indiana – October, 2019 – Cornstalk Covered Bridge

Prior to visiting Indiana in October, 2019, I had never realized that Indiana had so many covered bridges.  I have seen numerous covered bridges in the New England states, which seem to get lots of attention, but I had never heard much about covered bridges anywhere else.

Part of the reason for our trip to Indiana was to attend a number of the Covered Bridge Festivals in an area west of Indianapolis.  These are very popular events, drawing many locals and others from far away.  Local organizers of these festivals provide maps with suggested routes to bridges nearby the festival sites.

I’ve always been intrigued by old covered, wood bridges, most of which were built in the 1800s to early 1900s, so I knew I wanted to try photographing as many as my time would allow.  I was not at all sure about how or when to best photograph the local bridges, having never visited any of them and having no idea of the setting, nor the lighting at various times of the day.

So one afternoon, with one of the maps to a few bridges, I headed to the northern most bridge on the map, planning to work my way south from there, visiting as many bridges as possible before dark.

My first stop was Cornstalk Bridge in Putnam County.

Cornstalk covered bridge, Putnam County, Indiana. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, Multiple Exposures, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.
Cornstalk covered bridge, Putnam County, Indiana. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 500, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Th first image is an HDR made from multiple exposures, while the second is a single exposure.  The exterior is brightly lit by the sunlight, but the interior is in shadow, so no single exposure will capture details in both the interior and exterior.  If the vegetation looks a bit blurred in the HDR, it is because it was a very windy day and anything moving between images complicates merging multiple exposures.  I’ve tried to minimize this “ghosting” effect, but I’m sure some remains.  These image look similar, but note that the interior is brighter in the HDR with more detail visible and the sky is not over exposed as it is in the single image.  The colors are also a little different between the images and maybe I should have paid more attention to the HDR color editing.  I think the single exposure colors are more accurate.

Cornstalk Interior HDR B&W. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 44mm, f/11, Multiple Exposures, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Shooting the dark interior with bright light coming through the top, side vents and from the opposite end of the bridge, also required resorting to HDR.  Even so, the exterior is over exposed.

Cornstalk covered bridge, Putnam County, Indiana. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 15mm, f/11, 1/13s, ISO 500, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

In the second interior image, I minimized the effect of the exterior overexposure problem by shooting at a different angle, which allowed for a more effective use of a graduated neutral density filter; but the shutter speed is slow, so the vegetation seen through the vents and at the end of the bridge is blurry due to motion.  An HDR might have been a better choice for this type image, but I wasn’t keen on shooting the interior and I had more ground to cover this afternoon, so I did not take a lot of time inside the bridge.

Cornstalk covered bridge, Putnam County, Indiana. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 2500, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

There was so much motion of the vegetation caused by the wind, that I had to use high ISO to get sufficiently fast shutter speed to freeze the motion.  The high ISO resulted in more noise, which I’ve tried to minimize in post processing.

Cornstalk covered bridge, Putnam County, Indiana. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 20mm, f/11, 1/500s, ISO 2000, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The exterior of Cornstalk was not easy to shoot.  I found a way down into the dry portion of the creek channel, but I could not get to a good view point, without wading through water and mud and I was not prepared to do that.  So my side shots here are limited to views from the creek shore.

Cornstalk covered bridge, Putnam County, Indiana. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/200s, ISO 500, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

The image above is from the opposite end of the bridge from the first image.  The lighting on this end was different than on the other end, making the colors darker.  Even though it was cloudy, the sky was still bright, so I used a graduated neutral density filter to help balance the exposure across the entire image.  There is no distinct line between the sky and the rest of the image, so I put the dark portion of the filter over the entire image, with the darkest portion over the upper part.  This increases the color saturation of the entire image.

More on Indiana’s covered bridges to come,

Ken

 

 

Indiana Covered Bridges – October 2019 – Bakers Camp

The third bridge that I photographed in the afternoon of my first day of seeking covered bridges in Indiana was the Bakers Camp Bridge.

Bakers Camp Covered Bridge. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 24mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 1250, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I made use of a fairly new looking fence in a grassy area on one side of the bridge as a leading line to the bridge.

At the end of the fence line, near the bridge, I found a way down to the edge of the creek from which I made several photographs with reflections of the bridge in the creek, after removing some distracting litter along the near shore line.  It is not always possible to physically remove distracting objects, but whenever it is, I like to do so, since that is far easier than having to remove the objects later in post processing.

Bakers Camp Covered Bridge. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 22mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 1600, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Walking back up to the front of the bridge, I made the usual frontal close up to get the bridge name and date into a photograph.

Bakers Camp Covered Bridge. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 1/160s, ISO 1600, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

I then walked onto the bridge to attempt shooting inside.  I stood on one side in case of traffic, which is not usually heavy across these country bridges, but not unusual either.  In fact, one friendly lady, driving an SUV, stopped momentarily to ask if I was getting good photographs.

Bakers Camp Covered Bridge. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, multiple exposures, ISO 2500, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

Since it is dark inside these bridges, I used a high ISO and, due to the bright light at the end and from the top side vents, I made multiple exposures, combining them into an HDR image in post processing.

I walked on through and made other images from the opposite end.

Bakers Camp Covered Bridge. Nikon D850, Nikon 14-24mm @ 14mm, f/11, 1/125s, ISO 2500, edited in Adobe Lightroom and DxO Nik modules.

More on Indiana covered bridges later,

Ken

 

 

Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival, Bridgeton, Indiana, October 2019

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.

That’s all for now,

Ken

 

Bridgeton Covered Bridge Festival, Indiana, October 2019

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.

Until then, thanks for following,

Ken

Indiana Covered Bridge Festival, Mansfield, Indiana, October 2019

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.

Thank you for following,

Ken

 

Happy Halloween

Ghost House
Death Rider
Death Rider 2.  A wood carving outside a restaurant/bar in Rockville, Indiana. iPhone photo, edited in Adobe Lightroom and Nik DxO modules.
Demon Head Rock

Best Treats and No Tricks to you all,

Ken