York Fair week is, in my mind, one of the best times of year, for a carload of reasons. It signals the end of a usually hot, miserable summer (my least favorite season), football season begins, autumn and all its color may be just a month away, depending which part of the country you visit.

But of course, it's Fair time. Photographs are everywhere-- kids joyfully fighting with a stick of cotton candy, the animals, the carnival workers and of course, the rides. I wouldn't pay the high prices they ask to just enjoy the ride, but to get a picture, now that's another story.

Instead of getting the usual off-ride, blurry night action picture of a ride, take a camera on the ride, hang on tight and start shooting. If you are traveling the same speed as the rider, you might get a blurry background (that's a good thing) and some terrific expressions, as in this photo taken years ago.

I'll be at the fair every chance I get. It'll be over too soon.

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Normally, when we think of contrast in a photo, it's lightness or darkness.

But use other kinds of contrast--big and small, short and tall, fat and thin, old and young or black and white --to create an interesting picture.

This picture of York's Matthew Dorgan, taken in 1981, shows Matt sitting in his grandparents' pool on a floating chair. His aunt, who was watching him, swam up behind and stuck her feet up. It created a kind of head-scratcher moment. It's kind of comical, the size difference.

It was unrehearsed, candid and funny. Have your camera to catch moments of contrast. It's more than light and dark.

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While it might not be the world's most dangerous job, washing windows must be one of the most interesting.

This photograph, taken 20 years ago in downtown York, shows a washer hard at work, taken from an angle different than most people would see as they pass on the streets below. Maybe this picture's interest is the soap suds trails, but maybe it's more of a "wish I could try that for about a day."

Myself, I prefer a job where both feet are planted on the ground, with only an occasional fling in the air, under water, or upside down.

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Waterfalls are one of the few things that can look totally different with a simple change in camera exposure.

This photo, with a tiny falls that looks delicate and soft, was shot with a shutter speed of about one-half second. Other frames were shot at a speed even slower. Use something rock-solid to steady the camera.

But turn that shutter speed up, freeze the splattering of the water on the rocks, and the waterfalls suddenly becomes a torrent of action and splashing. The higher the shutter speed the better, but at least 1/500 of a second.

It all depends on what kind of picture you're looking for-- raging action or quiet beauty. And don't dismiss the possibility that this small waterfall can look angry. Give it a try. You might be surprised.

This photo was taken while biking the Great Allegheny Passage.

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While it might appear that the Big Savage Mountain tunnel in Maryland is ribbed with arches, it is just the light that makes it appear so. A biker is silhouetted against the bright light at the other end.

While bicycycle touring the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) from Cumberland, Md., to near Pittsburgh last week, the 3,200 foot-long tunnel provided welcome relief from the heat. And it was a sign that our long climb up the mountains was nearly over.

We'll have an Excursion in the Record later on, but for now, know that the GAP in an interesting path, and is easy enough for families and laid-back recreational bikers (like me).

For more information on the trail, click here

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Photographing fireworks is incredibly easy, and it impresses the daylights out of your friends when it works. If they only knew how easy it was. You point the camera, and open the shutter. Fireworks (the explosion) is easy. But strong composition and showing the crowd which is there is another problem entirely.

Of course, the people in the foreground will all be facing away from you. And they'll be backlit, just a fraction of the light in the sky reaching the crowd on the ground.

Photographers get plenty of silhouettes, a few people lit by a fill flash, or buildings lit up with enough existing light to show up in the frame.

The above exposure was about 30 seconds-- for the bottom of the frame. And maybe five or six seconds for the top. I used a black card to block out the top (fireworks) while keeping the shutter open for the bottom. No double exposures or computer manipulation is allowed.

I'm all for trying something new to get better photos. If your fireworks photos look terrific, and you'd like to share your expertise, let me (us!) know how you did it.

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A while back, one of our intern photographers noticed my ancient 500mm mirror on my desk. He picked it up, inspected it like an geologist looking over a fossil and asked, "Where's the autofocus?" There was no autofocus. That lens is older than most of the reporters at the Daily Record.

The photo above was taken with the 500 mm mirror lens. I bought it used nearly 30 years ago, and it's still one of my favorites. It's less than six inches long, fits nicely into a small belt pack and weighs almost nothing, making it wonderfully handy on walks through the woods. I don't think Nikon even makes mirror lenses anymore.

The Record's 400 mm lens weighs almost 12 pounds, and is optically shorter, but at least a foot longer in real length. The 400 is a favorite among sports shooters,and one that's seen along football sidelines. It's huge and heavy. But it's a beautiful lens. It's quick, sharp, and at least three f-stops faster than the mirror lens.

I couldn't carry the 400 through the woods and survive unless I'd find someone to haul around this massive hunk of glass.

So, look at my 500 as a short cut. The picture above wouldn't have happened without my 500, and it would have been impossible with a shorter 80-200.

The problem, of course, is that the 500 is awfully slow at f8. Once the sun goes behind the trees, put this lens away. And another problem is obvious in this photo-- all those circles. It takes away from the heron here, but sometimes, it's an unusual element to the photo. The circles are just the result of the mirror images bouncing around inside the lens.

It's the lazy man's long telephoto. And if you find another 500mm around, let me know. This old girl should have been put out to pasture years ago.

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While in Loganville shooting another assignment, I wandered onto this scene. Now, one would think that shooting photos all day for eons would get old. But it's always another challenge, getting the best possible picture out of a particular situation.

It is frustrating, however, seeing a pastoral scene that begs for a terrific photo and I can't quite capture it. My eye sees it better than the camera.

Does this happen to you?

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While tooling through central Pennsylvania over the weekend, I heard over the radio and air conditioning what I thought was a squeeky, roaring sound from under the hood. What else could it be?

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Took a weekend jaunt to the Tyler Arboretum, a place I've never visited, or known, before Sunday. In Media, Pa., just outside Philly, it is overshadowed by its more famous neighbors like Longwood Gardens, Winterthur and others.

More than 600 acres, this wonderful collection of greenery is now featuring Totally Terrific Treehouses through September. Don't go with the idea of seeing 12 treehouses perched in trees, there are none. It is what the PR director calls a 'fanciful collection' of treehouses, most on the ground, some not even touching a tree.

Still, it's a great way to the get the kids outside and away from the computer screen. Even if they don't like treehouses, it boasts 20 miles of hiking trails and plenty of things to keep the family happy.

More on Tyler Arboretum in the YDR later in the summer as an Excursion.

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