Personal Work: Joe the Bishop, Amish Visit

Every now and then I seem to find a little pocket of time to work on a personal project and this weekend was it! I finally got around to editing these images I took in a small town of Northwestern, PA called Sugar Grove. 

Believe it or not - It's quite challenging to coordinate a photo shoot with a Amish family (considering in this digital age most of them still don't even have a house phone). During my visit, Joe told story after story in his rocking chair as his wife continued working in the kitchen.





As most know, the Amish (depending on the communities) feel that photographs are a form a vanity and don't allow it. In fact, you'll see in a photo below where even their children's dolls have no faces. I'm very intrigued with the way of the Amish life. I find their mix of a self-sastained lifestyle and modern elements extremely interesting. 

Images featured in this blog include: 

• Joe's bed
  
• Joe's front porch where tobacco is hanging
  
• Joe's living room with a row of chairs
  
• Joe's oil lanterns and candles for lighting
  
• Joe's cast iron stove which is not only used for cooking, but their primary heat source during the winter

• A broken buggy
  
• Joe's out house/restroom
  
• The family's wet cloths hanging to dry with a few icicles
  
• Joe's milking cow
  
• Joe's beef cow
• A slaughtered deer and broken buggy

• The general store and sign
  
• Bob Sleds
  
• Joe pouring me a cup of "Joe" (best damn instant coffee I've ever had!)
  
• Joe's sheep
• Joe's pig