Monday, August 15, 2011

Folk Fest Fun

Another activity Mom and I enjoyed this weekend was heading out to a local folk festival.  It's one I've wanted to go to for a few years since it's at a living history site like the one where I have volunteered.  Both this one and the one I am familiar with highlight Pennsylvania German culture.  The one near to me covers early 19th century whereas the one I visited this weekend covers the Colonial period.  It was really interesting to note some of the differences and similarities.

Here we have an example of bobbin lace making.  It looks quite complex but the lady demonstrating demystified the process considerably.  It's still painstaking though.


This is a butter mold.  These were used not just as decoration but as a way to "brand" a local farm's butter so it was recognizable in the market.


Just a corner of a house that intrigued me.


This is the dining table in the same house.


In the house, which was quite dimly lit, there was a demonstration of hearth cooking.  This is not the best picture I've ever taken since I wanted to try capturing the scene without resorting to using flash.  It meant using a slow shutter speed and trying to control camera shake without a tripod or even a sturdy surface to rest the camera on.  I found out there's an application for marksmanship skills in this.  Hold your breath, squeeze the trigger slowly and smoothly...or the shutter release as the case may be.


A row of planes at the carpenter's section of the festival.


A powder horn that was typical to this particular area.  Most of the other decorated powder horns were decorated with scrimshaw.  This one was etched with a mildly acidic solution rather than carved and inked.  I quite liked it.


I've always loved the stone farm houses that dot the area where I grew up so I had to get a shot of some stone work.

13 comments:

Maria said...

A fascinating visit. I love to look back at the historical past. Very thoughtful photos.

Sailor said...

That's really nice.. I love wandering/finding this type of place, thanks for sharing it :)

Commander Zaius said...

Middleton Place down in Charleston has something similar. Everything that deals with life in the 18th century.

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy you have a good camera now. Oh yeah.

Bijoux said...

Those photos are fantastic, Lime. I esp. love the first one. I can just imagine how good I'd be at lace making - LOL! It would be a mess of knots in about 30 seconds.

Craig said...

OK, cue the 'Twilight Zone' music. . .

We had the Great Lakes Folk Festival in our town this past weekend. I mostly went to hear the music (and that was the main emphasis of the festival), but there were all manner of handcrafts on display, as well (including lots of tie-dye ;) ). Of course, we don't quite go back to colonial days around here.

Anyway - great photos. It all looks interesting, and lots of fun. . .

Craver Vii said...

I've always been terrified of that controlled-breathing method of steadying the camera. What if I forget to resume breathing?

I like bounce-flash, multiple flashes and reflectors, but that is not always practical.

Remember to turn the camera's stabilization off when using a tripod... in case you ever do.

silly rabbit said...

What a great place to visit. I love historical sites and recreations of by gone life styles.

Pheromone Girl said...

This is beautiful - I love the stonework, and especially like the candles on the tablecloth.

I bet it felt warm and inviting (at least it looks like it did!)

Kat said...

Beautiful shots! I love the one that was difficult to take (no flash is always the best but also the hardest for me to take). I think it is a gorgeous shot! Great job!

secret agent woman said...

I like the stones houses, too and also things ike the baskets and plain candleholders.

G-Man said...

I want a Butter Mold!

Hilary said...

This looks like a fun place. You did will with that flashless shot. It also helps to keep your elbows tucked in close.