Hot Air Balloon Amish Country Photographer Motorcycle Travel Writer
During 2021 I visited the Amish Country surrounding Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on three distinct motorcycle adventures. The region is a travel and hospitality industry photographer’s paradise, with thousands and thousands of acres of stunning farmland and an equally beautiful population of wonderful Amish and Mennonite people. The quaint village of Bird-In-Hand, PA boasts a population of less than 600 people comprised mostly of Amish farmers and their families. Another attraction in this town is the home of The United States Hot Air Balloon Team. A close friend of mine has been an FAA certified hot air balloon pilot for more than 30 years, and in the summer of 2021 he was calling Bird-In-Hand, Pennsylvania his home…working as a pilot for this reputable company. I had the privilege and pleasure of photographing a number of his hot air balloon flights over the stunning Pennsylvania countryside on my first two visits to the area. I was invited to ride along with the "chase crew"…the professionals responsible for preparing the balloon for flight, following its flight path and ultimately aiding in the landing and disassembly of the craft; and returning the patrons (and the balloon itself) back to the launch field where the flight originated. I got to witness every single minute…every single mile…of a number of flights on my first two visits south; but had the experience of a lifetime on my third visit, when I was welcomed aboard the craft for a sunrise hot air balloon flight adventure. My hot air ballooning experiences are described in great detail in my book "Road Work: Images and Insights of a Modern Day Explorer". In this #1 Amazon bestseller road travel book I, as the writer, discuss my experiences photographing, chasing and flying in a hot air balloon." This photograph was captured during one of the flights I was "chasing". My pilot friend was traversing the landscape at a very low altitude, sweeping over the fields of crops in the hours just after sunrise, sometimes barely clearing some of the farm buildings thereon. This image was captured with one of my Nikon mirrorless cameras and a Nikkor zoom lens. During many trips by motorcycle to the Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish/Mennonite region of Pennsylvania over the past few years I have created many photographic images of the Amish people and lifestyle. Many of those photographs appear here on this web site and I have an extensive library of stock images available in addition to those that are displayed here. Many of the photographs I take during my adventure motorcycle travels around the United States and Canada ultimately get sold or leased as stock photographs. If you are looking for any particular image for your next travel and hospitality industry creative project please take a look around my web site for any image that might fill your needs. In the absence of same, please give me a shout. I may have just what you are looking for in my extensive body of work. If not… I’m always looking for an excuse to climb on my BMW motorcycle and travel to any great destination in the US or Canada on a photographic assignment.