I have lived near an Amish community in central Michigan for about nine years. The Amish live apart from "The English," though we share Walmart and Lowe's for food and supplies, and I buy maple syrup and eggs and vegetables from Amish farmers. As a photographer, I enjoy capturing visual aspects of the Amish way of life, without intruding by showing faces of individuals as a prominent part of a composition. The buggies, one-room schoolhouses, wash drying on the line, huge work horses, corn shocks, and all the rest are just a wonderful counterpoint to the way I've always lived. I don't wish to romanticize their lives, but the hard physical work, devotion to Godly ways, and living lightly on the land are characteristics to be admired.
