In the winter, when there’s no snow and not much else to photograph, and I can no longer take hiding inside, I like to visit some of the many fantastic museums that southeast PA has to offer. One of the more interesting places I’ve had the opportunity to visit and photograph in over the past several years, is the Agricultural & Industrial Museum in York.
Housed in a former factory complex, the museum features two floors with over 20 exhibits which highlight 300 years of transportation, agriculture and the development of manufacturing and industry. It is a fantastic place to challenge yourself photographically, as you work to create unique compositions of antique automobiles, a 1916 trolley, a 1940 train switcher engine, an airplane hanging from the ceiling, a huge variety of agricultural tools, a working 3-story grist mill and so much more! If you have little ones, they will love the many hands-on experiences available-including learning what it’s like to milk a dairy cow! They can play while you create! You may even find yourself enjoying these experience, as well!
If you are a photographer looking for an opportunity to get out and practice your skills, the Agricultural & Industrial Museum is a great place to go! You can work on your wide angle compositions, macro, and everything in between!
Before you even enter the museum, you encounter a unique sculpture titled, “Workers of York” by Lorann Jacobs. There are many creative compositions you could try of the statue, as you get inspired by what lies ahead.
I really enjoyed the variety of automobiles that were on display. I like the challenge of trying to come up with artistic renditions of what I see.
Below is an overview of the massive size of the space and the cool collections.
The Local Industry Gallery was quite impressive. I had no idea so many things were made so close to home-especially cigars!
The Agricultural Gallery was full of creative subjects
The rest are a variety of images I captured throughout the rest of the museum
I think you’ll agree, this is a great place to visit and photograph in! The light coming through the large windows can be a challenge to be able to capture the full dynamic range of the scene-especially if it is bright and sunny outside. I chose to bracket each of my exposures by one stop, to capture all the detail in the highlights and shadows. Many were then later merged together as a single HDR image in Photo matrix software to give the artsy feel. A tripod was used-with permission for most if not all images.
You can use a large variety of lenses here-anything from a super wide angle, to mid range telephoto or macro. For my super wide shots, I love the Tokina 11-16mm lens (for crop sensor cameras. There are similar focal lengths for full frame cameras.) Another great option would be to use a wide angle zoom, such as the Tamron 18-400. I love the versatility of this lens! It can focus down to a few inches, give a decent wide angle perspective, and get in tight on smaller details.
If you are in the area, you can join us on an upcoming photography workshop on Saturday March 18, 2023. Open to photographers of all skill levels. Come and learn to see and compose more creatively. Instruction will be given throughout the entire workshop. All the details for the workshop can be found here: https://valeriehoffmanphotography.com
But hurry, registration closes on March 15th, when we will begin with a pre-workshop class.
Have you ever photographed at this museum or any other local favs. Let me know in the comments!
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