Photographer: Mike Yoder

Camera: Olympus C5050 digital camera

Two Amish boys watch a buggy race at the Yoder Fest in Yoder. The event took place last Saturday.

Lens: Approximately 35mm

Aperture: f8

Shutter: 1/1000

ISO: 100

Last weekend I attended the festival named for me — sort of.

How I managed to avoid the Yoder Fest in Yoder for all these years is a mystery. Amish make up the majority of this community, and maybe I felt I lacked the requisite beard and buggy. Nevertheless, I felt in good company at this small-town celebration where everybody knows your name — because it’s probably their name, too.

As a photographer, though, the festival can present some moral dilemmas. Most Amish do not take photographs or allow themselves to be photographed. To do so would be evidence of vanity and pride. Keeping this in mind, I carried a small point-and-shoot digital camera and kept a low profile. I found it was simple enough to shoot photographs of groups and parade participants because I wasn’t imposing on anyone’s space. Because Amish are not as strict on the photographing of children, I also looked for situations involving youth.

I have always loved the shape and simplicity of the Amish wide-brimmed straw hat. During the buggy races, I spotted two young Amish boys watching the race from the edge of the track. Moving in behind the boys and their hats, I framed them in the foreground with the track in the background and waited until the buggies entered my lens. I had pre-set my shutter speed to capture the racers, and I had checked for proper exposure for the back-lit scene.

I liked the resulting shot. It manages to capture a timeless quality that typifies this faith group, which has attempted to preserve the elements of late 17th-century England rural culture and avoids many of the features of modern society.

— “Behind the Lens” is an ongoing weekly series that features an image selected by the Journal-World photo staff that previously ran in the newspaper or online. Wondering how a certain picture was created? Nominate it for “Behind the Lens” by contacting chief photographer Mike Yoder at 832-7141 or myoder@ljworld.com.