10-OCT-2008
A Settler's Wife
The picture is taken in 1627 and she was just telling the visitors about the hardships of the poorer settlers in this settlement. The fire in the back burns on the ground, there is no chimney and the wall is blackened by the smoke. Since the plantation didn't produce anything but trade with the natives all goods had to be imported from England at high costs.
Taken in available light, windows to the left, no flash fired (ISO3200,F2.8,1/20s,handheld with IS on).
The image is a 90% crop of the original with a small contrast correction and a subtle texture applied to add to the already existing 'painted' mood.
10-OCT-2008
Stephen Hopinks at the Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA
Ask him an he'll tell you all about his travels from England to the colonies, about the war in Europe that has now lasted for 9 years (this photo is from 1627) with no end in sight and the freedom of religion that is everything but in this New World.
Wonderful actors greet the visitors at the Plimoth Plantation and confuse many with their staying in character at all cost.
I'll add a lot of indoor shots in the coming days, taken in the small homes of the settlers that are essentially completely dark with only a few openings or windows on one side of the building.
The image is a full frame shot, taken with available light (ISO1600,F2.8,1/80s) with basically no photoshop editing applied. Only small contrast adjustments and the standard sharpening has been applied. In particular, that hanging dried rose on the right really is that earth colored gray...
10-OCT-2008
Barbara - second wife of Edward
Another fine actress from the
Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA. She is the second wife of Edward who courted her while she was still living back in England, and his first wife had just died in Plimoth. She was probably 20 years younger than him and already the mother of three children, with the oldest being 3 years old.
Life wasn't easy for her and the prospect of moving to the new world where to take the place of a wife who had just died under the difficult living conditions scared her a lot.
Light from the door behind me and two small windows to the right. ISO 3200, 1/40s, 70mm hand-held.
10-OCT-2008
Cooking Lunch
Another settler from
Plimoth (Plymouth MA).
She was cooking some stew made mostly from Indian corn which didn't arouse any appetite in her visitors. While she was cooking she discussed world politics (the war that started in Europe in 1618), the strange religious view of some of her neighbors and talked to one visitor (a chemical engineer) about the latest advances in alchemy.
Light from a small window and a door on her left. ISO3200, 1/30s, IS-on, handheld.
10-OCT-2008
Beer is good nourishment for the children!
She lived in the small house (or one-room hut by today's standards) of Samuel Fuller, sleeping on the ground. One of her major concerns was the inadequate food for the children. Milk from cows was sparsely available but one cannot feed milk from beasts to the children who then would take on the beasts character. Red-headed wet nurses were to be avoided for the same reasons. Back in England children would be well nourished since beer was available for almost no cost. Times have changed.
The picture was taken in the rather well lit home of Samuel Fuller, two large windows on the left and a door on the right provide the main light. Handheld at 1/200, IS on and ISO 1600.
Another visitor asked if flash photography was acceptable to which she replied that she didn't really understand what was meant by this but several other visitors had used a similar contraption already and nothing adverse had happened so this flash apparatus could be probably used safely.
10-OCT-2008
Helping/Dealing with the poor
Another image from
the Plimoth Plantation. She was just explaining how the plantation people dealt with their more unfortunate members. In general they would help each other out in case of emergencies or illness but this help had it's limits when people were just lazy. So in 1627 most of the lazy farmers were no longer among them - whatever that means - or had left.
Light from the left from two small windows, ISO3200, 70mm, 1/50s F2.8, handheld with IS on.
10-OCT-2008
A Dutch Settler in Plimoth
A Dutch Settler, coming directly from Leiden with the English separatists to the
Plimoth Plantation. Not only did she speak the old English dialect but also switched into a very believable Dutch from time to time. These actors are something else!
She got out a hand-made game of
nine men's morris which was played with actual black and white stones.
Again hand-held, ISO3200, 1/80s in a basically dark hut, lit only by tiny windows behind my right.
10-OCT-2008
Speaking of Samuel Fuller
Here she tells out about the miracles her relative the surgeon performed on the Wampanoag chief who after his rescue from certain death started to trust the settlers.
Or so the legend goes...
Light from behind me through two small windows and a larger door. ISO1600, 1/160s, 70mm handheld with IS on.
10-OCT-2008
Coming home for lunch
Edward has just returned from the fields for lunch in his home at the
Plimoth Plantation. His wife Barbara, who was chatting with her guests before jumped up and prepared the food for him. Edward goes on to tell us a lot about their courtship, which he initiated from Plimoth after his first wife had died in the first years on the plantation and Barbara was still living in England.
Edward also had just met a delegation of Dutch traders from Manhattan and warned us about the political implications of trading with these strangers were they on English land but reported to illegal Dutch authorities. Some things never change...
10-OCT-2008
The Blacksmith
Like all settlers in
Plimoth he was primarily a farmer but had been a black smith before he started his adventure to come to the new world. Here he is sitting next to the fire and explains the 21st century visitors which kind of work a blacksmith can do in a remote place like Plimoth without adequate tools.
Taken with available light, small window to the left and a larger door to the right. ISO800, F2.8m 1/100s, 70mm, IS on.
10-OCT-2008
Wampanoag in the Long House
We got treated to some great stories in this Wampanoag Long House in
Plimoth. Luckily they speak modern day English with their visitors and have a very much different world view than the 1627 Englishmen in the village nearby.
Available light from both a small door behind me and a smoke exhaust right above this actor, ISO3200, 1/40s F2.8.
10-OCT-2008
A visitor
I made the mistake to turn on a bounce flash for most of my pictures with him but this is the one without. Flashes are evil ;)
Natural light from two windows slightly to the left of me. The larger door further on the left was blocked.
ISO3200, F/2.8, 1/40s, 115mm handheld with IS.
