Photograph info: This photograph was taken last night at Tintinhull Farm in Tinicum Township, ten miles south of Durham Township, where they're in the process of boiling down sap to produce maple syrup. (Much more information about Tintinhull Farm in the previous entry.)

The sap is collected during the day and brought by tractor to the sugar shack where it's gravity fed into a huge piece of equipment called an evaporator (which you can see through the large window along with plenty of steam). The evaporator is fueled by firewood and reduces 50 gallons of sap to 1 gallon of syrup in about an hour. The farm goes through eight cords of firewood during their month-long syrup production period.

Last night Glen and his crew boiled down 200 gallons (I think!) of maple sap. When I went home, my clothes smelled like lightly toasted marshmallows. Heaven!

More photos showing sap collection, evaporation and bottling soon...

Camera settings and post-processing: Photographed with the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L lens at 24mm, ISO 400, f/22, 8 second exposure w/tripod nicely balanced in crunchy snow. (When I got home I was annoyed to find that I shot this at ISO 400 instead of ISO 100. Errrrgh!) White balance and basic curves adjustment, perspective correction.

(If you're wondering about the flag in front of the woodpile, by any chance, it's a Gadsden flag. It was breezy and blowing around during the long exposure which is why it looks blurred.)

Thank you for visiting Durham Township!

-- Kathleen

Great night shot!

What would have been the benefit of ISO 100? Just less noise in the image? I can't say I see much noise here in the "Humongous" version, but I'm sure the original is much larger.

It is such an interesting process getting sap to syrup. I love the lighting in the picture.

Collection buckets are emptied and it's off to the Sugar Shack.
The days work continues well into the night that's so black.
Now gallons of sap are fed into the mighty metal creation
Where a wood fire speeds the process of simple evaporation.
Keep a watchful eye on the boiling, or I'll be afraid
That the sap will scorch, passing the proper amber grade.
If all goes well, they'll have more maple syrup "For Sale"
From the little building that looks like it is from a Grim fairy tale.

Anthony: My eternal goal is to shoot at ISO 100, haha! Yes, always less noise, more color vibrancy, etc. (This opinion is a leftover from many years of shooting Ektachrome 100. I realize it doesn't necessarily carry through to digital, but ...) I thought I'd set the ISO at 100 but was distracted by the elements and set-up.

Did you use additional lighting in this? I can see why you wanted the ISO to be 100 but this is still quite lovely.

Barbara: No lighting on my part but there is a light outside the building illuminating it from ground level. Helps everyone see where they're going since there are no street lights within 5 miles of the place, haha.

You'll get the 100 ISO next time. I really like the "feel" of this photo. Thanks for sharing.

Gorgeous shot! I did the same thing with the ISO with some evening tripod shots at Yellowstone.

Lovely image! Unique night shot - I love it!

I also LOVE LOVE LOVe real maple syrup, and what a treat it would be to visit the sugar shack!

What a fantastic picture! My initial thought was that you had captured a photo of the little house as it was sneezing!

Really like the solitude and the way the tree is illuminated in the background, excellent composition.

I've never seen a sugar shack before. This looks so idyllic.

Does the, "no street lights within 5 miles" remark mean the UPS truck does not pick up? (I was hopping the little room next to the fuel depot was a shipping department.) Love the intricate lacework of bare limbs before the night sky in the Versionale del Humongusto. I would be a little more comfortable standing out here in the dark yard if I could see a hint of terra firma for support. (Jeepers, Kathleen, I assume you were not cropping out some foreground excavation equipment when your compositional judgment literally scraped the bottom of the barrel:)

david tinnon: If you look closely at the bottom left you'll see the flare of the lamp that's illuminating the building and trees from the ground. I composed the scene so it didn't include that intense glare, but I had to settle for an uncomfortably tiny bit of foreground. (The spirit of Manet told me to go with the discomfort.)

Thank you so much for capturing this and the writeup. This country has moved away from true syrup in exchange for awful awful replacements. I wish I could walk to glen's place and buy a bottle.

There is nothing better than true maple syrup. I have a hard time sharing it with the pancakes.

Magical!! The light is amazing!!!

Brief ode to composition

The message I'm getting now seems to be mixed....
Orange arms are okay but floodlights need nixed?
So I'm left with no intense glare, but the foreground is soooo tiny.
I still like the shot, but I was feeling kind of whiny.

Kathleen; Well, you could have scooted the barrel over to block the offending fixture, but I suppose Sisely, Pissarro or Kinkade would have objected... so let's go with you and Manet. (Actually, the darkened windows would have likely offended Mr. K considerably, but you are a risk taker:)

A photo like a fairytale. This is what they mean when they talk about a photo telling a story!

I don't think the ISO 400 has harmed you much (if at all)! :)

my point of view with Canon 5D Mark II, ISO 400 is quite ok and the photo looking so nice, but exactly what leonie said "ISO 400 has harmed you much (if at all)" but if there was a source of light next time please use ISO 100, my experience,i work in News Agency and if something goes wrong with the photo, photo editor wont give you a second chance, i am not trying to teach some, who is far more experience but just a presence of mind can help you take better quality photo, and in the end that all that matters.

Bonsoir,
A beautiful exposure..An amazing processing..Bravo!

almost dreamy house

The smell of the smoke must be delicious....

Uh oh, Tinicum Twp is trying to ban all "outdoor wood-burning boilers"... is this farm being targeted for that?

Beautiful shot. I love long exposures and how the lights and smoke turn out.

Great detail very good mood.

Greetings,
Rewolve44