When Denny Hughes was a youngster, he played with an Amish neighbor at a nearby farm. As they formed a friendship, a seed was planted in Hughes that would grow into a lifelong passion. For more than three decades, he has been a photographer of the Amish, capturing visual accounts of the culture, telling their stories.
Hughes of East Petersburg, Pa., will tell some tales from his photographic journey Thursday, March 12, at the Elizabethtown College Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. “Amish in Focus: Photos and Stories,” an exploration of the more than 18,000 images Hughes has taken over the years, is from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Bucher Meetinghouse. Following the program is a reception honoring the photographer for his generous contribution of slides to the College’s Hess Archives and Special Collections.
“It was in Lewistown, near the Big Valley area” in Mifflin County, said Hughes of his first interaction with the Amish at the age of 5. “They were Nebraska Amish, the white top Amish. We made friends. Since then, the Amish have always intrigued me.”
Their backs are to me; the hot air balloon is out of the picture. There is just the sunset.”
So, as an adult Hughes took to the peace and quiet of Lancaster County farm country and the plain sect areas of Indiana, Ohio and upstate New York and he returned to the Amish farms of the Big Valley. In 1986 his photography hobby took hold hard and he began a respectful chronicling of the unique Amish way of life and that of other plain groups. “I have followed them without being too abrasive,” he said of his photography. “I’ve gotten to know quite a few of them; they have been very helpful.”
Retired from Lancaster, Pa., Intell Printing Co. in 1999, where he worked in photo retouching, Hughes was able to follow his passion even more closely – while photographing at a distance. “It’s usually at public gatherings,” he said of his interaction. “Each bishop is different” about photography. “Usually it’s just about ‘don’t pose for an image’.” His photos are candid and mindful of the sects’ views on images of themselves and family members.
Only twice has Hughes encountered aggression. Once in Lancaster County and once outside the area. Mostly, though, “they respect that I respect them.” Many of the Amish families with whom he’s established ties contact him when there is a public event taking place or when crops are being harvested to help give him a photographic heads-up.
His photographs have appeared in various publications, including those of Young Center scholars. Out of thousands of photos, Hughes said, there are maybe 10 that are his favorites.
One image in particular, “Shared Sunset,” features two young Amish boys sitting on a fence watching the sky. The photo has been featured on book covers and other publications. Taken in 1990, Hughes happened upon an Amish boy watching a hot air balloon. Soon the mother brought out a younger brother to watch, as well. The sun was setting and Hughes caught the moment. “Their backs are to me; the hot air balloon is out of the picture. There is just the sunset.”
Cost of the program is free. For information contact the Young Center at 717-361-1470 or youngctr@etown.edu. Watch for more Young Center events: http://www.etown.edu/centers/young-center/events.aspx