Lititz in the Blue Hour

Our little downtown area here in Lititz is fortunate to feature a traditional English-style pub. The Bulls Head Public House serves up a wide variety of beverages, as well as some of the traditional fare you would expect to find in that kind of establishment. My youngest son is a big fan of their fish and chips while I’m more partial to the crème brûlée stout they occasionally carry on tap.

The proprietors do a great job of keeping up the façade and when combined with its warmly lit interior it always looks so welcoming. Which I guess is the whole point. I’ve always wanted to capture the Bulls Head when it’s at its most beckoning, the blue hour. And even though the pub is a mere three minute (or 10 minute walk) away from my front door, year after year I find excuses to not make this smallest of journeys so I can add another shot to my hometown photographic bucket list.

Partially motivated by my purchase of a new camera, I decided last night was going to be the night. There was a small amount of rain in the forecast and I thought I could capture the storefront and its lights mirrored in some slick pavement. Unfortunately, the precipitation never materialized so the colorful foregrounds I imagined weren’t meant to be, but I was able to get off a few shots that turned out okay.

In addition to the Bulls Head, I also managed to capture a few shots of the nearby Lititz Springs National Bank building, Tomato Pie Café, and Parkview Hotel Taproom along North Broad Street during the blue hour. I was enjoying myself just enough that I ventured to downtown Lancaster in an attempt to capture my own version of a shot of the old Buick dealership I had seen another photographer post online. Luckily, it had rained in the city so my dreams of catching some roadway reflections were partially realized.

All in all, I wouldn’t say it’s my most engaging set of photos, but I do think they’re good enough to share. I believe I’m still in search of “the shot” I’m looking for that truly defines the “pub-i-ness” of the Bulls Head. I don’t think I’ve yet capture my photo that truly reflects its welcoming nature. It may take some repeated visits to the establishment to make that happen. For the pursuit of fulfilling artistic vision, that’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.