Category Archives: Washington D.C.

Beautiful Photography of Washington D.C.

Washington at Night

Posted on January 2nd, 2017 by

Happy New Year!

It’s a new year, time to say good bye to 2016 (thankfully) and hello to 2017. I can’t say that I enter this new year without a strong bit of trepidation. The country is more divided than at any time in my past memory. Perhaps I am deluding myself, all times are hard or joyous depending on your outlook. What strikes me worst of all, perhaps, is the seeming reality that we have forgotten our original National Motto, E pluribus unum (out of many, one).

Originally about the colonies and the formation of the Union, in more modern times it speaks too of our diversity. Out of many cultures, races, genders, sexual orientations, we are The United States of America. Our amalgamation makes us indelibly stronger. In the past few years, I have been all over the world and I have seen other peoples and cultures, how they differ from and are the same as us. I have seen beauty and horror, joy and sorrow, felt frightened and lifted up. I don’t know where we are headed in 2017, but it must be towards the causes of human dignity, toward the rights of all people, towards the preservation of inalienable right.

I heard a story recently about asking what made a true Frenchmen. It was explained, a TRUE Frenchmen is one who was born in France and who’s forebears were also Frenchmen, for generations back that lineage could be traced. I adore France! Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but in my country an American is anyone naturalized in the last second. That is a powerful difference, and one worth fighting to preserve.

Washington at Night
Washington at Night

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 27 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 35mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 13s
  • Title: Washington at Night

Before Congress Comes to Work

Posted on October 24th, 2016 by

WAKE UP CONGRESS!

I took this one early morning on my first trip by myself. I wanted to see if I could really “do it”. In retrospect, being afraid of solo travel is natural, but also a little funny at this point having been all over the world by myself. It’s really peaceful on the Capitol grounds before all the tourists and Congress men and women come to work. Really it was only me and a few cranky guards upset about my tripod! I though this really illustrated what they mean by Capitol Hill!

Before Congress Comes to Work
Before Congress Comes to Work

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 28 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 18mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/160s
  • Title: Before Congress Comes to Work

Archives of The United States Of America

Posted on July 4th, 2016 by

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 4th of July everyone! This photo was taken on the same trip as the one I released last Thursday. I was meandering aimlessly around the mall. “What is that building?”, I thought to myself as I walked generally toward it. I did one of those stop in your tracks sort of moves when I realized it was the Archives of the United States of America! It was almost closing time and I only had about 15 minutes to go through. No photography is allowed because of the delicate nature of the documents held inside. It is quite a thing to see in person the founding documents of our Nation. Though I serendipitous discovered the archives, I would highly recommend not missing them!

Archives of The United States Of America
Archives of The United States Of America

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/5.6
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 28 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 22mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/1000s
  • Title: Archives of The United States Of America

Image of a Tree in the Sun

Posted on June 30th, 2016 by

Skeletal Tree

I almost missed the Washington D.C. Mall sculpture garden of the National Gallery of Art. I happened along it after visiting the National Archives and was headed at near the end of the day to the Metro station that pops out in the Mall. As I walked by I was immediately drawn in wondering how on Earth I had always missed this fantastic stroll! This tree sculpture is called “Graft” and it is by the artist Roxy Paine. It’s always interesting to see artists other works when they are this iconic. I noticed on my first visit, another of Paine’s sculptures adorns the entry to Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, Arkansas. This D.C. trip I found the skeletal tree at just the right time of evening for a fun shot, playing off the sunset.

Image of a Tree in the Sun
Image of a Tree in the Sun

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 28 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 100
  • Shutter speed: 1/1250s
  • Title: Image of a Tree in the Sun

The Back End of the Space Shuttle Discovery

Posted on June 20th, 2016 by

Space Flight

The impressive Udvar-Hazy Center, part of the incomparable collection of the Smithsonian, has this beast as one of its central attractions. The are bigger planes, more historically significant flying machines, few hold the mystique of the space shuttle. This is the back end of Discovery, who’s history is chronicled through the display. Seeing a shuttle that close, seeing what are the scars of it battle on re-entry, is a truly a huge bit of awe that I hope anyone interested in flight gets to witness.

The Back End of the Space Shuttle Discovery
The Back End of the Space Shuttle Discovery

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 29 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 1600
  • Shutter speed: 1/100s
  • Title: The Back End of the Space Shuttle Discovery

Remember…The Enola Gay

Posted on May 30th, 2016 by

Remember

Today we recognize Memorial Day and those who died serving the armed forces and also, hopefully the costs of war. My visit to Air and Space in D.C. was a highlight of visit. The most impact came from this shiny Boeing B-29 Superfortress. It’s big, but size is common in this hanger. It’s shiny, but there are a number of unpainted highly polished planes around. It’s impact comes from the simple lettering of her name…Enola Gay. The plane helped end the War and saved untold numbers of American lives all while killing 140,000 Japanese. Today, remember and be thankful for our service men and women who lost their lives defending our Nation. Remember too the horrible cost of war for all and say thank you the Veterans in your life…for they carry an intimate knowledge of these costs, that we will never understand.

Remember…The Enola Gay
Remember…The Enola Gay

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/2.8
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 29 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 25mm
  • ISO: 1600
  • Shutter speed: 1/200s
  • Title: Remember...The Enola Gay

Capitol Iron Work

Posted on February 15th, 2016 by

US Capitol Detail

There are so many wonderful works of art that function as every day objects. This handrail support on the back stairs of the U.S. Capitol Building is a great example. It just there to support people, but it has a stateliness, something that reminds me of an abstract eagle soaring above the swirls below. It shows us the ebb, the balance of moderate discourse. It’s just some old thing, that some designer thought long about. Some old thing that some craftsman poured sweat and life into. It spends its days in the elements largely unnoticed, but there some will see and be in awe of its functional beauty.

Capitol Iron Work
Capitol Iron Work

Photo Technical Info

The Library of Congress Skylight

Posted on February 8th, 2016 by

Color Troubles

I took this photo of the grandiose skylight at the U.S. Library of Congress years ago, but because of the difficult lighting conditions, its been in a folder on my computer called “Needs More Work”. Inside and outside color temperature ends up with a mess of tones, so as I was looking around this weekend I finally figured I should do what I almost always do in these situations and work in black and white! Amazing!

The Library of Congress Skylight
The Library of Congress Skylight

Photo Technical Info

  • Aperture: ƒ/4
  • Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II
  • Taken: 28 May, 2012
  • Focal length: 16mm
  • ISO: 400
  • Shutter speed: 1/50s

Joan Miro Exhibit

Posted on August 13th, 2015 by

Empty Halls

A quick post today, complete with no tourists! I was both ecstatic and sad to see the National Gallery in Washington D.C. so empty. It was deathly quiet…I almost literally had the place to myself. The Miro exhibit was fantastic as was the permanent collection. One might expect this from the National Gallery. Though I might lament too few people seeing master works that day, I totally appreciated the unobstructed view!

Joan Miro Exhibit
Joan Miro Exhibit

Photo Technical Info

Washington D.C Pyramid

Posted on August 10th, 2015 by

Older Works

I don’t constrain myself with only processing photos from my latest trip. I like to process what catches me at the time when I sit down on a Sunday afternoon to prepare photos for the blog. This photo was from my first solo trip. It grabbed me for some reason and I think it reminds me of another photo that I processed years ago of the Glass Pyramid gracing the front of the Louvre. It is a bit unfair to compare them, but both were designed by I.M. Pei. I personally think the photo at the Louvre is better. Perhaps that is an equally unfair comparison, but both were taken by me.

Washington D.C Pyramid
Washington D.C Pyramid

Photo Technical Info