Oh Christmas Tree

Focus, young man!

I remember a friend once asked me to take a picture of the tree that my boys and I had just decorated for Christmas. I muttered something about Christmas tree pictures never come out good. You just can't do them justice.

I should have said pictures of MY trees don't come out good.

I've shot a few Christmas trees so far this season. The blur above is the Christmas tree in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress' Thomas Jefferson Building. After running out of ideas. I just put my camera focus on manual and pushed it as far out of focus as possible. I was being silly at the time, but I liked it as an artsy abstract. See the photos.

Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse

The current Thomas Point light is arguably the most widely recognized lighthouse in Maryland and is the only screw-pile light on the Chesapeake Bay still in its original location.

I didn't recognize it however, because despite my many trips to Annapolis over the past 15 years, I didn't even know the lighthouse existed. I was strolling up the pier in the Annapolis Harbor when I saw a sign offering a boat ride to Thomas Point Shoal. It was a beautiful day, so I thought there's got to be a good photo when there's a lighthouse involved.

It was late in the afternoon when we sailed up to and around the lighthouse. I got a number of shots from every angle. I even got a backlit shot that I thought would never work. (Keep your expectations very low.)

We sailed under the Bay Bridge and past a new Navy submarine that had just been christened. A great day overall, and I got a couple images I really like. See the photos.

Abstracts in Adams Morgan

I wanted to learn to see more creatively, so I took a class on abstract photography in Washington, DC's Adams Morgan neighborhood. David Luria of Washington Photo Safari led a group of us photographers through a number of exercises where we looked at mundane objects and tried to use extreme close ups and cropping to make an interesting photo.

Adams Morgan is one of the more culturally diverse and eclectic parts of the city. It's a sensory treat with vibrant colors, smells of all kinds of international cuisine, and sounds of everything from jazz to reggae. I'd shot photos down there many times before but always focused on the wide-open, vista-like shots. Once Ed taught us to look for the art in the ordinary, I saw the whole area differently. See the photos.

His name was Justin

This morning, I visited Arlington National Cemetery for a Veteran’s Day excursion. Section 60 of the cemetery has been designated as the final resting place for all those who died in Iraq, and we spent a good deal of our time just talking with family members who were there to remember their loved ones.

No matter how many times you confront these sacrifices in a personal way, it is always moving. I was touched by a 5-year-old girl and her 11-year-old brother who were there to see their dad. Surprisingly, the young boy spoke of his father with more pride than sadness.

Most memorable was the mother of Army Spc. Justin Rollins. She covered the range of emotions in our conversation -- from beaming with pride for his sacrifice, to remembering his many antics with laughter, to crumbling into tears recalling that yesterday was his birthday. Justin was an 82nd Airborne Division paratrooper and infantryman who was killed by an IED humvee explosion three weeks before he was scheduled to go home and planned to propose to his long-time girlfriend.

In the stories of these strangers, the meaning of Veteran’s Day came to life. I thanked his mom, Rhonda, and the many families in Section 60 for their sacrifice, I’d also like to thank all those who served our nation and paid the ultimate price. See the photos.

More about Justin

Rock Creek Park in the Fall

I have been trying to get some decent Fall pictures for years and nothing seemed to be working. This year, I thought I'd try Rock Creek Park. I've heard that the park has an amazing range of Fall colors, and I wasn't disappointed.

I found most of my opportunites along the bank of the creek. This was the first year I got something half decent. See the photos.

Washington Harbor at dusk

I was headed from Washington, DC, over to Rosslyn, VA, where my office is located, when I saw this view. I was crossing a bridge over the Potomac and to my right I saw the Kennedy Center and Washington Harbor at dusk.

I really wanted to shoot that scene, so I drove back into DC and parked behind the Kennedy Center. I didn't know how to get back onto the bridge on foot, so I walked up the on-ramp against traffic to get to the bridge. I hugged the edge of the wall as cars zoomed by. I kept thinking this was really a crazy thing to do for a picture. Luckily I got out of there safely...and captured some of these. See the photos.

Lorraine

After a graveyard shoot with my Shutterbug Excursions group, I kept thinking a cemetery would be a great place to shoot a model. I envisioned someone with a glamorous red dress that would really stand out against all the white, pale headstones. I ran an ad for a model to do a graveyard shoot and was inundated with the volume of responses. Who knew so many models wanted to shoot in a graveyard. :-)

Anyway, Lorraine had a photo wearing a red dress in her portfolio. I told her to bring the dress, and meet me in the graveyard. She was so bubbly and full of energy, it was a fun shoot. She is an actress and singer, and I got the idea she was always on stage. See the photos.

Arlington National Cemetery

Our Shutterbug Excursions took on Arlington National Cemetery. We spent the better part of the afternoon weaving through graves, past the John F. Kennedy grave site, up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It's always a moving experience. See the photos.

Meetup: Annapolis

In a moment of idleness, I signed on to Meetup.com and started a group called Shutterbug Excursions. I was looking for a creative outlet for my photography and like minded people to share the experience. The concept simply was to arrange short tours for a group of photographers. We would all go out and have fun shooting the same location. Later we upload our pictures and see the unique perspectives of each photographer.

Our first excursion took us to the Annapolis Harbor and was an even better experience than I ever imagined. About eight of us took on the Harbor and the US Naval Academy next door. We did well until a hail storm forced inside for cover. In all, a great experience. We’ve got future excursions scheduled to New York City, Shenandoah National Park, and Baltimore’s Green Mount Cemetery. See the photos.

Je t'aime Paris

This time I went to Paris.

My work usually takes me to some mundane places. I’ve made countless treks to Boston, and I visit Dallas with some regularity. Every now and then, the assignment is to drum up media coverage at an international trade show. I did... And a couple evenings, I managed to sneak away and indulge myself in the sights of the city.

My first stop was the Eiffel Tower. I went by train, and when I exited the station the sheer majesty stunned me. I’ve seen millions of pictures and have even visited once before (long ago). This time, however I was in awe. I spent the afternoon and into the evening shooting pictures. You’ll see my photos range from afternoon to dusk to the illuminated night scenes. From the energy of people at the tower to the building itself, I don’t think I ever tired of shooting.

On my last day there, my curiosity drew me to the Louvre, then along the Seine River to Notre Dame. That’s where I captured the life and love of the city. Couples kissing, merchants selling, people along the river relaxing and reading. I went there for work, but by the time I left I was saying Je t’aime Paris. See the photos.