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.

9.11.06

I was driving by the Pentagon on Sept. 11 when I noticed beams of light shining up from the building. This was the 5th anniversary of the tragedy, and I guess this is how the Department of Defense marked the event.

Luckily, I had my camera in the car, so I went in search of a good location to shoot the scene. I found a spot on a hill behind the Pentagon, and when I got there, I found about a dozen other photographers had beat me there. Apparently, there was a steady stream up to that parking lot to capture the beams. I still thought it was kinda cool. See the photos.