Saturday, August 23, 2008

Sticking the Landing

Sticking the Landing : Washington National Airport

August has been uncharacteristically pleasant this year--moderate temperatures most days, low humidity, blue skies. It's almost weird. But I'm not complaining. Normally at this time of the year, we're all melting into the pavement with temperatures in the 90s and humidity at 90% or more. Hazy, hot, and humid is usually the standard descriptor, but not this year!

Landing in blue

In recognition of the great weather, I went out for a few hours yesterday evening and again tonight. I decided to head over to Gravelly Point north of Washington National Airport and try my hand at timed exposures of planes landing. These are a couple of the 35 landings I captured.

Summer sunset : Gravelly Point : Arlington, Virginia

The evening also featured a beautiful sunset. Note that beautiful blue sky and pink-tinged clouds. Normally, sunsets in August are sort of a yellowish color because of the humidity. I think I like this better!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 08/08

11 comments:

marley said...

Three fantastic photos! I love the sunset :)

Wayne said...

What a neat idea. Turned out well too.

Janet Kincaid said...

Marley: Thanks!

Wayne: Timed exposures are always fun!

Jane Hards Photography said...

They are fantastic. Love the blue haziness.

Maya said...

These are all beautiful! That pinkish sunset reminds me of the ones here in Seattle. I always marvel at them since the ones I grew up with in Arizona were more on the orange and yellow side. I love sunsets!

The plane shots are a great idea! I really like how they turned out. I'll have to try that...

Virginia said...

Good job on these. I took my first decent sunset on Friday night at the lake. Watch for it tomorrow. Yours is so soft and nice. Kind of orange and blue, we call that an Auburn sky. We're hopeless football fans down here. You'll have to share how the ins and outs of the night shots.
V

Anonymous said...

wow- the photos make it look much nicer than it is in person, I think, which is some kind of feat...

Janet Kincaid said...

Babooshka: Thanks! Blue skies in the summer are always a good thing in these parts.


Maya: It reminded me of sunsets on the West Coast, too, but I also know the sunsets you speak of in Arizona. I grew up in Utah and my mother is from Wyoming. Desert sunsets have their own special beauty. And pictures at the airport are always fun! SeaTac has to have an observation area you could go to for similar pictures. Or Boeing! Oh, I'd have a field day at Boeing.


Virginia: I'll definitely pop over tomorrow and check out your sunset photo! Auburn's a good school; I don't mind having my picture associated with that fine institution of learning!


Tara: Thanks! Anything to put a softer glow on this area works for me.

Bernie said...

You do know you are a truly gifted photographer, don't you? These are incredible!

Anonymous said...

I feel so bad saying it, but as beautiful and majestic as the planes are... sometimes I really wish they came with a "mute" button :(

Janet Kincaid said...

Bernie: Thanks! That means a lot to me.


Average Jane: I hear you. Sometimes, even where I live, they can be a tad loud. I can't imagine living directly under their flight path.