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Reflection

Yesterday evening, I met my mom at the Washington Mormon Temple to drop off a photo she had requested. I left the house early so I could take pictures at dusk. The top photo was taken much later than dusk, but I wanted to capture the reflection of the temple in the strategically placed pond near the visitor's center. I know I posted pictures from this year's Festival of Lights last week, but last night's shots turned out so well, I figured I'd post another one.

Playing with the settings. On the left, a photo using the tungsten setting.
On the right, all settings for white balance were automatic.

The two photos above are why I like photographing buildings and structures around or immediately after sunset (the same is true for sunrise.) The light is soft and lacks the glare of daytime light. What I like about these photos is how the effect changes based on one simple setting--white balance. In the case of these two photos, one was taken with an auto setting and the other with a tungsten setting.


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

The Wall

Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the Washington Monument

I haven't been out with my camera much in the last week or so. Today's picture is taken from my archives and is one that I didn't post when I took it earlier this year. This is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial with the Washington Monument in the background. I love this memorial for a variety of reasons, but what I appreciate most is its power to make grown men cry and the way it has quietly healed a nation.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Cathedral Noir

Ascending : Washington National Cathedral

One of my favorite Washington landmarks is Washington National Cathedral. This is my ninth post featuring this magnificent church. On my way home from dinner with my family on Sunday, I zipped up Massachusetts Avenue to Wisconsin Avenue to grab a few pictures in the dark.

Darken the Doorway : Washington National Cathedral

I didn't take too many pictures, though, because it was 32 F/0 C with winds out of the west at 29 mph and a windchill of -7 F. In other words, it was COLD. I'm sure it's undignified or something, but I wish the Cathedral would string lights on their trees and grounds during the holidays. I think that would be lovely.

Colonnade at Night : Washington National Cathedral

To see other pictures of the cathedral, go here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. And now, I need to get out and get busy seeing other stuff. Anyone visiting this blog will get the wrong impression that all we have in Washington, D.C., is the Lincoln Memorial and Washington National Cathedral!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

Lights in Bokeh

Bokeh : Festival of Lights : Kensington, MD

These are a couple more pictures from the Festival of Lights I featured yesterday. I took these photos by removing the wide angle attachment on my camera and using the macro feature. I think they're kind of fun!

Hexagonal Rainbow : Festival of Lights : Kensington, MD

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

When Bloggers Meet: Seattle

Pike Place Market decorated for Christmas : Seattle, WA

Saturday evening, I hooked up with Maya of Maya Photography and she showed me all around Seattle's downtown area. I have no clue where we were exactly at all times, but she was a great tour guide.

A tripod would have been useful for these, but I still like them : Pike Place Market : Seattle, WA

Of course, a tripod would have been helpful that night and I had it with me, but left it in the trunk of the car. I've found that it works best there. (That's also where I store my umbrella on rainy days as it's less likely to get wet that way.) The result of being tripod-less were these two happy mistakes at Pike Place.

Carousal at Macy's : Seattle, WA

After we saw Pike Place Market, we walked around the plaza near Macy's and then walked through Capitol Hill. What struck me most, for some odd reason, was all of the neon. We don't have a lot of neon in downtown D.C., but Seattle seems to have a ton of it. Most of my pictures from that night feature lots of neon.

Robin Williams at the Paramount : Seattle, WA

If these five pictures aren't enough neon for you, come back tomorrow when I'll be featuring a few more examples of lighted wonder as part of the weekly Two Things Challenge!

Bus Terminal : Seattle, WA

We also walked past the city's bus tunnel, which looked really cool in the night light, so I snapped a picture. Not your typical, iconic Seattle sight (those will show up here on Monday), but quite beautiful nonetheless.

Tomorrow: Two Things Challenge and more neon.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/08

Silver

AFI Silver : Silver Spring, Maryland

Some more shots from downtown Silver Spring. This time, the AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center. If you want to see independent, foreign, or art house cinema, this is the theater for it. The added advantage? No crowds of unruly teenagers and, for those who like a drink with their movie, you can get beer on tap.

Off to the movies

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Neon Beauty

The Lee Building
: Corner of Colesville Road and Georgia Avenue :
Silver Spring, Maryland

A few evenings ago, I was out and about in downtown Silver Spring. The older part of downtown has some wonderful art deco architecture and the Lee Building is a wonderful example of a very retro look.

Not your boring elevator

A more contemporary neon construct can be found surrounding the elevator tower in the outdoor shopping plaza.

Spectacular Sale on Spectacles

This sign was in the window of Hour Eyes, a purveyor of optometry and eyewear.


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

100 Strangers: DJ & Deep

D.J. and Deep and their sons out for an evening in Silver Spring

Continuing my 100 Strangers series, tonight I was out in downtown Silver Spring and I was setting up to take a shot of the Discovery Channel building and Cakelove, when this group of gentlemen stepped into the picture. I ended up chatting with them briefly, then taking their picture. D.J., the gentlemen on the left, and his son are visiting from Augusta, Georgia. The gentleman on the right, Deep, is his brother. Deep works for the Smithsonian Institution. They were very friendly guys and it was fun taking their picture!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/08

Jubilation

Chants and outbursts of jubilation define the crowds that surged into
the streets of Washington and flowed to Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the
White House after it was announced that Barack Obama, the long-shot candidate
and senator from Illinois, had been elected America's 44th president.

Last night, history was made in the United States of America. For the first time, a black man has been elected to the highest office in the land. More than 100 117.7 million Americans voted. Of those who voted, 52%, or 52.7 62.4 million, cast their ballots for Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. Senator Obama garnered 338 349 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 needed, and was declared the 44th President of the United States.

Celebrating with the crowd in front of the White House

A large portion of the country burst into spontaneous celebration. Down on Pennsylvania Avenue, in front of the White House, a crowd of thousands gathered to chant "Yes We Can!" and "Yes We Did!" and "Obama! Obama!" Most of them appeared to be students from nearby George Washington and Georgetown Universities, but there were also many who seemed to be coming from the city's neighborhoods and the suburbs of Virginia and Maryland to be a part of history. Up on U and 14th Streets NW--Washington's historic Black Broadway--crowds of people poured out of their homes, restaurants, and bars and began celebrating.

While I was down at the White House tonight, three complete strangers--all African American--hugged me and others. This is a monumental day for them and an opportunity for change for all of us. The pictures I took aren't the greatest. I was being jostled by the crowd at times and didn't want to block the way at other times. But I hope they give you a sense for the moment. Similar celebrations were taking place from coast-to-coast.

About a mile from the White House,
a few people quietly gathered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

America has spoken and the way is clear. It won't be easy, but if we work together so much is possible. Last night was a night for all Americans to be proud!

*****

Kendra and Jake, new D.C. residents who moved here from Montana,
join in the celebration in front of the White House.

Continuing my 100 Strangers series, this is a picture of Kendra and Jake. They just moved here from Montana to work for a couple of non-profits here in town. They were soaking up the enthusiasm in front of the White House and were excited to learn that as of 12:30 a.m. EST their state was tilting toward Obama. As I type this at 2:50 a.m. EST, Obama and McCain are tied for Montana. Update 8:25 a.m. EST: McCain carried Montana, but while 50% of Big Sky voters cast their ballots for him 46% went for Obama. Not bad. Not bad at all.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 11/05/08

Posted at 3:30 a.m. EST. Updated to reflect new polling results at 7:30 a.m. EST.

Newseum

The Newseum: Dedicated to promoting free press and free speech

Located on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and 6th Street NW, the Newseum is Washington's museum to news and journalism. Built at a cost of $450 million, it opened to the public in April 2008. Originally based in Arlington, Virginia, the Newseum closed its doors in 2002 to build at this location.

The Freedom Forum, a non-profit foundation whose mission is dedicated to "free press, free speech, and free spirit for all people" funds the Newseum's operations. However, unlike the majority of museums located on or near the National Mall, there is a fee to visit the Newseum. Tickets are $20 for adults. I've heard mixed reviews about whether it's worth the twenty bucks, which is why I haven't been yet.

The subject of yesterday's photo, oriented properly today!

A staircase at the Newseum was the subject of yesterday's photo. And Wayne was right: I did turn the picture on its side. Here it is again, but this time right side up!

Just a different view of the same staircase.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Pentagon 9/11 Memorial: A Guided Tour

The Healing Field and the USAF Memorial in the background.
The field of flags is a temporary feature.

Until yesterday, Washington's newest monument and memorial was the United States Air Force Memorial. As of 09.11.08, our newest memorial is the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial. Situated on nearly two acres of land on the west side of the Pentagon, the memorial honors and remembers the lives of 184 souls lost on 09.11.01 in the worst attacks on American soil since 1941. It's location on a military reservation with public access is unprecedented, but fitting and right.

As you enter the memorial, you cross a threshold created by stones taken from the rubble of the Pentagon and etched with the date and time American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the western facade of the building. Yesterday's entry begins with a picture of that threshold.

The bench of eight-year old Zoe Falkenberg.
She and her three-year old sister, Dana, were
the youngest victims of the terror attacks.
Their benches face eastward, indicating they were on Flight 77.

There are 184 cantilevered benches across the memorials two acres. They are situated by age--beginning with the youngest victim, three-year old Dana Falkenberg (born 1998) and ending on the other side of the acreage with 71-year old retired Naval officer John Yamnicky (born 1930.) As you walk the perimeter of the memorial, years are set in stone and stainless steel runners indicate the dateline and those born in that year who died on 9/11. Within those birth years are the benches of each victim. For example, when looking for Scott Powell's bench, a USAF sergeant informed me he would be found in the row for 1966--Scott's year of birth.

One of the 125 benches facing westward,
indicating the individual died in the Pentagon.

The benches are oriented based on whether the person who perished was in the Pentagon or on the airplane. Each bench is engraved with the name of the person who died. If you're standing at the end of the bench looking at the name and you see the USAF Memorial in the background, that person was in the plane and their bench is facing eastward toward the Pentagon. If you're looking at a name and you see the Pentagon as your backdrop, that person was in the building and their bench is facing westward toward the USAF Memorial. Fifty-nine benches are oriented eastward and 125 are oriented westward.

A son remembered: many visitors left mementos and flowers

Visitors may leave mementos and flowers. These items and organics are gathered up every day at 8:00 p.m. The flowers are discreetly discarded and the tangible items are cataloged and held by the military for 30 days. At the end of that period, the items are reviewed and are either sent to the family of the individual upon whose bench they were left or remain in the possession of the Pentagon Memorial archives.

Contemplative

The memorial is open to the public 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It is recommended that visitor's use Metro, as there is no visitor parking on the military reservation for the public. The memorial can be accessed by riding the Blue or Yellow lines and disembarking at Pentagon Station. If you must drive, parking is available in the Pentagon City Mall--about a 10-minute walk from the memorial.

This is the third and final installment in this series on the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, however I can guarantee I'll be going back and taking and posting more pictures in the months ahead. To see additional photos from last night's visit to this serene, healing memorial, please visit Standing Room Only.

An additional photo essay from the Washington Post can be found here.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 09.11.08

In Remembrance

Stone taken from the rubble of the Pentagon and laid here as a threshold
marking the date and time terrorists flew American Airlines Flight 77
into the Pentagon killing 59 passengers and 125 Pentagon personnel.

Today, on the seventh anniversary of the attacks on New York, Washington, and Shanksville, the first 9/11 memorial was dedicated this morning before a crowd of 15,000 family, friends, and colleagues of those killed on AA Flight 77 and in the Pentagon that day. This evening, at 7:00 p.m., the memorial opened to the public.

Flight attendants gather at the bench of a colleague

I arrived just before 7:00 and left a little after 8:00. Hundreds of people are pouring into this new memorial and paying their respects. These are just a few of the pictures I took this evening.

Scott Powell

This post is dedicated to the memory of Scott Powell and all of the men and women who died on September 11. Scott was the twin brother of Art Powell, a colleague of my sister, Janeen. Janeen and Art worked together at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission annex in Alexandria, Virginia. They, along with their colleagues, lost friends and family members both in New York and Washington that day. Janeen couldn't join me this evening, but she asked me to find Scott's bench.

The bench of Capt. Lawrence D. Getzfred, USN

To read the stories of those in Washington, D.C., and its neighboring towns and communities who were personally touched by the events of September 11th, click on the links below.

Their Lives Were Shaped by Loss
From Families' Grief, a Symbol of Loss and Hope
The Nation's First 9/11 Memorial: A Photo Essay

The Healing Field : Nearly 3,000 flags commemorating the lives lost on 9/11

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 09.11.08

Boldly Go

The United States Air Force Memorial and Honor Guard

Today's entry is for Benjamin and his dad, Kirk, who is stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. I met Benjamin and his dad, along with his mom and sister, while I was out photographing the United States Air Force Memorial in Arlington this past weekend. Benjamin was intrigued by the angles and set-ups I was choosing and he and I had a lovely conversation.

Boldly Go...

I featured a couple of photos of this memorial earlier this summer, but it was a day of double entries and didn't get quite the play I'd hoped it would so I'm featuring new photos here today. I took nearly 100 shots of this memorial and, with each successive snap, I grew to like this modern tribute to our men and women in the Air Force. When it was first erected, I confess, I hated it. Thought it was a dog. A monstrosity. But, as I've spent time photographing it, I've gained a measure of respect and appreciation for it and now think it's a nice addition to the Washington area skyline. Aesthetics aside, it's a fitting tribute to the men and women who have and are protecting our nation's airways.

The USAF Memorial at Night : Timed Exposure : Tungsten Setting

To see my original entry about the United States Air Force Memorial, go here. To see a few more pictures, visit Standing Room Only. And, for even more photos of this new memorial, visit my galleries at ImageKind.

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

Reflections

Capitol Dome as seen from the park to the north of the grounds

It was a beautiful night on Saturday, so I went out to take a few pictures of the full moon (minus one day) down near the Capitol. Unfortunately, I left a little too late and didn't get the moon closer to the horizon. I did, however, get a few nice pictures of the Capitol, as well as its reflection in--what else?--the Reflecting Pool. (Funny how names for some things are just so simple!)

Capitol Reflection

And for those of you wondering what I found out about the permitting process for use of a tripod on the Capitol grounds, here's what I learned. Last week, I spoke with a very lovely officer in the Capitol Police Department's Office of Special Events named Sgt. Walters. Officer Walters directed me to this link, where I've downloaded an Adobe PDF file and will be submitting a request for tripod use shortly. The bummers are these: first, I have to specify a date and time. I can't just ask for an all-purpose, any time pass. And second, I have to stipulate that any pictures I take will not be for commercial use or monetary gain, which I guess means I probably can't sell them. I need to get clarification on that last one, because if I can't sell them, that totally bites. So, there you have it.

Nearly full moon over the Capitol

As to whether a tripod was used to take these pictures and where I took them at as they relate to the aforementioned Capitol grounds, I'm not saying. As we say in this town, if I tell you, I'll have to kill you!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

End to End

The U.S. Capitol around sunset.
I couldn't get any closer than this with my tripod.

Today's pictures aren't really that new in terms of content, but they are in terms of having just been shot. Starting on the east end of the Mall is the U.S. Capitol. I wanted to go on the grounds with my tripod and take more pictures, but I was accosted by the Capitol Police. They told me my tripod was prohibited unless I had a permit from the Sergeant-at-Arms. Total crock o' crap, but whatever. I'll go back during regular hours and get a permit.

The Washington Monument and U.S. Capitol from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
This is the view Martin Luther King, Jr., looked out upon when he delivered his immortal
"I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.

After that little debacle, I climbed in the car and headed down to the Lincoln Memorial. The next two pictures are the result of visiting my favorite memorial in the entire city. It also brought me in contact with tourists and, once again, provided me with an irksome moment. So: rant alert. As I was photographing Lincoln's eastward facing facade, I overheard a gentleman telling his friends about Martin Luther King, Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Said gentleman informed his friends that King delivered his speech near the Washington Monument looking westward toward the Lincoln Memorial.

It was everything I could do not to look at him and say, "Are you freakin' kidding?!" Instead, what I said was, "Actually, King gave his speech right here on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial looking out toward the Washington Monument. There's a plaque in the granite stairs up there," I gestured, "that marks where he stood."

Now, I don't expect folks to know every little thing there is to know about Washington, D.C., when they come here. For example, I don't expect people to know it was Daniel Chester French who sculpted Lincoln, or that the Washington Monument was constructed in sections, or that Franklin Roosevelt was the only president to appoint a full Supreme Court. But I do expect people to know what the significant buildings are and what important events happened in and around the city. In other words, I expect people to do a little homework before they visit a capital city. Whether it's Paris, Rome, London, Washington, Atlanta, Ottawa, Sydney, Vienna, Moscow, Toyko, Beijing, or wherever, please, I beg of you, do some homework before you visit these places. And if you live here, know what you're talking about before you open your mouth. Otherwise, you just look stupid.

Watching the sunset from below the Lincoln Memorial

Okay, rant over. Thanks for indulging me. And now for this last picture: a view of the Lincoln Memorial unlike most you've seen here. This was taken from halfway up the stairs that border the Potomac River to the west of Mr. Lincoln's temple.

To see more pictures from this evening's walk, go to Standing Room Only.

* * * * *

Oh, and apparently I've won an award from Rob over at Dusty Lens. Here are the details.

Rob from DUSTY LENS sent me this Arte y Pico Award. Thanks, Rob! The feeling is mutual!

1. You have to pick five blogs that you consider 'deserving of this award for their creativity, design, interesting material and which contributes to the blogging community, no matter what language they are in.'
2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given him/her the award itself.
4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize has to show the Arte y Pico blog so that everyone will know the origin of the award.
5. Each award winner has to post these rules.

My choices are:

Odessa Photo-a-Day
Tauranga Photo-a-Day
Cheltenham Daily Photo
London Daily Nature Photo
San Francisco's Fog Bay

Just copy and paste the rules above, copy, save, and paste the Arte y Pico award on the left and go pick your five!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 07/08

KABOOM! KABOOM!

Rockets Red Glare : Fireworks on the National Mall : Lincoln Memorial

I vacillated whether to brave the weather, traffic, the crowds, and security this year in order to see the annual fireworks show on the National Mall. At around 7:00 I decided, what the heck! I've really wanted to take fireworks pictures and now that I have a good tripod, I didn't want to miss an opportunity. So, I drove from my neighborhood in tippy-top NW DC down to 15th and R Streets NW and parked. Then I walked nearly 2.5 miles to Memorial Bridge and the back side of the Lincoln Memorial where I set up my tripod and camera and got ready for the action to start. Here are the results of my first time taking pictures of fireworks (with appropriate equipment) and succeeding!

Bombs Bursting in Air : Fireworks on the National Mall : Lincoln Memorial

True Blue, All-American Fireworks : National Mall : Lincoln Memorial

Yee haw! : Fireworks on the National Mall : Lincoln Memorial

Hope everyone had a fun and safe July 4th!