Settings

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

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

Festival of Lights

Greenery : Washington DC Mormon Temple : Kensington, MD

On Monday evening, I went with a group of friends to the 2008 Festival of Lights at the Washington D.C. Mormon Temple in Kensington, Maryland. This is the festival's 31st year and attracts visitor's from all across the region and up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

Purple and gold : Washington DC Mormon Temple : Kensington, MD

To find a Mormon Temple near you and learn if they have a festival of lights, visit this site. (The site itself won't tell you if there's a festival, but it will provide you with a phone number to call and find out.) If you enjoy night/low light photography and holiday lights and/or want to improve your skills, they're great venues for both.

Red, white, and blue seemed to be a theme this year around the Visitor's Center

To see a couple of pictures from last year's festival, go here. To view a few more pictures from this year's festival, click on the slideshow below.

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

Study in Blue

Gentleman in Blue on a Bench :
Laurel Avenue : Takoma Park, Maryland

Again, random photos with no particular meaning except these are a variation on a theme of blue! Hope you've enjoyed yesterday's and today's entries. One of tomorrow's entries will feature things yellow and orange. How droll, no?

River Visual : Roosevelt Island : Washington, D.C.

Blue Bead Bento Box : S&A Beads : Takoma Park, Maryland

Ethereal Dusk :
Washington DC Mormon Temple : Kensington, Maryland

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08

Study in Green

Landscape lighting :
Washington DC Mormon Temple : Kensington, Maryland

Just a few more random photos of no particular significance, except these are all a variation on a theme of green.

L: New growth on a maple tree.
R: Clover on the forest floor.

L: Backlit trees on the grounds of the Mormon Temple.
R: 15-second timed exposure of the Washington DC Mormon Temple.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08

Festive

Christmas lights at the Mormon Temple in Kensington, Maryland.

One of the many creches on display at the Mormon Temple Visitors' Center in Kensington

Through the end of December, there are several light festivals in the D.C. area. In its 30th year, the Festival of Lights at the Mormon Temple in Kensington, Maryland, has gained popularity over the decades. Where before it was mostly people from the neighborhood and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who visited this yearly event, now folks from all of the region drive to Maryland--some by the busload, literally--to see the lights and attend musical performances in the Visitors' Center. The Festival of Lights also includes a live nativity and a display of creches from all over the world. My favorite this year was the Amish creche.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 12/07

Next Stop... Kensington

This is the train station in Kensington, Maryland, on Antique Row--the older part of Kensington proper. The CSX Railroad runs through here, as does the MARC train. Otherwise, it's just a quiet little station with a limited number of parking spaces. Across the street, on Antique Row, though, there are some great shops that feature old books and vintage bathroom hardware and similar goods.

Zip: 20895

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential (Janet M. Kincaid, 07/07)