Takoma

The Takoma Theater : Takoma Neighborhood
(Click image to enlarge)

One of my favorite places near the neighborhood where I live is the D.C. neighborhood of Takoma. It borders the State of Maryland and the (People's Republic) of Takoma Park--a crunchy, granola-y edge town over the border. The Takoma Theater is in the District. At one time, I imagine the neighborhood has a vibrant little shopping and theater district like many of the neighborhoods around here.

Edit (04.03.09): I'm posting the original photo for a friend who mentioned that colorblindness makes this photo difficult for him to see. Hope this helps.



Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential/Janet Kincaid

Two Things Challenge: Shadows / Patterns (Color)

Shadow and Pattern : Stairs at a church on Underwood and 5th Streets NW

This week's Two Things Challenge was Shadows / Patterns. I managed to get several good shots for this challenge and am dividing my entry into two parts--a set in color and a set in black and white.

Pattern : Wood Grain : Deck of the Susan Constant : Jamestown, Virginia

Want to see how others interpreted this week's challenge? Would you like to participate in a challenge every week? Visit 2 Things Challenge and join in the fun!

Pattern : Safety Bars : Takoma Theater : Washington, D.C.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Two Things Challenge: Shadows / Patterns (B&W)

Shadow and Pattern : Erosion Fencing : Yorktown, Virginia

Here's another take on this week's Two Things Challenge: Shadows / Patterns. All black and white. To see color images for this challenge, go here.

Shadow : Fence : Takoma : Washington, D.C.

To see how others interpreted this week's two words or to participate in next week's challenge, visit Two Things Challenge.

Shadow : Trash Can and Gangplank Grip : Dock for the Susan Constant : Jamestown, Virginia

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

His Name is Earl

Earl : A human rescued him from a puppy mill

This little guy was out for a walk with his human the other day. I grew up with dachshunds, so anytime I see one, I melt into a puddle of sentimental goo. Earl is this doxie's name and he was rescued by his human from a puppy mill in West Virginia that made national headlines last year. He's a cute thing, but very shy. This was about as close as I was able to get to him; he stuck very close to his human. Sweet little fella', though.

In case you missed it last year, here are a few stories about Earl and his brothers and sisters. It's so nice to see one of these dogs, as I'm sure have many others, go to good, loving homes.

WJLA - ABC 7 News: Dogs Rescued from WV Puppy Mill Arrive in DC
L.A. Times: 1,000 Dogs are Rescued from West Virginia Puppy Mill
The Humane Society U.S. : 1,000 Freed from W.Va. Puppy Mill


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 02/09

Crocuses

A sure sign of spring...

Crocuses are always a sure sign that spring is on the way. These macro images were just a few of the dozen or so I took of the hundreds of crocuses that were blooming in the middle of a vacant lot on my walk home from the bank yesterday.* I spent about 30 minutes taking various photos of these and really had fun doing it!

Pretty purple...

Here's to spring!

* That would constitute one of the worse run-on sentences I've written in a long time. Sorry!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 02/09

Mr. Johnson

Mr. Rudolph "Rudy" Johnson

Today, I had to go to the bank and I decided to walk because it's a beautiful day, I need the exercise, and, aside from my jaunt to Williamsburg and Jamestown last week, I haven't taken my camera out and shot any new photos in about a month. (Well, maybe not that long, but pretty darn close.) As part of my 100 Strangers series, I was fortunate to run into the gentleman above, Mr. Rudolph Johnson. I met him while I was photographing a tribute to someone gone, but not forgotten.

Impromptu memorial to a homeless woman--gone, but not forgotten.
Note Mr. Johnson in the background.

On my way to Takoma Park, I walked past this little park at the intersection of Cedar, Blair, and 5th Streets NW. An impromptu memorial had gone up beneath a cherry tree and I decided to take a picture. Mr. Johnson called out to me and told me it was meant to remember a homeless woman who had also hung out in the park over the years (I didn't catch her name.)

Hands that have labored

We started talking and eventually I asked Mr. Johnson if I could take his picture. He seemed happy to let me. I then remarked about his hands and the work they must have seen over the years. He asked, "You wanna take a picture of 'em?" And I did. Seems he worked in construction and landscaping for 30 years. Not long after that bit of information, I went on my way.

Mr. Johnson checks out my card

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 02/09

Tunnel Vision

Commuters heading home at the end of the day

Just one of the other black and white photos I had to choose from for this past Sunday's Two Things Challenge. This is the tunnel that leads from the platform elevator at the Takoma Metro station to the buses and parking lots.

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 10/08

Praise the Squirrel!

Baptist church with doors just hollerin' out for y'all to come on in...

Yesterday's 2.7 mile walk took me through parts of Brightwood, Takoma, and Shepherd Park with a final stretch along Georgia Avenue again. When I walked past the Shepherd Park Baptist Church, the doors called out to be photographed. They were practically screaming "COME ON IN!" I just stood on the sidewalk and took a picture.

Hey! Dude! Throw me back my beads, man...

Part of my walk included a couple of blocks on Aspen Street, where I captured this cute little guy chillin' in the gutter. He looked very Mardi Gras up there, only sans beads and baubles. He sat very still for me and was quite photogenic. Finally, an animal that cooperated!

To see a few more photos from yesterday's walk, visit Standing Room Only.


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

Busted!

Busted: Some poor dude getting a ticket in Takoma

I'm trying to improve my people-picture-taking skills. As I've been out and about, I try to take a couple of pictures of people doing random stuff. In this case, here's a D.C. police officer issuing a ticket to some poor schlub in the van. I don't know what his infraction was, but I took a shot anyway. I promise (or, at least, I hope) these kinds of pictures will get better over time as I overcome my shyness. (I'm thinking of starting a series where I photograph people in my neighborhood. I already have one volunteer and I may take him up on it.)

Also, for the month of July, I'm trying to post material within 24 hours of shooting it. Normally, I take a ton of photos of a bunch of stuff and then divvy it out into the month, which isn't truly daily photo blogging. I'm going to try being a daily photo blogger in the real sense of the word and see what I end up with! In other words, you could end up seeing a lot more of my neighborhood and immediate environs, as well as my family, than you've seen in these parts. Oh, and in utter desperation, I may have to resort to photographing the cat and posting his mug here! (But only if I'm desperate.)

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Two Things Challenge: Round / Square

Round with a view...

This week's Two Things Challenge was Round / Square. As with every week's challenge, I tried to have fun. Here are my results. For Round, I thought this was unique. This is one of those poles used to chain off driveways at a BP gas station on Georgia Avenue.

Round and square all in one!

This second picture features square bricks with round holes, which make up the perimeter wall of a home in my neighborhood. I like how it combined both Round and Square!

Squares in tiles in the floor of the American Art Museum
in the Old Patent Office Building.

And finally, this last picture is all about Square. I was going to post a picture of some of Washington's more conservative politicians, but I try to avoid partisan politics on my blog, so I went with this instead. This is part of the tile flooring in the Smithsonian's American Art Museum, which sits adjacent to the National Portrait Gallery and is housed in what was originally the U.S. Patent Office Building.

The weekly Two Things Photo Challenge is open to anyone who'd like to join in. Come check it out and play along!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Lilies of the Field... Or the Frontyard...

Yellow lily in the early morning light

Some of the last perennials to bloom in the spring are lilies. I've been noticing them in a wonderful variety of colors--yellows, oranges, reds, purples, whites, variegated. These are just a few examples of some of the lilies I've seen around my neighborhood in the last week or so.

More yellow lilies. The ones on the left are growing in a pot in my neighbor's yard.
The ones on the right were photographed near Emerson and 16th Street NW.

Orange lilies growing like weeds in a rather unkempt yard in Takoma.

Backlit by the setting sun.

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

More Macro Fabulosity!

Mrs. Davis, in the 600 Block of Sheridan Street NW, graciously consented to let me come into her yard
and take these pictures of her beautiful hydrangeas.

Cactus?! On the East Coast?! Sort of defies comprehension, as these are generally
a desert plant, but occasionally, you find one in a yard around here.

Honestly, I shouldn't even bother with saying, "I'm going to cut down on my posts" because it's ridiculous and untrue. Yesterday evening, I went for a walk in the neighborhood with camera in hand and here are my results. I am loving my new wide angle and macro lenses! They're just too much fun.

Gladiolas in the front yard of a house in my neighborhood that's been on the market for more than six months.
(Click on images to enlarge.)

On the left, basic, miniature petunias growing in the yard of a home around the corner from my house.
On the right, I confess: I stole a page out of... someone's photo playbook... I saw a similar picture on a photo blog somewhere yesterday, but now I can't remember where. If you posted a photo similar to the one on the right,
tell me so I can give you proper credit. Your eye inspired mine and taught me a new way of looking at things.

Still with me? Well then, you're a trooper! So much to photograph, so little time, so little space.

The best part of a macro lens? Being able to take pictures like these! Now, if I could just get birds and bees
and other flying, flitting things to sit still for me, I'd really be on a roll!

Honestly, I have no clue what either of these are, but I thought they were stunning!
Who needs fireworks when you have nature right outside your front door?!
(Or, in this case, in the yard of a home on 5th and Sheridan Streets NW.)

When you live in an urban setting, you work with what you've got. One of my cardinal rules of neighborhood photography is to never trespass on people's property. Most of what I photograph is usually on the boundary of the property. If a homeowner is home and in their yard, I'll ask if I can come in and take some pictures. So far, no one's objected, which I appreciate!

Last, but not least, flower through the fence. This was the only way I could
take this picture without violating my cardinal rule of neighborhood
photography: Thou shalt not trespass!

Hope you enjoyed these! Thanks for indulging me. And my thanks to my neighbors who create little corners of beauty in the center of urban life and living!

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

Two Things Challenge: Parallel / Perpendicular

Parallel: Train tracks frame a beautiful, clear blue sky.

This week's 2 Things Challenge was Parallel / Perpendicular. Here are my interpretations. The first photo was taken as I was walking home from Takoma Park, Maryland. This is the divided bridge for Metro (our subway transit system) and CSX and MARC (a commerce carrier and the Maryland long-distance commuter rail, respectively.) I thought this was a good example of Parallel.

Perpendicular was a little harder than I expected. I thought about cheating and posting an archived picture of Cape Hatteras (NC) Lighthouse or Point Arena (CA) Lighthouse, but that didn't seem fair. Then I thought about posting another picture of the Georgia Avenue MPD Dispatch Tower, but I've posted several pictures of that already. Or the Washington Monument, but that seemed to easy and obvious. (And apparently overdone. I didn't realize I'd posted this many pictures of the WaMo.) Plus, I used that memorial for last week's challenge. So, I got off my lazy duff, took a walk, and here's the result: street lamps!

Perpendicular: Street lamp on the George Washington Memorial Parkway

I had several street lamps I photographed, but I liked this one best because it had perpendicular going on several times. Or am I stretching beyond belief?

Parallel columns on a perpendicular plain: Perfect!

Then I took this photo last Sunday, which I was going to include in my entry about the National Gallery of Art, but I already had enough pictures going on there. This is a fountain of Mercury, the Messenger God, on the main floor of the West Building of the NGA. I thought this captured both Parallel and Perpendicular perfectly!

If you'd like to participate in a fun, weekly challenge, check out 2 Things Challenge.

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

Two Things Challenge: Fireplug

Recently replaced and certified fireplug in Northwest Washington.
This one isn't that far from where I live.

This week's Two Things Challenge was Fireplug / Flagpole. Here are my interpretations for fireplug. I learned a thing or two about fireplugs, or fire hydrants, this week from a friend of mine who's a firefighter with the DCFD. Fire hydrants are color coded based on water pressure. Red = high pressure, yellow = medium pressure, and green = low pressure.

A fireplug slated for replacement.
This one is less than a mile from the home of our city's mayor.

Here in D.C., fire plugs have been undergoing a survey, repair, and certification process after firefighters were unable to get the water and pressure they needed for a fire they were fighting in Adams-Morgan some months ago. They had to run hose from Connecticut Avenue over to 18th Street to fight their fire. The result has been a review of every single fireplug in the city. The survey found that 15% of fireplugs were inoperable! Those that have been reviewed and repaired have blue banding. Some, like the second photo, are still in need of work.

If you'd like to participate in this fun, weekly challenge, visit Two Things Challenge and play along. The more, the merrier!

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