Reveal

Widewater Gap in Winter

Yesterday, in a need to get out for a little bit, I went over to Widewater Gap on the C&O Canal for some walking and to enjoy the sunset. I've featured the gap on here a few times. You can see pictures of this beautiful setting here in the late spring and here in the fall. The photo above is how it looks in the winter.

Sunset : Widewater Gap

The gap is one of my favorite places in the D.C. Metro area. There are very few places one can access with relative ease in this area that offer this kind of tranquility and beauty. I love going here.

Encore : Widewater Gap

After I got home, I had a conversation with Virginia of Birmingham Daily Photo. Later that evening, she sent me a few quotes she had lying around in her inbox. This one struck me most:

Winter Foliage : Widewater Gap

"Although we have been taught that if we let go
we will end up with nothing, life reveals just the opposite:
that letting go is the real path to freedom."
--Sonia Rinpoche

Reflected : Widewater Gap

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

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

Flower Man

Flower Man : Bethesda, Maryland

Continuing my 100 Strangers series, I saw this gentleman yesterday in the plaza in front of Barnes & Noble in Bethesda. It was a pretty chilly day. We were all bundled up, but he looked particularly cold sitting next to his cart of flowers.

Have you finished all of your Christmas shopping?

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

Two Things Challenge: Cloud / Nine

Winter Sky : Bethesda, Maryland

This week's Two Things Challenge was Cloud / Nine. As I type this, I'm going through my photos today and listening to the incomparable Edith Piaf. Nothing puts me on cloud nine quite like a good batch of pictures and some good music. I have both this evening. For this challenge, I chose these two photos of clouds. The one at the top was taken early this afternoon in Bethesda, Maryland. The one below was taken in Fairfax, Virginia, at sunset this evening.

Today is also the first day of the winter solistice. Or, as Rob over at Dusty Lens would say, it's the beginning of spring as the days once again begin to lengthen. Too bad the warmth isn't going to immediately show up along with the daylight minutes. Guess you can't have everything, eh?

Winter Sunset : Fairfax, Virginia

Want to see how others interpreted this challenge? Go to Two Things Challenge and check it out. And if you feel so inclined, join the fun! The more, the merrier.

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

Two Things Challenge: Urban / Art

Urban graffiti as art : Silver Spring, MD

This week's Two Things Challenge was Urban / Art. I snapped this first picture a few days ago in downtown Silver Spring. I like how someone took what would otherwise be graffiti and put it on canvas as a way to add some color to the passageway that links one of Silver Springs' parking decks with its downtown shopping district.

Neon triptych : Seattle, WA
(Click images to enlarge.)

These other photos are some more of the neon we saw during our photo walk on Saturday night in Seattle. As the Emerald City is rather urban, I thought these signs were appropriate for the challenge.

To see how others interpreted this challenge, go to Two Things Challenge and check it out!

Tomorrow: Seattle in the daylight.

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

Traveling: Whidbey Island, WA

6:22 a.m. Departure : BWI

I've been lagging behind in responding to comments in last week's blog entries. My apologies for that, but my thanks to everyone who continues to stop by and read. My excuse? I was traveling and didn't have internet access for nearly four days! Last week, I spent five days in Washington State. My visit took me to Whidbey Island, Mukilteo, Seattle, and Ocean Shores. In all, I booked nearly 600 miles in ground and water travel, 6,000 air miles, and saw a beautiful part of the country. For the next few days, I'll be posting pictures from my trip.

Flying over the Golden Gate : San Francisco, CA
(Click image to enlarge)

Today's photos feature shots from the airplane, in airports, and on Whidbey Island. I'll stick to the captions on the first two, but note that my outbound flight commenced at Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport (BWI) and included a layover at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), hence the first two pictures. My final destination was Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), known as SEA-TAC.

Airport Art : SEA-TAC

The third photo is a piece of art in SEA-TAC in the United Airlines baggage claim area. The entire piece is constructed of reflector circles! SEA-TAC airport is full of some really fun art. Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of the artist on this one.

Towering firs : Langley, WA

My purpose for being in the Seattle area was to check out a business opportunity on Whidbey Island. One of the beauties of the Pacific Northwest are the abundance of coniferous trees. These ones are on the property of a friend who owns a home in Langley, WA.

Sunset : Freeland, WA

Finally, the first night I was on Whidbey Island, I drove up to Freeland. I had to pull off the road to take this picture of a lovely sunset. (Note to Virginia and Maya: No, I did not shoot while driving! Too dangerous on windy, twisty coast/island roads.)

Tomorrow: More about Whidbey Island, a bald eagle, and a lighthouse.

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

Holiday Lobby

Festive lobby

I walked past this office building on Georgia Avenue a few evenings ago and was charmed by the simplicity of the lobby's Christmas decorations and how well they matched with the artwork on the back wall. (Click the image to enlarge for more detail.)

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

Two Things Challenge: Joint / Venture

Democracy: A joint venture between government and the people

This week's Two Things Challenge was Joint / Venture. This may be a stretch, but I chose two unusual photos to interpret this challenge. In the case of the former, the interaction between government and its citizens. Democracy only works when a nation's citizens actively engage and participate in government and politics. The above picture is a panel of presidents in the National Museum of American History. The panel spans from George Washington all the way to Barack Obama. The gentleman in the photo happened to step in at the right time and allowed me to capture the ideas of governance and citizenry in democracy.

Shopping with your wife/girlfriend/sister: a joint venture in domestic tranquility

In this second photo, I happened to be walking past a shop window the other night and noticed this couple in the midst of choosing a sweater. I know the majority of men don't care for shopping and often have to suck it up. I thought this composition captured the joint venture of shopping that so many couples find themselves in.

There you have it. A stretch, but what the heck! That's the whole point of these challenges, right? And speaking of the 2 Things Challenge, this post represents one full year of weekly entries. My first post for this challenge was on December 5, 2007 and the challenge was Colo{u}rful / Words. To see 52 weeks of interpretations at D.C. Confidential, click here. If you'd like to join in the fun, come on over to 2 Things Challenge!

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential

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

Middletown and Surroundings

Christ Lutheran Church : Main Street : Middletown, MD

Just a few pictures from Bernie of Middletown Daily Photo's neck of the wood. If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of D.C., drive about an hour and fifteen minutes north on I-270 to I-70 West and you'll encounter the villages of Middletown, Boonsboro, and Antietam (or Sharpsburg, depending on which side of the Civil War you fall on.) These are but a few of the sights we enjoyed.

The Main Cup : Main Street : Middletown, MD

To learn more about Middletown and the surrounding villages and towns in the Catoctin Mountains, visit Middletown Daily Photo and shout out a hello to Bernie!

Dahlgren's Chapel : Route 40 : Catoctin Mountains, MD

This stone church, called Dahlgren's Chapel, was built around 1881 by Madeleine Dahlgren, the wife of Admiral John Dahlgren, USN, inventor of the Dahlgren gun. The gun was used on board the USS Monitor against CSS Virginia, formerly the steam frigate USS Merrimack.

Fence line : Antietam National Historic Battlefield : Antietam, MD

The Civil War's bloodiest one day battle took place in Antietam, Maryland, on September 17, 1862. More than 23,000 were killed, wounded, or missing at the end of 12 hours of fierce fighting. It was the first major battle of the Civil War to take place on northern soil. Six corps of the Army of the Potomac under the command of Gen. Geo. B. McClellan repelled two corps of the Army of Northern Virginia under the command of Gen. Robt. E. Lee. (To read more about it, go here.) The Federal victory was "tactically indecisive" but it was significant enough to persaude President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation four months later in January 1863.

Fall Harvest : Little Pumpkins : Produce and Craft Stand : Middletown, MD

On the way home, we stopped at a produce and craft stand to admire and buy some of the pumpkins, apples, and assorted fall harvest. It was quite colorful!

Bernie of Middletown Daily Photo,
taking a picture of one of Middletown's newest residents.

This last picture features Bernie of Middletown Daily Photo taking a picture of a woman we met during our walkabout. I can't remember her name, but we chatted with her for a good 15 minutes or so.

And here's a slideshow of a few more photos from around Middletown, Boonsboro, and Antietam! (Click on the image to open a new window in Picasa and launch the slideshow there.)

Middletown-Boonsboro-Antietam

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

Snapshots of Fall

Rustling : Sylvia and MoBob : Middletown, MD

The weekend before last (October 18), my friend Sylvia, her husband MoBob, and I hopped in the car and drove an hour and some north of Washington, D.C., to Middletown, Boonsboro, and Antietam/Sharpsburg, Maryland, for a day of fall colors, Civil War battlefields, and apple stands. You may recall, that's where I met Terry Doyle. We also hooked up with Bernie of Middletown Daily Photo. Today's pictures are just a few of the many from that day. I'll feature more tomorrow on this blog and on my overflow blog, Standing Room Only.

For now, though, here are a few snapshots of fall.

Gold-leafing : Main Street : Middletown, MD

Variegated : Middletown Park : Middletown, MD

If that church in the background (below) looks familiar, you've probably seen it here, here, here, and here! It's hard to miss when you're driving through or living in Middletown. More tomorrow!

Scarecrows on Main : Middletown, MD

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

Doyle's D-Day

Terrence M. Doyle, USN (Ret.) and a photo his son took of him
collecting sand on the beaches of Normandy, France

This past weekend, some friends and I went out to Middletown, Maryland, to see the fall colors.* Our wanderings that day took us through Boonsboro and Antietam.** On the way home, we stopped at a produce stand on the outskirts of Boonsboro where we met this man. I was taking a picture of some of the produce and he said to me in passing, "Isn't that produce beautiful? What a country! I love it!" Then he ran off and we continued admiring the apples and squash and gourds.

Not long after that, this same cheery guy came by and we started talking a bit more. His name is Terrence M. Doyle and he's a retired Navy helicopter pilot, Civil War reenactor, and civilian defense employee. Terry is holding a picture his son took of him at Normandy scooping up sand from the beach to bring home as a remembrance.

I only caught fragments of his story and why he was scooping sand at Normandy. I'm confident after he reads this entry, he'll email me more details (and, when I have them, I'll amend this entry), but my understanding is his father participated in the D-Day operations in 1944.

This is the third in my 100 Strangers series.

UPDATE: Terry sent me an email this morning with the specifics about why he was digging sand at Normandy. To read his email, visit Standing Room Only.

* We also met City Daily Photo blogger Bernie of Middletown Daily Photo. Cool guy and very gracious host. I'll post a picture of him next week.

** Or Sharpsburg, depending on which side of the Civil War you fall on.

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

Non-Partisan Coffee

Mayorga Coffee in Silver Spring, Maryland: The not-Starbucks coffee shop

Despite the proliferation of that West-Coast-coffee-chain-that-shall-not-be-named, there are still some independent shops around the area. One of the more popular ones is Mayorga Coffee Roasters. There are only a few locations in the D.C. area, but they are well-loved by their patrons. The other day, I met a friend--who is a Mayorga aficionado--at the company's coffee factory in Silver Spring to hang out and catch up for a few hours. Of course, I took my camera along and the result is the photo above.

While Melissa sipped her Mayorga special blend coffee and I enjoyed a hot chocolate with whipped cream, we chatted about books we're reading and stuff we're writing. We also swapped pleasantries about our families. I love getting together with friends and Mayorga is a nice place to do that on occasion. If you don't care for the hustle and bustle of Starbucks, Mayorga (and any of its non-'Buck counterparts) is the place to go.

Oh, and you don't have to declare your candidate loyalty for this cuppa joe! (Speaking of 7-11, check out their website for a running tally of votes based on sales of coffee cups.)

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

Discovery

Discovery Communications HQ:
Georgia Avenue and Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Maryland

For a number of years, the City of Silver Spring, Maryland, was an industrial, rundown blight. Then, in the 1990s, Discovery Communications located their headquarters here and the area began a period of revitalization that has resulted in a downtown that is attractive and enjoyable. I was down there the other day to shop at Whole Foods and Panera and couldn't resist snapping this picture. To see a photo of Silver Spring every day, visit this City Daily Photo Blog. I think I've said this before, but one of these evenings, I need to go down and take pictures of this building at night. It's pretty cool all lit up.

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

Pink

Runner : Sligo Creek Park

Yesterday morning, I went walking in Sligo Creek Park and snapped this picture of a runner coming over a footbridge. I also took some cool pictures of a tree fungus, some wildflowers, and a dad pushing his kids in a double wide stroller. But this is the one I chose for today's purposes.

Sligo Creek Park is a lovely expanse in Montgomery County that stretches from Takoma Park northward to University Boulevard in Wheaton. It has paved trails, playgrounds, exercise stations, tennis and basketball courts, and a public golf course and is a lovely place to walk, run or bike. Like its counterpart, Rock Creek Park, Sligo Creek Park is an oasis in the midst of traffic and suburbia and a beautiful place to get away from all the hubbub.

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

Two Things Challenge: Corner / Stone

Corner : Market at Kennedy Street and Colorado Avenue NW

This week's 2 Things Challenge was Corner / Stone. My original plan was to go to Capitol Hill and take a picture of the cornerstone on the U.S. Capitol, which was laid by George Washington and his Scottish Rite Masonic brothers in 1789. Alas, other commitments and ailments kept me at home. Instead, I give you these: the Golden Corner Market at Kennedy Street and Colorado Avenue NW. I've never been inside myself, but it's a tiny little retail/restaurant strip typical of urban settings and quickly becoming extinct.

Stone : Sligo Creek : Takoma Park, Maryland

This second photo is of Sligo Creek in Maryland, which is where I went this morning for a walk. I'm not sure what the content is in the stones that fill this creek (I should have paid better attention in that geology class I took in college), but I thought the setting was pretty.

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