More D.C. at night

It may sound corny, but there are few things in life I enjoy doing more than taking pictures.  So, sometimes after a rough day, I'll pack my camera up, go for a drive, and take pictures.

Recently I did just that -- at the National Mall.

Taking these pictures of the Vietnam War memorial, the Washington Monument/Reflecting Pool, and the Korean War memorial at night was one of the more difficult photo shoots I've had recently.  Night pictures can be a bit challenging and the night these pictures were taken proved that.

My favorite shot -- the last shot in this posting -- was an extremely difficult shot to get.  I didn't have a tripod with me, the Reflecting Pool is actually quite disgusting (lots of dirt and goose poop!), and as is the case with all things D.C., there were lots of tourists (and they can get in the way).  Because of that, I thought it'd be fun to include a picture that shows first hand the little hassles that can get in the way during a shoot.  The second to last picture shows a bird that plopped right out of sky and landed right in my shot.  Very funny!  In the end, I ended up with some great shots of D.C. at night.  Enjoy!

Vietnam War Memorial: The Wall

This is part three of three on the Vietnam War Memorial.
These photographs are on the wall portion of the memorial.

I think the wall portion of the Vietnam War Memorial is a wonderful place to take pictures.  Not only is it incredibly humbling to read thousands of names of real human beings who lived and died for our country, it is also an incredibly esthetically beautiful memorial.
I'm particularly drawn to taking photographs that capture reflections in the wall.  It was a really meaningful experience to be able to capture (what I feel) is some very good, quality images.

The layout of the pictures below is progressive.  The first picture is the beginning edge of the wall and the subsequent photos capture more and more of the wall and what is reflected on its surface.  The final photograph is the book that contains the names of all the victims that are on the wall.

Click on an individual picture to see full-size.

Vietnam War Memorial: The Three Soldiers

This is part two of three on the Vietnam War Memorial.

This sampling is on the statue called, "The Three Soldiers".
I think it is an incredibly powerful piece of art.  I love that each angle really represents a different feel.
For example:
-The first picture with the gun just feels so strong and determined.
-The third picture has such a feeling of unity.
-The final picture is a great angle.  I love how the soldiers are looking towards the wall -- looking upon their fallen comrades.  Powerful!

I especially love the fourth picture (or second to last).  When I was walking around, trying to photograph the statue from various angles, and I looked through my camera and saw the sun shining through the soldier's arm I knew that was the shot I wanted.  I remember that I couldn't wait to get home so that I could upload it!

Click on individual images to see full-size.

Vietnam War Memorial: The Women's Memorial

The Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. is more than just the infamous wall of names.
It actually has two statues that are considered part of the memorial, too.
The statues are called the "Women's Memorial" and "The Three Soldiers".

I photographed all three elements of the Vietnam War Memorial on the same day, but I wanted to divide each part of the memorial into its own post.

You may (or may not) notice that I don't have any "traditional" shots of the women's memorial posted.
I'm not against traditional shots at all.  Matter of fact, I always take one traditional shot.  However, whenever I photograph anything, I like to walk around it, look at it from above and below, and from multiple angles until I literally feel an emotional response to what I'm seeing.  When I feel that inside me (and I realize not many people "feel it" so I'm probably a little odd), then I know that's the shot I need to take. 
The beauty about art, nature, memorials, etc. is that if you really take the time to walk around it, examine it, and look at it from different view points, you can pick up entirely different meanings from each view point.  It's pretty powerful.

Okay, okay ... on to the pictures.

Click on individual pictures for full-size.








(On this shot, I realize that the "tear" streaking down the soldier's face is a bird dropping, but I really liked the symbolic feel it had of being tear-like.)