This view of the Viet Nam Memorial is quite different that most that I have seen. The camera was placed directly on the marble side of the Memorial. The scaffold-enclosed Washington Monument is seen reflecting on the Wall. Our tour guide pointed this angle out. I would have missed it otherwise. Again, the same lesson applies: Keep my eyes open … an image will appear for the taking.
The lighting in this sculpture at the Korean War Memorial gave it an eerie feeling of what it must have been like on a patrol. I converted to B&W darkened the background, and cloned out the car and street lights to add to the feeling.
For reference, below is the original color image.
This sculpture is part of the FDR Memorial. As we sit with our computers and devices in our current information burdened environment, it is hard to imagine what is was like in the 40’s being in the “dark” yearning for news on the War. This sculpture made me sit back and think what it was like before TV … I can actually remember listening to the news and shows on quiet evenings at home.
This World War II Memorial image is taken from the Memorial steps looking down the Capitol Mall at the Lincoln Memorial. The Pacific and Atlantic arches are outside the view on the left and right. We only had 15 minutes to spend, not enough time for a panorama. Below is the Pacific arch.
This image was taken looking straight up inside the Capitol Dome. It was a exercise in balance from two perspectives. First, I worked hard to balance the image from side to side and top to bottom. The image is not cropped. The second perspective was to keep my physical balance as I stood looking straight up with my camera. To compensate for my dizziness I had to shoot at 1/250 second at ISO 3200. The second perspective of balance was much harder for me.
I have been inside the Capitol several times over the past years. Access inside the building has changed over time. When we lived in the DC area in the mid-80’s, one could enter the building and explore without being on a scheduled tour. I recall times when I could just walk into the Senate and House galleries and observe sessions in progress. Not so any more, times change … many times not for the best.
We first stopped by the Capitol at mid-day. It radiated its brilliant white marble color. We came back later in the early evening at about 8:00 pm as the setting sun was casting its brilliant golden sheen on the dome. This image was taken as we were walking back to the tour bus. I turned around for one last look and saw the dome nicely framed by trees along the sidewalk. I have learned over time to continuously look up, down, back, and all around as I stroll along. I can never tell where the next image is waiting to be captured.
For reference, below is a mid-day shot of the Capitol.
What trip to Washington, DC goes without a photo of the White House. So here it is. Bright mid-day sun on a cloudless day does leave to much room for creativity. Luckily we were able to return at night. Below is a different feeling from the same spot as above.
From the Air Force Memorial we shot down to the Marines Memorial. While I took several images of the overall sculpture, I felt like these two detail photos captured the feeling best for me. The above image reflects the consolidated effort required to win the battle. The expressions on the two soldiers faces shown below seem to project focus and determination.
Shadows from the high noon sun hid the details on the soldiers faces. I used NIK Viveza and Color Efex Pro to brighten their faces while still maintaining the shadows and not blowing out the highlights in the rest of the image. To accentuate the structure details, darken the blue sky, and keep the patina from the bronze, I first converted to black and white using NIK Silver Efex Pro. To finish the photo, I blended the B&W version back into the color image.
It was high noon on a cloudless day when we visited the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, VA. The Memorial is 270 feet high and appears to be soaring. Its array of arcs against the sky evokes a modern image of flight by jet and space vehicles. At the same time, it enshrines the past in permanent remembrance of the pioneers of flight who came before, and pays homage to those of the future.
The number three in the vertical design of the spires signifies several elements. “Three” is resonant with significant associations for the Air Force, including the three core values of today: Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do. It is also the smallest number of elements needed to define and enclose a space. The spires also reflect an exploding bomb burst as well as the “Missing Man” maneuvers. The spires are asymmetrical and dynamic. Each is a different height, causing the view of the Memorial to be different at every angle.
Images of the Lincoln Memorial are abundant everywhere and so are reflections. I just had a few moments to “grab” a quick reflection as our group headed back to the van. It’s a little different .. but not too creative … just another perspective.