Author Archives: kgrafphoto

I Can Never Get Enough

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US Capitol, Washington DC

Every time I visit Washington DC and walk around the Capitol, chills run through my body.  Being there gives me a perspective of our history and what our Nation represents.  Looking at the Capitol reflecting on the water, caused me to reflect in turn about how our Nation has grown and changed over the years.

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Capitol with my Aunt.  It was her first trip.  Visiting Washington DC was one thing that she wanted to do before she passed.  Walking with her, I could see the sparkle in her eyes and the pride she had on her face.  Her parting remark was that every child should visit Washington DC to gain a perspective of what our Nation is really about.

I have been lucky over the years to have had the opportunity to live in the Washington DC area and visit the Capitol many times. Prior to 911, access to the Senate and House chambers was not restricted.  I recall sitting up in the galleries listening to various sessions.  What a great experience that was.

I still try to visit Washington DC on a relatively frequent basis.  I can never get enough!

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141019_Fonthill-Fall

How Lucky We Are!

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Civil War Monument and Capitol, WDC

How lucky we are to live in such a great Nation! The current time is extremely challenging and full of discord.  But it is not even close to the times our Nation bas persevered in the past.  On a recent visit to Washington DC, I walked by this Civil War Memorial sculpture with the Capitol in the background.  It stimulated me to think about what our Nation was going through over 150 years ago.  So no matter how bad we may think things are now, lets have the strength and confidence that we all will survive together as a united Nation.

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141019_Fonthill-Fall

Painted Hills

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Painted Hills, John Day Fossil Beds, Oregon

The following is one of the lessons that I have learned from who knows where:  When you see something interesting in the background, find something else interesting in the foreground to add to it.  The red hills in eastern Oregon caught my eye.  I am intrigued by sagebrush.  One plus one equals three.  I can still smell the wonderful aroma of sage as I look at this image.

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Tying Things Together

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A.E. Larson Building Entry Foyer, Yakima, WA

This image ties the images from the two prior posts together.  The contrast here are the differences in the design elements (triangular geometric vs. sweeping curves, color vs. monochrome, and smooth marble vs. sculptured metal).  The horizontal (diagonal) lines of the cornice moulding and the vertical lines of the wall designs also provide a geometric contrast.

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Looking at Details

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A.E. Larson Building Entry Foyer, Yakima, WA

This post continues my self-assignment to look for contrasts.  This image was taken from the same location as my previous post.  It is the corner of the wall/ceiling cornice moulding.  I saw the contrast of colors, shapes, lines and light/shadows. The foyer of this historic building is full of “eye candy”.

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When Something Catches Your Eye

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A.E. Larson Building Entry Foyer, Yakima, WA

I gave myself a photographic assignment to search out contrasts. The contrast could be in relation to many different aspects/perspectives: color, shapes, patterns, light/dark, old/new, etc., or simply an item that does not belong in a specific setting. I decided to walk the streets in downtown Yakima, WA for my search.  

My first stop was the A.E. Larson Building.  The Larson Building is itself a contrast to its surroundings.  With its eleven stories, it towers above adjacent structures.  Its Art Deco design stands out from the simpler buildings of downtown Yakima.  The interior first floor lobby is heavily decorated with stone and elaborate bronze in the Art Deco style; pretty fancy for a farming-based community.

The above image is from the main lobby entryway.  What caught my eye is the contrasting adjacent design.  One is horizontal, the other is vertical. One is light, the other dark.  The simple spirals tie the designs together.

 

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Desert Walk

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Spent Flower on Desert Walk

The beauty in the desert is everywhere. As I walk along, I see volcanic rock outcroppings, struggling junipers, cragged old trees, blue-grey sagebrush, patches of colorful wildflowers, beautiful blue sky with billowing white clouds.  I look down at my feet, magic appears.

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Crater Lake Chieftain

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“Chieftain of the Lake”

Looking vs Seeing?  My friend and I stopped to look at a nice view of Crater Lake.  Almost simultaneously we saw an Indian chieftain calmly looking over the lake.  My friend wrote this poem highlighting her experience.

              Crater Lake

The first peoples first gazed upon
the deepest blue, and 
their hearts were moved.
 
The rocks understood their respect
and formed a bond between 
humankind and nature.
 
The natural world honored
the chief who presided, wise enough
to know he was only bits of dust.
 
And it is all dust that through the
Creator exists, waiting for the
great merging of beauty and love.
 
– Mary Dahlin

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Crack in the Ground

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“Crack in the Ground”, Lake County, Oregon

Above, a lone sagebrush and sun appear.
The sagebrush peers over the edge watching me.
The sun’s bright fire lights my way.

I have always been fascinated by the unusual geological formations in the eastern Washington/Oregon landscape.  A few weeks ago, several college friends and I went exploring around Christmas Valley, Oregon.  Our first stop was “Crack in the Ground” (see excerpt from Wikipedia below}.  Most of the group scurried along the bottom of the fissure.  I, along  with a special friend, stopped, gazed around in wonderment, and photographed whatever jumped out at me.  By the time the group had walked to the end, walked back to the start, and then walked back to fine us, we had only covered about one half of the distance.  My mind and eyes wondered at every turn.  I am a wondering explorer, not a hiker.

From Wikipedia:

Crack in the Ground is a volcanic fissure about 2 miles (3.2 km) long with depths measuring nearly 30 feet (9 m) below ground level in Central Oregon, United States. The eruptions from the Four Craters Lava Field were accompanied by a slight sinking of the older rock surface, forming a shallow, graben-like structure about 2 miles (3.2 km) wide and extending to the south into an old lake basin. Crack in the Ground marks the western edge of this small, volcano-tectonic depression. The crack is the result of a tension fracture along a hingeline produced by the draping of Green Mountain lava flows over the edge of upthrown side of the concealed fault zone. The fissure is located at the southwest corner of Four Craters Lava Field in the Deschutes National Forest.

Crack in the Ground is estimated to have been created around 1,000 years ago.

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