Archive of ‘Travel’ category

Theodore Roosevelt Island

©TimeLine Media - Theodore Roosevelt Island

Theodore Roosevelt Island is a serene spot right in the middle of everything. Just a footbridge across from Arlington, Virginia, this island sits in the Potomac River making it a part of Washington, DC. From the island, you can get views over the river to the tall office buildings in Rosslyn, Virginia. As can be seen people are in these tall buildings have a great view of the capital city. Obviously, This area does not have the same height restrictions as DC!

Washington, DC

©TimeLine Media - Theodore Roosevelt Island
©TimeLine Media – Theodore Roosevelt Island

The parking lot is just off the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and the bike trail which follows it. In that case, it makes it a popular spot for visitors to rest and explore along the way. Many college students attending the nearby universities can be seen on the trails. Moreover, they are in the water enjoying paddle boarding, and boating in the busy waterways surrounding the island.

©TimeLine Media - Potomac River from Theodore Roosevelt Island
©TimeLine Media – Potomac River from Theodore Roosevelt Island

There were a few markers along the trails marking where a 19th century mansion once stood. Additionally, there are a few describing some of the history and nature that are present there. In the middle, is a memorial to the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt. There are canals, two large fountains, and a 17-foot statue of the president at the center. Along the edges are monolithic cement blocks with some of his more famous and profound quotes inscribed.

Urban Park

©TimeLine Media - Theodore Roosevelt Island
Theodore Roosevelt Island ©TimeLine Media
©TimeLine Media - Theodore Roosevelt Island
Fountain at Theodore Roosevelt Island ©TimeLine Media
©TimeLine Media - Theodore Roosevelt Island
Statue at Theodore Roosevelt Island ©TimeLine Media

It is a nice place to rest as you traverse the island trails. The lower trails will follow the river into a marshy, swampy area. Other trails will take you a little higher in elevation. In almost every section, you can have views of the surrounding areas of Georgetown, and Rosslyn. It is not too challenging, and will give you some unique views of the city that are not as popular, but still accessible and beautiful!

©TimeLine Media - Theodore Roosevelt Island
©TimeLine Media – Theodore Roosevelt Island

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Baltimore – iPhone 5

©TimeLine Media - Graphic design on side of car hauler

I felt bad about the comparison I made last week comparing the iPhone 5 images to a Nikon D4, a full-frame DSLR. Although, I was testing the limits of the smart phone camera that early in the morning without much help from any natural light. So today I will post some photos from bright, sunny conditions. This will show what it can do in very bright light. Comparatively, this should even the competition. This is not the “best” light for photos. Most of these are in the middle of the day without many clouds in the sky. Addtionally the sun is almost directly overhead. Portraits would not look very good in this light. However buildings, structures and other non-faces can be done. Additionally, with some post-processing they can look decent even from the iPhone.

iPhone Comparison

©TimeLine Media - Baltimore Transamerica Tower with iPhone
©TimeLine Media – Baltimore Transamerica Tower with iPhone
©TimeLine Media - Bank of America Building & William Donald Schaefer Building with iPhone
©TimeLine Media – Bank of America Building & William Donald Schaefer Building with iPhone

Baltimore, MD has the tallest buildings in the state of Maryland. Just a few blocks off the Inner Harbor, and you are in the canyons of streets lined with these buildings. Having plenty of overhead sun and no clouds in the sky are emphatically perfect conditions for a point and shoot or smartphone camera to perform it’s best. The smaller sensor in these devices require much more light than larger cameras, so these images are almost as good as what they can produce.

Indycar Paddock

©TimeLine Media - Graphic design on side of car hauler
©TimeLine Media – Graphic design on side of car hauler

With just a touch of clarity and contrast, the graphics painted onto the side of this truck are and the sharpness of the text in the license plate are indistinguishable from images taken with any other camera. The bright light in the area means that there is no camera shake from slow shutter speeds. Especially when taking photos of dark subjects, the smartphone camera will compensate for the lack of light by increasing the shutter speed which is very difficult to hold still without introducing shake. These cameras were not designed to be mounted on a tripod, and are hard to hold steady for very long. Give a scene lots of light, though, and that problem goes away.

With the low ISO settings in the bright light, vivid colors can be reproduced. In this last photo, the bright red paint on this hauler is faithfully reproduced. Adding more Clarity in Lightroom is the only adjustment needed to finish this image. If only the iPhone were able to write the RAW data from the sensor, it could be a viable replacement in the right situations!

©TimeLine Media - detail of racing hauler
©TimeLine Media – detail of racing hauler

TimeLine Mediawww.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

Body Fit DC

©TimeLine Media - Orlando of Body Fit DC

Body Fit DC is the creation of Orlando, a certified personal fitness trainer. He is committed to encouraging others to make fitness a part of their life. Especially as we get older, it is important to make exercise a regular part of our routine. It helps to avoid health problems associated with lowered mobility and gained weight. If you have one conversation with Orlando, you can feel the drive he has to help people. He has an especially positive message to help the people he trains, and he will be supportive of your fitness goals.

Washington, DC

©TimeLine Media - Orlando of Body Fit DC
©TimeLine Media – Orlando of Body Fit DC

In my own push to expand my athletic portraiture portfolio, I took some photos of Orlando. At this time we met at the beautiful Meridian Hill Park in the heart of Washington, DC. Following our trip to Jones Point where the first boundary for DC was placed, Meridian Hill is on a line directly north of that point. The original marker on this hill was made directly from the White House which was made from Jones Point – clearly where the name “Meridian Hill” originated.

The park has a large flat field at the top and descends with cascading fountains in the center. On either side of the large fountain are steps and stairs of differing lengths which gives runners a changing elevation to challenge them on their runs. At this time, this is a great spot for getting outside to do some exercise – Orlando picked a perfect spot. At the bottom of the fountain, he stood on the last ledge which made for a nice background for him to show off his boot camp venue. Visit his web page and contact him to get more information on his on-going programs.

©TimeLine Media - Orlando of Body Fit DC
©TimeLine Media – Orlando of Body Fit DC

Just a reminder there is a contest going on from this post. The prize is a $50 coupon from the proofing website to the best guess as to how the below photo was made. If you have any other need for environmental portraits, or updated headshots, please contact me! My email address is: rassi @ timelinedc.com

©TimeLine Media - DC South Boundary Stone
©TimeLine Media – DC South Boundary Stone

TimeLine Media – www.timelinedc.com
703-864-8208

1 28 29 30 31 32 43