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

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703-864-8208

Arthur Murray – Back to School Dance

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray - school dance outside the studio

Thursday night parties at the Arthur Murray studio in Tysons Corner is one of the busiest nights on the dance floor! There are group classes just before the party to give students new figures, or to review old figures before they go on their own to practice. With the really nice weather we have been having, it was nice to get outside for an evening before it gets too cold! The staff put together a nice party for everyone just outside the studio this evening. They put a speaker outside, provided some food and drink, then got everyone to dance as usual.

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray - outside the studio
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray – school dance outside the studio

The area around the studio has been hopping with new activity. Tysons West right across the street, new restaurants opening, and the Metro Silver Line in full testing for next year’s opening, means that there is a lot to do! The dancing created a lot of attention, and some of the people passing by jumped in when invited to dance!

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray - outside the studio
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray – school dance outside the studio
©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray -  outside the studio
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray – school dance outside the studio

The energy and loudness of the music outside made it perfect for some line dancing!

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray - school dance outside the studio
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray – school dance outside the studio

Carlos can hardly contain his excitement!

©TimeLine Media - Arthur Murray - school dance outside the studio
©TimeLine Media – Arthur Murray – school dance outside the studio

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

White Balance for Skin Tones – Tech Thursday

©TimeLIne Media - people photo with a warmed white balance

Cool. Warm. These descriptive words for temperature is used widely in photography. From looking at other amateur photographers wanting to improve their photos, this is one of the first places I look at this time. Back in the film days, the color temperature of your images would have been built into the film and processing that was used in development of the negatives of slides. Today, however, the temperature of your photos can be set right in the camera, and changed as needed. In your camera settings, you look to the White Balance settings to set the color temp.

Post Processing

There are presets that manufacturers use to separate different light temperature. From cooler to warmer, the presets are usually Incandescent, Tungsten, Daylight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, but the settings on yours may differ. In some cameras, there is also a “K” setting which stands for Kelvin temperature. With this setting you can finely tune the temperature by selecting the Kelvin setting of the light you are shooting. The scale will go from something in the 2500K range on the cool side, to 10000K on the warm side. Take some example photos, and you can see the changes as the temperature goes up in the frame. Skin tones are where you can see the changes the most:

White Balance Example

©TimeLIne Media - White balance for skin tones
©TimeLine Media – White balance for skin tones

The photo on the left is set to “Auto” in the White Balance setting. For me, the skin tones are too “cool” for my taste. Moreover for anyone that has ever been to a ballroom dance event knows that tanner is better for skin tones! The same is true when editing any portraits or group shots. Skin tones always look better warmer. This is an almost universal rule that I have learned in my photography. People look healthier, and more natural even if the skin tone does not exactly match the tone in real life.

The automatic settings in cameras or software may not give skin tones their best look. Comparatively, observe the variety of photos you come across on social media, or in your own collection, and see how they can magically be improved with adjusting one setting! Let me know how this works for you! Especially let me know if you have any other questions on how to set this on your own cameras or software. Although it is a quick fix in post, it can make a large difference!

©TimeLIne Media - people photo with a warmed white balance
©TimeLine Media – people photo with a warmed white balance

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

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