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Posts Tagged ‘monument’

Personal, Photography, Travel | 0 comment

Groundhog Day

DC Cherry Blossoms photo - www.timelinedc.com

It may be cold now this Groundhog Day, but Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early Spring! With this in mind, it may be possible to get outside without all the winter gear on. Also, we may be showered with Spring sunshine as opposed to snowflakes.

DC Cherry Blossoms photo Groundhog Day - www.timelinedc.com
DC Cherry Blossoms photo – www.timelinedc.com

While reviewing photos from walking around the peak cherry blossom trees, I find it very enjoyable. Comparatively portrait assignments are more difficult to view again. For one thing, there are many small details that I do not get right at the time. Due to the collaborative nature of a portrait session, it is difficult to take the time and repeat a session. However, these cherry blossoms photos are easy to recreate. Every year they arrive like clockwork, and things that you missed the previous year can be repeated. Much like Groundhog Day the movie!

DC Cherry Blossoms photo - www.timelinedc.com Groundhog Day
DC Cherry Blossoms photo – www.timelinedc.com

It is generally difficult to make a bad photo of peak bloom cherry blossoms. With a sunny spring day, these are complimentary colored flowers as can be seen. Even if you are not experienced as a photographer, these will inspire you to experiment. Additionally, the fresh air will bring oxygen into your brain and expand your creative side even further. See you out there!

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Personal, Photography, Travel | 0 comment

Air Force Memorial – Arlington, VA

Photo project at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington

I forced myself on this Friday to get out of the house early while the sun was still low on the horizon to try to get some photos. Living in the Washington DC area gives you lots of opportunities to make images of memorials, monuments, that are familiar to everyone around the world. That makes it a challenge to make something new.

Having easy access to these sites, gives you an opportunity to get images that tourists, and visitors do not have. Waiting for the best light can be tough, but this was the best day I had in a while. I was hoping for clouds with a striking sunrise, just as everyone does, but this day was something different. Lots of cloud cover, with only the hint of a sunrise low on the horizon. It was not what I was planning, but I made the best of it. The Air Force Memorial rises up above Arlington, VA with a beautiful view of the Pentagon and Washington, DC. Going early in the morning also ensure not too many visitors to remove with software later!

Air Force Memorial - Arlington, VA - www.timelinedc.com

Post-processing with Nik HDR Efex Pro

While shooting, I reviewed the images on the back of the screen, and thought that these would benefit from HDR, or High Dynamic Range processing. In order to do this, I placed the camera on a tripod, and bracketed the exposures. The aperture was set at f/8.0 to get a large depth of field to see all the way to the Washington Monument. Then I took 8 different exposures from overexposed to underexposed around the meter reading in the camera.

When I got back to the computer, I loaded the photos into the Nik HDR Efex Pro plugin for Adobe Photoshop. In the first image, I was attempting to make adjustments to bring out a little drama in the clouds, but make the rest of the photo as close to how I saw the scene. The image below, I cropped out the horizon to emphasize the fact that this was a memorial to those that serve their country in the air. I processed the image as before, then converted it to black and white. This makes the tones in the monument match the tones in the clouds, but with a striking contrast from the organic clouds, and the man-made structure centered in the frame.

Air Force Memorial - Arlington, VA - www.timelinedc.com

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

Personal, Photography, Travel | 0 comment

Washington Monument Birthday!

The Washington Monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. I guess that makes it the 127th birthday of the unmistakable landmark that greets visitors to the capitol city. The height restrictions on buildings in the city make it the most visible and identifiable marker, and it makes for a great backdrop for photos from the White House to the cherry blossoms, or even from across the river in Virginia. I’ll have to refresh my collection of images that include the monument next time I have the chance.

Contrail from plane passing over the Washington Monument ©TimeLine Media
Contrail from plane passing over the National Mall ©TimeLine Media

This image was one from a walk around the National Mall on a beautiful spring afternoon. With the clear blue skies, and strong sunlight, strong shadows were on the sides opposite from the sun. Adding a darkened vignette on the edges helps to emphasize the monument.

Washington Monument at a beautiful sunset over the National Mall ©TimeLine Media
Washington Monument at a beautiful sunset over the National Mall ©TimeLine Media

Although the structure looks basic, it can change its looks drastically throughout the day. On this occasion the up lighting below nicely highlights the edges in the setting sun. Since it is such a recognizable monument in the city, it gives you plenty of opportunities to set its location from you entire collection.

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