Recent explorations on the streets of Washington, DC.
Tag Archives: washington dc
The Photographer’s Footwear
I was meeting a friend in the city for dinner. For reasons I can’t remember I arrived a couple hours early, but hey, I was cool with that because Street Photography! I wasn’t super dressed up, but you know, a little nicer than just t-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes. I spent about two hours walking around DC looking for photographs. I had on nice shoes. Not nice as in comfortable; nice as in good looking, sporty. An hour or so into my strolling I noticed my feet were sore. But I shook it off… hey, feet get sore! Photos need taking! I ambled on.
It wasn’t until the next day I came to understand the foolishness of walking around for two hours on pavement and cement in sporty looking boat shoes with little to no support. Plantar fasciitis. It took a few weeks for the pain to go away, because, you know… I have to walk everyday… on my feet. But going out to make photographs eventually stop being painful. From now on I aim to keep it that way.
To make quality photographs, you need quality footwear.
Skateboard photography with the Nikon D750
Is the D750 the best all around Nikon ever? Maybe. Just maybe. It is for sure a damn good camera that can do pretty much all I need it to.
I shoot a wide variety of subjects. Landscapes, portraits, action, and much more. And for the last few months I’ve put this fine camera seriously through its paces.
Do I have quibbles? Sure. Nothing’s perfect, and I’ll probably tackle some of that on another day. But for now I want to focus (heh-heh!) on the positives.
It is lightweight, has a deep, comfortable grip, and produces amazing files. But what has stood out the most for me is the remarkably fast and accurate focusing system. I have spent most of my digital life with a D200 and D700, both more than serviceable cameras. But the difference with focusing between them and D750 is stunning.
I’ve been doing a lot of skate photography lately. Much of it at dusk and in the evening under less than ideal lighting conditions. But I’m happy to report the hit and miss ratio has been heavy on the hit side. The focus tracking in continuous mode impresses for sure. I tend to use group area focusing most of the time with action, but I’ve used single focus points before and still usually get the shot.
I’ve been using mostly Nikkor lenses: 35mm f2, 17-35mm f2.8 and 70-200mm f2.8. I will note that these are all older models. There are newer, more advanced version of these lenses that no doubt have better focusing mechanisms. But I regularly nail the shots with these old guys.
A few examples:
Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8. Shot at f4 and 1/40th sec. Shoe-mounted SB800. No gel. Dusk.
Nikkor 35mm f2. Shot at f5.6 and 1/8th sec. Shoe mounted SB800 with 1/2 CTO gel attached. Night.
Nikkor 17-35mm f2.8. Shot at f8 and 1/25th sec. Shoe-mounted SB800 with 1/2 CTO gel attached. Dusk.
The focusing system on the D750 isn’t as advanced as the D500 or the D5, but man it’s hard to see where it’s lacking! It more than takes care of my needs.
(Rumor has it an upgrade to this 2 ½ year old camera is in the offing — maybe as soon as July!? — so things can only get even better, right?)
*Fingers crossed*
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Open House.
Skateboarding and opera all under the same roof? Sure! Why not?
On May 27th the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC treated the city to an open house event celebrating the 100th birthday of John F. Kennedy. My wife and I spent the day and a good part of the evening down there taking in all we could. We visited with friends and we soaked up the sights and sounds. Ate good food and made a few photographs. The entire Center was open and in use.
Thousands of people visited throughout the day and were treated to — among other things — acrobats, dancers, DJs and live music — Hip Hop, blues, alt-rock — and of course a killer skate session at the Finding A Line skate park in the front plaza of the Center.
It was an amazing event open and free to the public. How they were able to pull that off I have no idea, but good on them for doing it.
So here’s to more events like this one. And here’s to the the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for being bold enough to blend a great variety of artists and performers with skate culture. As you’ll see below, it worked out pretty well!
Audience participation.
Teaching the Piedmont Blues with the Archie Edwards Blues Foundation.
Jammin’. Washboard, fiddle, and guitar.
Little rebel.
Member of the vertical dance troup, Bandaloop.
Photographing the skaters.
Ben Ashworth. The driving force behind the Finding a Line skate community.
Silhouetted skater gettin’ some air.
The JoGo Project with Donvonte McCoy on trumpet.
Revelers.
Skater chick.
Skater dude.
Jennifer Soto flying.
In and Around the Lincoln Memorial
“…dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
Washington, DC. Rain and Shine at the Lincoln Memorial.
A couple days roaming the grounds of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Tourist season is just now underway.
Walking Around DC
Looking for life in the city.
Morning in a little backyard cafe.
Jogging along the avenue.
Reflections in the sushi window.
Everybody has needs.
Cousins.
Catching the Orangutan’s high-wire act.
Above the trees.
Riding the Rails.
Riding the rails of DC’s Metro. Hands hanging on, shoulder to shoulder, packed. Standing in last car I see stations zip past.
Fuji X100S in Black & White
Found myself in the ever snowful Washington, DC the other day.
Thought I’d put the camera through it’s paces in B&W mode. Went with the Yellow filter effect. Not much post processing in Lightroom. Little contrast here and there and a couple needed lightening. Otherwise all just out of camera.
Georgetown Waterfront
In the city. A moment of solitude found.
Overlooking the Potomac River. Rosslyn, VA across the way.