Lincoln Memorial 2010

Due to an impending move, I haven't had time to post, let alone move the blog over to wordpress.  However, I did manage to get around DC one afternoon with my brother and sister and happened on these two kids reading at the memorial.  They were like statues.  Even after taking several frames, neither moved.

The point of the post is revisit your favorite places once in a while.  Opportunities are always present!

Canon G11, ISO 100, 1/80@f8

2009 Presidential Inauguration

This image reminds me of the overall tone of our last inauguration.  While tens of thousands of people from all over the world flocked to the National Mall to witness the swearing in of Barak Obama, our 44th President, the massive sea of humanity was surprisingly quiet and calm.  No doubt, the early morning sub-zero wind chill had some effect, summed up by the lone security guard on the makeshift stage of the Lincoln Memorial.  Reserved anticipation gave way to gushing euphoric cheers following Obama's speech.

Instead of using Lightroom's vignette tool for this shot, I opted for the more flexible gradient mask, applying four separate gradients on each side of the frame to compensate for the uneven morning light.  The right side needed additional vignetting to burn the additional light.

Canon 20D, ISO 400, 1/800@f8.

Lincoln Memorial 2008

I have more than a dozen shots of this frame. The person appeared at right to image his own version of the scene while the Canadian geese entered left.  A second later, the geese were over the Washington monument and the dude took off, leaving a far less compelling photo.  Chance favors the prepared mind.