writer, photographer, web person from Washington, DC.
If DC is where high school valedictorians go, then what is Baltimore? The Wire and Homicide: Life on the Street have given this charming, scruffy city a bad rap. It’s home to some delightful neighborhoods, like Federal Hill (pictured above). It’s where Federal troops were stationed during the Civil War, to keep an eye on the occasionally riotous citizens of the city. Now it’s used for more peaceful purposes.
It was one of the hottest days of the year, at the end of a week of 100+ temperatures in Washington, DC. Cooped up by the oppressive heat, I had gotten a little stir crazy, so decided to venture out to check out Dance Day DC, where my friend and neighbor Cecile was volunteering
It was held at the Sylvan Theater, a little bowl next to the Washington Monument, with a steamy southern exposure. Things were pretty staid until the arrival of Mary Murphy, the judge from So You Think You Can Dance.
The audience knew as soon as she took the mic – I literally recoiled away from the speakers as her voice blasted out. She’s the loudest person I’ve ever met and probably didn’t even need a microphone.
Despite the crushing heat, she led the audience in a complex series of dances, part of a flashmob. This went on for a good half hour, dance after dance. I can’t imagine how hot it must’ve been on stage. I was off to the side, in the shade, doing nothing but taking pictures and I could barely stand it.
Murphy even taunted the sun. “I heard it was hot but, c’mon, is that the best you can do?!!”
It’s a good thing that she’s a celebrity. Otherwise, people might think she was insane.
A hazy evening in Waynesville, NC, where I went to visit friends for a few days. It’s an iPhone pic that I ran through the “Lolo” filter in CameraBag.
I can’t believe it’s been a year since the last Fringe Festival. Walking up to Fort Fringe on New York Avenue, everything looked exactly the same – the big white tent, picnic tables, a DJ playing tunes, performers hyping their shows. Only the bar selection had changed (they now have prosecco on tap).
The Capital Fringe Festival runs from July 7-24. It’s an opportunity to see crazy performances in intimate spaces, some of which include nudity and/or puppets. The bar aka Fort Fringe offers a front-row seat to this bohemian spectacle.
I was an official photographer for last year’s festival – here are my favorite pics to give you a sense of what you’re in for. And here are the shows that won in 2010 – many of these performers have new shows for this year.
On Monday night, I attended a panel discussion by local photographers at vitaminwater uncapped live, a popup arts/dance/music party in DC.
Inspired by the stories of how these photogs got started, I wrote an article for the Pink Line Project on the talk. The photographers on the panel, who work for sites such as Brightest Young Things, DCist, Washingtonian and the Washington Post, all transitioned from amateurs to professionals. They did this not through traditional education but by following their passions. What started out as a hobby for them – taking pictures of things they loved – eventually became careers.
Washington has done a wonderful job in adding bike lanes throughout the city. These bike-only thoroughfares, like this lane on 15th St NW, have made cycling easier and safer for riders. While I took this picture on Bike to Work Day, this could be any day in DC.
Flying, especially on USAIR, is hellish. Sometimes, however, you get lucky and end up in seat 5F when your flight returns to DCA via the winding western route along the Potomac. It’s like a roller-coaster ride as you turn and bank along the river in the approach to the airport. The plane made a banking right turn, allowing me to capture this shot of Rosslyn from above. I shot this with an iPhone 4 on the HDR setting, then used the “punch” preset in Adobe Lightroom to make it more contrasty.
There’s something really sweet and joyful about people dancing outdoors to old-time swing music. This Dupont Circle dance craze was part of an organized event put on by the Washington DC Lindy Exchange. Also check out this video from the day.
Think the Polaroid is dead?
New media doesn’t replace old media; it complements it. While millions of people are snapping photos with iPhones, a select few carry on with the cameras your grandparents once employed.
The results can be seen at The Polaroid Retrospective II show at the Lamont Gallery. Running until the end of April, this is a fascinating exhibit that demonstrates the artistic possibilities of low-fi cameras. The little square photos which line the brick walls of this gallery aren’t perfect, their not crisp, they don’t have the slick sheen of digital photography – and that makes them all the more charming and personal.
Update: check out my article on this great show.
A cup of delicious gelato (flavor: banana split) at Dolcezza. This little storefront on Connecticut Avenue not only has great gelati but also features some of the best coffee in town.