Category Archives: Featured Photo

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Flamingos at the zoo
Flamingos at the zoo by martha_jean

A regular party of flamingos can’t seem to decide which way to go at the National Zoo. The placement of the birds keeps your eyes moving around the photo, while three birds facing both let and right, respectively, provide an interesting balance in the shot. The composition is further strengthened by the triangular shape the birds keep in relation to one another, as well as the focus being on the single bird looking towards the photographer. Heat and humidity can’t keep these birds from being awesome.

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Photo courtesy of
‘National Air and Space Museum in HDR’
courtesy of ‘Matthew Straubmuller’

Let’s have the HDR Talk. Much like parents with the “Birds and the Bees Talk,” this is a talk that photographers don’t like to have. Why? Because photographers either love HDR photos or hate them with the heat of 1000 suns.

First things first, what is HDR? HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and, to put it simply, it is a way to create an image with a wide (or “dynamic”) range of lighting, much as the human eye sees different lighting. Some photographers like it because you can get amazingly colorful images that can just pop (much as we saw with this video). Other photographers also hate it because it can get overused easily, where colors become fictional and the image doesn’t look like it came from the real world. As a friends of mine likes to say: “HDR is easy. Good HDR is hard.” Don’t believe it? Look in the Flickr pool and you’ll see. Continue reading →

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Little guy
‘Little Guy’ by Allee574

It’s been a while since I’ve just stopped and said, “Wow!” to a photograph, but this gem broke that trend. Allee574‘s capture at the Kennilworth Aquatic Garden this past weekend brings together two completely different worlds – the micro and the macro. Macro photography often lacks scale, but in bringing a human hand into the composition, she provides us a frame of reference omnipresent in all of our lives. The stunning, intricate details on the frog’s back are paired with the simple details of an everyday surface we take for granted – our fingerprints. Through a strong composition she brings you into the world of a tiny being confronting a giant. The finger and hand serve to guide one’s eye across the screen, like an arrow pointing directly to the subject. The narrow perch on which it sits, in this case a finger, serves to place emphasis on the frog, as does the blurred, green background. I’m left to wonder if the frog soon sprung back to nature, or felt content to be admired by a larger world.

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Photo courtesy of
‘052211_px600pp_08’
courtesy of ‘. . . every.seven . . .’

Two years ago, Polaroid announced that they were discontinuing their trademark instant film. Many a Polaroid photographer was disappointed. In the age of digital photography, such a move is a regular event with all types of color films (you might have heard the news reports about Kodachrome’s demise). It’s simply not cost effective for color films to compete with digital. But Polaroid photographers were not going to a leave their cherished film quietly. And the Impossible Project, an attempt to reinvent the instant film, was born.

The reinvented film went on sale late last year. It’s not quite the same as the original film and that can produce some interesting results (the wonders of chemistry). Take . . . every.seven . . .’s shot above. If you didn’t have her tags and time stamp on the Flickr page, it would be understandable to say this picture was taken 20 years ago. The coloring appears aged and I wouldn’t be surprised to know that a 1970s Dodge Charger was tailgating the car in the picture. Ah, the fun of experimental film! Continue reading →

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Photo courtesy of
‘Washington Kastles vs Kansas City Explorers | Christina McHale’
courtesy of ‘Paul Frederiksen’

A good sport shot is a hard thing to get. First, you need a good angle on the action, which is very hard to come by; the best angles tend to be reserved for the pros. Then you need patience to see the sequence that will get you the shot you want. You’ll also need a good knowledge of the sport you’re shooting; that way you can anticipate when the shot is coming up and not waste time and energy. Oh, and you have to get it quick, because the right moment in sports is measured in milliseconds.

Paul’s picture of Kansas City Explorer’s star Christina McHale is an excellent example of sports photography. The shot is right at the moment of the backhand, perfectly capturing the power of the swing. In fact, when I look at the shot, I think of this more as a wildlife photo of a lion or horse in motion, with all of the tense muscles and the look of concentration on her face. Truly, a great shot!

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‘Glitter’
courtesy of ‘yostinator’

Wow; talk about an impressive portrait! There’s very little, if anything, wrong with this shot. Framed nicely and tack sharp, this image is all about the small details it shows: the woman’s two color eye shadow; the sprinkling of assorted paints on her chest and upper lip; and the different feathers of her headdress. Even her expression is one of slight mystery; is she just between breaths from dancing or is something else going on? Or is it something mundane? This is a shot a person could get lost in for hours, and it would not be wasted time. Excellent work yostinator!

If you’ve got photos you want to share, we’ve got a webpage to show the world! Just add them to the We Love DC Flickr group, and they too could show up in one of our stories.

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‘tiny eyes are watching you’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

For me, the only thing more fascinating than interesting pictures, are interesting pictures of very small things. Macrophotography, or close-up photography of small objects, can reveal a world of amazing detail. Really, such photography is limited only by the tools of the photographer.

Take the above picture from philliefan99. Clearly the four eyes of the spider are visible, along with their unique size and shape. You’re even capable of seeing the individual hairs on the legs and body of the creepy crawly. Would you notice such details if this were to scurry onto your leg right now?

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Photo courtesy of
‘I Can’t Hear You’
courtesy of ‘pablo.raw’

Juxtaposition is a powerful tool, especially in photography. It lets you make commentary on an otherwise silent picture.

Pablo.raw must have either waited for a bit in front of the Studio Theater, or was lucky enough to have a flip-flop wearing, iPhone toting guy walk by as he got on the scene. The yelling mouth certainly screams “can you hear me now?” from the old Verizon commercials.

Whether he needed to hang around or not, it pays to keep an eye out on your surroundings and know when that makes the picture.

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‘US Capitol Dome’
courtesy of ‘ep_jhu’

Photography is such a versatile art form. Not only is there a wealth of subjects and topics to shoot, but the way the image is exposed, manipulated, or processed can give an otherwise plain image an amazing life. And then there is the color to play around with: do you choose realistic color or extra saturated? Or even black and white? The options for expression are endless.

Take ep_jhu’s shot of the Capitol Building. On a pure composition level, this shot has been taken a million times. But by changing the coloring to black and white, and maximizing the contrast, this is suddenly a shot worth taking the time to see. It is now eye catchingly stark and looks more like a computer generated rendering than a photograph.

To end this post on an interactive note: Anyone know what direction ep_jhu was standing, in relation to the Capitol, to get this shot?

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Summer Fun :)....Hot Holiday Weekend For D.C., Scorching Heat By Tuesday
‘Summer Fun’ by Dan Dan the Binary Man

With the passing of Memorial Day comes the unofficial start of summer, and Dan Dan the Binary Man loses us into a child’s view of summer. The silhouettes give anonymity to the tikes and provide a wonderful compositional tool for black and white photography, as does the water in the middle, a natural reflector of light. The definition of the children’s forms is pronounced by the obscured figures in the right background, blending into day’s darkness and the surrounding landscape. The photo is a portrait of the innocence and adventure of youth and leaves us pondering: what is the child at the left looking at? His mother calling to him? Barking dogs? Sirens?

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‘The Truth is Out there…..’
courtesy of ‘LaTur’

This photo isn’t so much about how the shot was taken or the quality of the photo (which, btw, is excellent). This photo is about a part of DC history that many people don’t know much about. And that is Uline Arena (AKA: Washington Coliseum). Even though it was called a “triumph of concrete” when it was constructed in 1939, it’s a pretty forgettable, if large, industrial building next to the tracks of Union Station. Though its appearance is forgettable, its history is amazing.

The Beatles performed their first U.S. concert here on February 11th 1964. Two important, and controversial, figures of the Civil Rights Movement spoke here: Nation of Islam founder Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm X. Red Auerbach, of Boston Celtic legend, coached the Basketball Association of America’s Washington Capitols in the late 1940s, and the Arena was their home. It was also an important venue for the Go-Go music scene in the 80s. All this history under one roof!

Continue reading →

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‘Circling Around’
courtesy of ‘Eric Spiegel’

Long exposures, or keeping the shutter open for longer than the fraction of a second in a typical photograph, can do amazing things in photography. Sometimes you know what you’re going to get in the shot; a lot of the time, you get wonderful surprises. The technique can be used to show motion; it can be used to bring out bright colors; it can show fine details; it can do awesome things with reflections; and sometimes it captures that which is both quick and beautiful.

Eric shows off many of the best aspects of long exposures with this shot of a plane’s approach into DCA. Colors of the plane’s running lights are bright and distinct; the surprise hextagon lens flare which adds a bit of mystery to the shot; and the wonderful lines of the plane’s approach catch the eye. It all comes together for an excellent long exposure.

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‘your turn’
courtesy of ‘philliefan99’

Wildlife photography: the art of taking photographs of wildlife. I’ve had the impression that it is generally underappeciated in the digital age of photography. But when you really look at it, this is an incredibly difficult art form. You not only have to find fascinating subjects, but you also have to learn how a specific species will behave. This is important so that you have an idea on what they will do next, unlike with humans.

Phil demonstates many of the key skills of a good wildlife photographer with this shot. He’s been following the osprey, which take up residence at this nest in Belle Haven VA, for years. He also patientally waits for the bird to get into a dramtic, noble pose. And lastly, he aims for the eyes. This last point is most key for wildlife shots, for the same reason it’s important for human shots: we’re drawn to the eyes and it’s a window into the soul of the animal.

Continue reading →

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Photo courtesy of
‘Metro – Red – 4.7.11’
courtesy of ‘rpmaxwell’

When people see the behemoths of cameras that I carry around, their normal reaction is something along the lines of “I bet you get great pictures with those!”  Before I really got into photography, I would have probably said the same thing.  Now, a few years and tens of thousands of pictures later, I know it’s not the camera that makes a good picture, it’s the photographer behind the camera that is key.  The camera is just a tool, and a person can take a great picture with a comparatively inferior tool, if they have the skill.

Ryan demonstrates this point with his phenomenal street shot of a federal employee on the Metro.  Using a camera, which millions of people have and use everyday (an iPhone), he’s able to take a great candid in a hectic and photo adverse environment.  That’s skill!

By the way, you’ve probably noticed I’m a new author.  Though I’ve been trolling the site for years as a reader, the powers that be thought I would make a good contributor.  Thus, here I am!  My beat will be mostly photography, so keep the shots coming into the group.  I will tell you now, I’m a sucker for good wildlife and long exposure photography.  So, keep reading, and, just so that you know, all well placed Star Wars and 80s movie references are welcome in the comments.

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Photo courtesy of
‘Entrance Fare’
courtesy of ‘Collin David Anderson’

Not every great photograph is crisp and perfect, in clean focus and with smooth grain. This shot, from inside the Foggy Bottom Metro this weekend, captures the motion of this protestor as he leapt to the top of the faregate, and, from the description, into the waiting arms of MPD. What I love about this photo is that you’re seeing what’s about to happen, as well what is happening.  That’s a hard capture as a photographer, to get the viewer to see what’s next, as well as frame the moment.

I love the clean lines in the background, the curving squares of the Metro ceiling stretching onward into infinity.  The Do Not Enter lights of the faregates express clearly the transgression in progress.

Wonderful job, Collin David Anderson.

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Paver Style Headstone
Paver Style Headstone by Karon

A few years ago, I was talking with my friend Brooke about cemeteries. I had strong opinions that they were places of rest to be undisturbed, and she remembers growing up and playing in them. I love what Karon did with this image, capturing the lonesome nature of the place, with respect for the departed, and the honors we pay to them.

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Photo courtesy of
‘Vintage’
courtesy of ‘kimberlyfaye’

This shot could have been taken fifty years ago. A slightly rusty 1950s era Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe, parked on the cobblestones near a tram line in Georgetown. About the only thing in this shot that looks out of place is the parking sign, but who knows?

Kim Baker‘s processing of the shot also adds a hint of “vintage” without overdoing it or distracting from the composition and subject of the shot.

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Photo courtesy of
‘Apocalyptica @9:30Club’
courtesy of ‘spiggycat’

Sometimes you don’t have your best gear with you. Sometimes a camera phone or point and shoot are all that’s allowed in, or all that you happen to have. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that Flickr contributor spiggycat was not too thrilled to not have the use of her big DSLR.

But she did capture a wonderful image, regardless, using a point and shoot (albeit a top notch Canon G12). Once again, the photographer’s eye and instinct is much more important than the tool available to take the picture.

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Photo courtesy of
Little Horse by pablo.raw

If it weren’t for the modern nylon bridle, this photo could be mistaken for one taken decades ago.  It has a timeless quality to it which is hard to achieve nowadays.  Is this a reenacted scene from Huckleberry Finn or at a petting zoo at the mall?  It seems as though a horse will always look like a horse, and a kid will always look like a kid.

Of course there are other telltale signs that this is a modern photo.  For starters, this photo belongs to the Pentax K20D Flickr group which is pretty much a dead giveaway.  Also the horse’s hair is a bit on the over sharpened side, something you won’t find in any old timey photos.  Lastly, the exposure and contrast are a bit too crisp and clean to pull off that worn-in, soft look of an old photograph.

Regardless, I’ve really enjoyed seeing work by pablo.raw pop up in our pool, and really enjoyed writing for We Love DC.  Happy shooting fellow photogs.  Keep up the good work.