fireworks

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So grateful that yesterday’s Independence Day fireworks were so awesome! The forecast had called for 40% rain showers but you would have never known it. The weather was perfect. It wasn’t too hot that it was unbearable to stand outside and sitting under a tree made for a nice breeze. Luckily the clouds weren’t so heavy and dark this time that the fireworks were really able to shine.

My friends Jim and Rosa joined Andrew and I in capturing the fireworks. We ended up at the US Capitol which I had never thought of shooting from before. It turned out awesome because they were having their own concert there and John Stamos (Uncle Jesse) was the host! I was singing and dancing up until the big show. Then while the fireworks were going off, they had even more performances going on. It was a little distracting because I didn’t know what to look at, the performance or the fireworks, but overall it was a blast!

At first I was a little disappointed with how many people were in front of us for the pictures. But taking a moment to really think about what I wanted the end product to look like, I think it worked to my favor. It’s a totally different view of the fireworks than I’ve ever captured before and I think it’s an accurate depiction of what it’s like shooting on July 4th in DC. Crowds of people, a big production, and everyone having a good time. I really like how you can see the fireworks in 4 different places in this image. Can you spot them all?

But lesson learned. If I ever shoot at the US Capitol again, go early. Same goes for all the Lincoln Memorial which I might try to go to next year. The angle from that memorial looks beautiful!

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Happy  Independence day! Hope you all have a great 4th of July full of fun, family and fireworks 🙂

This image was taken last year before the National Museum of African American History and Culture was opened. It was amazing! My friend, Jim (who I used to intern for at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum) and I were the only ones inside the fence taking pictures. So I’m pretty sure that means we’ll be the only two people EVER with an image like this. With no one in the shot with 4th of July fireworks with the museum and Washington Monument standing side-by-side. Pretty awesome, huh? But I do remember how gloomy and cloudy the day was. The whole day called for rain and we got little pockets here and there. I remember thinking that they may totally call off the fireworks since the clouds were so dark and heavy. Luckily, they went off as planned. But unfortunately again, we weren’t able to see the ones that went really high in the sky. We could only hear them. The clouds were so dark that you couldn’t even see the color in them from the firecrackers. We could only see some of the lower hanging ones. Oh well. I still think this turned out pretty amazingly. But a cool effect that happened from all that rain that I didn’t expect were the reflections in the walkways. I purposely got down lower so I could really highlight the reflectiveness of the ground.

I’ll be out taking fireworks images again this year at the National Mall. I’m really looking forward to it. Its like 20 minutes of pure excitement. So if you need any tips on how to shoot fireworks, check out this video I created 4 years ago. All the rules still apply:

Happy shooting and be safe!

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Even though The National Museum of African American History and Culture is the newest museum in the National Mall and Washington DC area, it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites. I’ve only been inside once but I’ve admired it from the outside numerous times. It’s so exciting to have this new space because there are so many new angles to explore. Like this one made possible by the enormous and beautiful reflecting windows that surround the museum.

Now that summer time is on us, I also think it’d be interesting to see what people do with the fireworks in this space. I was lucky enough to have special access to shoot the Independence Day fireworks on the grounds last year but it was sort of a bust. All day it had been rainy with super low clouds so it was sort of difficult to see the fireworks. And it was crazy because the fireworks that were super high in the sky were only heard, not seen. So this year I think it’d be interesting to see if fireworks would be able to reflect off the windows or even some of the outdoor features surrounding the museum. Weather permitting of course.

The camera settings for this image was F7.1 at 1/30th of a second at ISO 400. I shot this at sunset while being smushed up against the windows. A high ISO was needed to be sure everything stayed sharp and in focus. It was only afterwards, in post processing, where I thought this image would look even cooler in black and white. I think it really brings out the the drama and makes the angles look even sharper.

Can’t wait to go inside the museum again to capture the ‘cleansing fountain’. The first time I was there, it wasn’t up and running.

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Obviously most of my images are of the DC monuments because its home to me. In between travel, these monuments are the best places to go and practice my craft and to discover new angles.

No matter how many times I go, I never get tired of these amazing views.

Part 2: DC Monuments

In no particular order… Click the image to find the original blog post and the story behind it.

united states capitol, us capitol, building, capitol building, capitol hill, congress, reflecting pool, NE, washington dc, reflection, night, full moon,

Full moon rising at the US Capitol. One of the best places in the city to watch the sky.

washington dc, lincoln memorial, sunset, reflecting pool, purple, cityscape, trees, night, sun, tourists,

We had so many summer storms this year, it was awesome! This was the sunset right when as one was moving in.

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And this is the same evening as the previous image, just a different POV

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Cutest paddle boats ever. They make me smile every time I see them. Especially if they were lined up in a row like this.

fireworks, independence day, washington dc, july 4th, washington monument, national mall, museum of african american history and culture, smithsonian institution, museum, archteicture, reflection, rain

I love this image because it may never happen again. Click the image to find out why there will never be another one like it.

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Puddlegram. Another one from our summer storms.

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My favorite part of this image is that light reflection down the center, left side of the image. So cool to see how it reflects.

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It’s all about simplicity in this image.

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WOWZA! I still can’t believe I was able to capture a lightning bolt like that.

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And this was the morning after.

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Another lightning strike. This one is a little harder to make out but the mood on this was is just how I wanted it.

I was in Tokyo for the peak of the Cherry Blossoms this year. I was a little sad about it but still managed to capture the last bit of it.

I was in Tokyo for the peak of the Cherry Blossoms this year. I was a little sad about it but still managed to capture the last bit of it when we got back home.

Wonder what tomorrow is going to be? Check back tomorrow to find out.
In case you missed it, here are my favorite images from my travels in 2016.

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One last thing about the fireworks last night. The rain sucked. It had been raining on and off all afternoon and it almost made it not worth it. Jim and I were ready and waiting at NMAAHC by 7p when the fireworks didn’t start til 9:09p. It was obvious others felt the same way because there were not nearly as many people on the Mall as there usually is. I’d guess at least half of what it was last year. So we were standing in the rain for over an hour before it stopped. It turned out ok because it left a nice reflective glow on the sidewalks but the automatic sprinklers that turned 9:00p was an unexpected surprise. But with the low hanging clouds, it was difficult to see the really big, tall fireworks from where we were standing. We could hear the sounds and see the colors in the sky but just couldn’t see them. At least they added this special glow to the sky.