ANGELA B. PAN

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

Puddlegram. Another one from our summer storms.

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.

It’s all about simplicity in this image.

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

And this was the morning after.

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 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.

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.

So unbelievably thrilled the fireworks show still went on last night. I had the amazing opportunity to go behind the fence and shoot at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It’s not even opened! My friend Jim, who’s the photographer at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History got access and invited me to go along with him.

What’s crazy is that this shot may never come again. This year we were allowed to go behind the fence but next year it will be open to the public. That means there would be people all crowded around in this shot. Its still so cool to think that this could be the only one like this!! *mind blown*

I’ll be posting more similar to these, so be on the look out 🙂 Thanks again, Jim. You rock!

Happy Independence day! Hope you all enjoy the holiday. Also I hope to get some more nice firework images tonight 🙂

It’s official! It’s been one year since I became a master at the Arcanum and started inviting friends into my cohort. There have been many things that have been said about the Arcanum like, “it’s changed my life” or “it’s such a great community” but the thing about it, is that it’s all totally true.

Last year, on July 7th I was really nervous. I really didn’t really know what I getting myself into but most of all, I was worried about my ability to lead and mentor 20 photographers. I mean, what do I really have to offer that they couldn’t learn anywhere else?

So I pushed my fears aside and slowly built up my cohort with 20 AMAZING landscape and nature photographers. And through this experience I’ve learned so much! I even feel a little guilty because my cohort has taught me sooo much about photography and friendship that it doesn’t even feel like a mentor/mentee relationship anymore. It really just feels like friends with common interests hanging out.

If you’ve been a long time follower of my blog, you may have noticed my photography style has changed a bit in the past year. In the very beginning of the blog I used to shoot and process exclusively HDR. Now with the Arcanum and specifically my cohort, I’ve pushed out of my own comfort zone to try new things in shooting, processing, and just the whole way I look at photography. And for that I’m extremely grateful for my cohort, Angelaville because I’m so much prouder of my work as of recent.

But it’s not just interacting with the members of Angelaville, it’s hanging out with the other masters and members of the Arcanum that makes this whole experience soooo much cooler. I’ve met some pretty awesome people and I’m confident that wherever I go in the world, I’ll have a friend to meet up with through the Arcanum.

So to say that the Arcanum is life changing is totally an understatement. It’s only been a year and I can’t even remember what I used to do before it came about. It’s totally rocked my photo world I can’t wait to see what the next year holds 🙂

It was a last minute decision to head to the memorials for the fireworks but it turned out so great. Love the fireworks in DC.