ANGELA B. PAN

One of my new favorite places to hang out in Washington DC is the West End Neighborhood Library. Not because of the books, even though books are great, but it’s because of the stunning architecture. I mean those windows are amazing but I love the they are stacked one on top of each other. It’s so cool and makes for very interesting photographs. I especially like how you can see the reflection of the clouds in them. It’s a great reminder that you should always look up when walking around the city.

But you may also remember this library from a previous blog post because it’s actually attached to Bluestone Lane. It’s been a little more than a year since I first blogged about it but even the interior is of this place amazingly beautiful. Since my first visit in February 2018, I’ve had many brunch and lunch dates here and I still can’t get over it. What’s really cool is that these “V” columns continue into the library too.

So if you’re into these types of architectural images, definietly join me in Chicago in July this summer. We’re going to have a week packed full of cool buildings to photograph plus so much more. There may or may not be a baseball game in the mix too.  I also made this video talking more about what to expect while we’re there. So if you have any questions about anything, feel free send me a message whenever. It’s going to be such a good time! As a matter of fact, Andrew and I are planning a trip out there sometime soon to start scouting locations. Can’t wait! Pizza is callin’ my name! and yours too if you join 🙂

My camera settings for this image is F4 at 1/3200th sec at ISO 400 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm zoom lens.

It’s official. I’ve officially caught spring fever and over the cold winter weather. You can now bring on the warmer temps and longer days. I’m ready! But in case you missed it, I’ve updated my cherry blossom guide with everything you need to know about photographing the beautiful flowers. From my favorite trees at the Tidal Basin to other places where you can catch the flowers blooming around the city. It’s all there. And of course, if you have any other questions about the cherry blossoms, please let me know in the comments. I’ll try my best to answer them.

But while I’m actually waiting for my spring dreams to come true, I figured I may as well load up on all the winter snow images I have while they’re still relevant. LOL. Things like this is why people always think I think ahead.

Anyways, this image was taken during our biggest snowfall of the year. It’s not really saying much since we didn’t get THAT much accumulation this season but it was still fun to capture. Like I said in my previous blog, I ended up taking the metro into the city and ended my day at the Smithsonian stop. This image was captured closer to the final destination but there was something that compelled me to turn around and take one last look at the Washington Monument when I saw this scene. I just loved how the trees were flanking and framing the obelisk. But I think my favorite part is looking at the very bottom of he image and seeing all the details. I don’t know why but I think it’s because those American flags and light posts are usually captured to be larger than life but when you see them in reference to the trees, they look so tiny. Definitely a new way of looking at these “everyday” things.

My camera settings for this image is F7.1 at 1/1600th sec and ISO 800 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm zoom.

The watch is onnnnnn….

Last week Capital Weather Gang and the National Cherry Blossom festival both announced their predictions for the peak of cherry blossom season this year. It’s not always accurate, but they are usually pretty close. So I think I can confidently say that we should expect the cherry blossoms to start their first blooms the first week of April.

I C-A-N-T W-A-I-T. It’s always my favorite time of year and literally when I will probably be coming out of this winter hibernation I’ve been experience ever since the last snow storm here in Washington DC. Sometimes I do feel a little pressure to come up with new composition ideas but once I actually get to the Tidal Basin, I’m always inspired by the flowers. Honestly, the city doesn’t get any prettier than when the cherry blossoms are here.

So if you’re in the area, definitely mark your calendars for the 1st week of April. It will be a good time and if we run into each other, please say hello. It’s always great meeting people who read the blog.

This image was taken 2 years ago. It was probably one of the most epic cherry blossom days in recent memory. It was so foggy and visibility was so low that everything else around me just disappeared. I imagine if it weren’t so foggy you’d even see a little bit of the Washington Monument in the background. My favorite part is how this tree limb is barely touching the water but the reflection is just so nice. I don’t know why but I just keep staring at the right side of this image and I love it so much.

My camera settings for this image is F6.3 at 1/80th sec and ISO 200 with my Sony A7II and 28-70mm lens.

Speaking of our cold winter, I’m so glad that we got some decent snow this year in the District. When we finally did receive enough snow, it never accumulated to too much but it was enough to blanket the city and slow things down. Good enough for me! This image was captured 2 weeks ago when we got the most snow so far this season, probably 1-3 inches depending on where you were standing.

It didn’t start snowing until the early morning so I woke up early, completed my morning routine of eating breakfast and getting ready for the day and headed straight to the metro to go into Washington DC. For a weekday, I remember it being eerily quiet. I tend to only take the metro on snow days and July 4th, so I honestly don’t have much to compare it to but it really was quiet! I just popped my headphones in and headed straight to the National Mall. I probably spent about 3 hours walking from Foggy Bottom Metro station to the Lincoln Memorial and then finally the Smithsonian Metro stop. Obviously there were a lot of stops in between but there’s hardly anything better than taking your time with your camera, listening to some of your favorite music and capturing one of the most photogenic places in America. I love how the snow just transforms the city.

This image was taken along the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. The tree line along the pool makes for a great place to capture depth because of the rows of trees, fencing and overhead lights. I love how that blue backpack just pops in an otherwise overcast image. It’s becoming one of my favorite places to capture when we have really dense weather (snow, fog, storms)

My camera settings for this image is F7.1 at 1/400th sec and ISO 800 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm.

Today is the day! The day that the National Park Service announces their Cherry Blossom predictions for peak bloom. It’s not always accurate but it is a great way to gage if they will bloom early or late this year. With the amount of rain and snow we received this past winter, I’m guessing that it will be a little bit later than earlier. Don’t quote me on this but if I had to guess, I’m going to guess they are going to peak the end of the first week of April until the second week of April. But that’s the thing about cherry blossoms. They don’t last too long. I’d say about 10 days max but typically a week. If during that week we receive rain or a big gust of wind, forget it. Those flowers are gone. In the past, I’ve seen them peak as early as the end of March. We had an unusually warm winter that year and it confused everyone, including the cherry blossom trees. So my prediction is purely based on how cold I’ve been this winter. LOL.

This image was taken last year during cherry blossom season at the National Gallery of Art.
Pro tip– if you want to get away from the crowds, the NGA or even the US Capitol are both great places to check out the beautiful flowers with less people.

And if you find yourself booking a trip to Washington DC to check out the peak bloom, check out the cherry blossom guide I have been updating every year. It should have everything you need to know about the beautiful trees. If you have any additional questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

My camera settings for this image is F5 at 0.6 sec and ISO 500 with my Sony A7II and 28-70mm lens.

Right before I left for Las Vegas, all my winter dreams came true. We finally got a decent amount of snow in the Washington DC area that I was able to photograph. I think one of my favorite things about photographing the snow in the national mall is the white on white that you get from the snow with the memorials. It just makes everything look so calm and monochromatic. The only way that you can tell that this is a color image is from the street signs. LOL.

The best part is that the snow doesn’t stop people from getting out there and exploring. You know what, I even saw runners and bikers on bicycles out in the snow. You can never say that the people in Washington DC aren’t dedicated. LOL.

This is an image that I’ve been planning for a while now. I’ve actually taken quite a few images from this spot but I don’t know if I’ve ever published any of them. They’ve never been exactly what I’ve been looking for. But in this particular image, I love all the snow on the ground with the tire tracks that are acting like leading lines directly to the side of the Lincoln Memorial. I saw those people crossing and purposely waited for them to be in the middle. I guess just a small detail that makes the image just a little more interesting. I love how it adds a little bit of scale as well.

Even though it just lasted one day, I’m glad I was finally able to capture some this winter season 🙂 But to be honest, I’m about ready for spring now.

My camera settings for this image is with my Sony A7II F4.0 at 1/2000th sec and ISO 800 with my Sony A7II and 70-200mm ultra zoom lens.