Cherry Blossoms at Night

April 13, 2015 - Over the years I've photographed the Cherry Blossoms around the tidal basin during the day or sunset, but I was so busy this year, I didn't have a chance to visit them till really late on the night before it was to rain early the next morning. So I felt I had to capture the Cherry Blossoms. Just after 10pm on Monday April 13, I started my trek around the entire tidal basin, and I took this shot at 12:44am on Tuesday April 14. Of course I needed fill flash to illuminate the blossoms. During my walk around the tidal basin I saw a few people, but it mostly quiet. I had a tripod for my camera and a speedlight flash with a modifier on it. While I was taking pictures, at one point a couple came up to me and the lady asked me several questions. I explained a few things, but really wanted to focus on the photography. There was a slight breeze and it was late, or I should say very early in the morning.  It was a balancing act to get the proper exposure and to get the image in focus, but I was pleased with these shots. I've shown the color version and then the black & white version below it.

The 4th Annual Luke's Wings Heroes Gala

April 11, 2015 - The 4th Annual Luke's Wings Heroes Gala took place at The Ritz-Carlton in DC. I've been supporting Luke's Wings for several years. Proceeds from this event will fund critical flights for wounded warriors and their loved ones in 2015. Keep them flying.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alexandra - Fitness Photo Shoot

March 29, 2015 - It has been a long time coming for a shoot with Alexandra, as we discussed it several times, but never got around to doing it. Part of the reason was doing the shoot at a time when she was in her best shape for the shoot. Life gets busy, but we still need to get things done, so I'm glad we finally did this shoot. The good thing is that in due time the opportunity presented itself to use an Mixed-Martial Arts (MMA) gym as the backdrop for the shoot.

As I assessed the environment of the gym and what I wanted for the shoot, there had to be an emphasis on Alexandra's physique, and I believe that interplay of light and shadows made for pleasing and realistic shots. I think we were able to achieve that, and we worked it out ahead of time for Alexandra to wear black apparel. I used two speedlight flashes and two lighting modifiers, one medium sized softbox and one small softbox. Both the softboxes had egg crate grids on them allows for focusing light on your subject while keeping the light from spreading too far off-subject. Here are some highlights from the shoot.