Adams Morgan DC Photo Walk - October 2nd

I'm excited to have been accepted to lead a photo walk for Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk and my group will be going through Adams Morgan in DC. I've been to Adams Morgan several times and find it to be culturally diverse, artful, interesting and raw. It reminds me a little of being in NYC and just by walking around, I feel more creative. The picture above was taken by my iPhone on a scouting jaunt in planning a route for doing a photo walk.

The details of my photo walk are on the following page that was set up today, and I'm looking forward to it:

http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/washington-dc-united-states/

Here's a introductory video about the Worldwide Photo Walk:
http://youtu.be/qyb7MQLSdk4

Walkers can get WWPW shirts here:
http://www.cafepress.com/townerjones/7948472

Buying a shirt benefits:
http://www.springsofhopekenya.org/

Upcoming Photo Walk and Photo Event Flashbacks

August 26, 2011 - I received an email a couple days ago saying that my Photo Walk Leader application has been approved for Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk happening on October 1st and 2nd. I just need to set up my photo walk page and choose which day (Oct 1 or Oct 2nd) and the two hour or so time frame for the walk. We'll also have a place to share a meal and pictures afterward. I'm going to be doing the photo walk in Adams Morgan in Washington, DC. This is a culturally diverse area and it has a lot of character to it. I spent some time a couple weeks ago and scouted out a possible route for a photo walk, considering it was going to be approved, which thankfully it was recently.

I wanted to check out Adams Morgan again this afternoon and add to my scouting trip of this photo walk. A couple weeks ago I found the FotoDC gallery at 1838 Columbia Rd. NW, DC, but did not go into the gallery till today. I talked to some of the staff about the upcoming photo walk I was planning and it so happened that Theo Adamstein walked in (with a DSLR on his shoulder) so it was good timing as Theo is a photographer, architect, and founder of FotoWeek DC/FotoDC.

I remembered Theo from a photo exhibit event called FLASH which was March 17-April 17. FotoDC partnered with the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) to put this event on. I attended a VIP opening of the FLASH exhibit event and photographed it for a magazine. I talked with the FotoDC staff about incorporating FotoDC into the Worldwide Photo Walk group I'm leading in Adams Morgan soon, and we could see the mutual benefits for everyone involved. I perused the popular library of photo books in the gallery which were available to the public during FotoWeek. The gallery currently holds the FotoSpace exhibition: Speaking to Silence. It's in partnership with The Pulitzer Center and Human Rights Watch with work by Platon, Marcus Bleasdale, and Stephanie Sinclair.

Theo Adamstein speaking at the FLASH VIP Preview event in Crystal City, VA on March 17, 2011.

Another flashback happened in wishing a photographer friend a Happy Birthday today, and we were reminded of a birthday party my friends tried to surprise me with at my photographer friend's place. It turns out that one of the gifts I received for my birthday was a digital photographer's handbook written by Tom Ang. I had found that book not long ago and inside the front cover is the name and date of my friend who gave me the book, and this was back in 2004.

It's been awhile and time certainly does fly. I fairly recently photographed my photographer friend's sister's engagement party in DC. It was a nice event and it reminded me of my photographer friend and the further encouragement I received back then to get more into photography which people could see that I was passionate about. The passion ensues and it's partly because of these memorable events, photos, and friends. Keep the passion alive. Keep walking.

Day & Night at Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial

On August 22, 2011, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial opened to the public and I wanted to visit it on this opening day. The dedication ceremony for the memorial will be held on Sunday August 28, 2011, which is the 48th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Site is located just beyond the Northwest corner of the Tidal Basin, by Independence Ave and West Basin Drive. It's location about midway between the Lincoln Memorial and the Jefferson Memorial which is in a relatively straight line seen from an aerial view. The location signifies part of the area in the nation's march toward freedom.

It was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial that Dr. King delivered his first national address "Give Us the Ballot." Then Dr. King returned to the Lincoln Memorial in supporting the March on Washington in 1963, where in a defining moment in the movement for civil rights, Dr King delivered his memorable "I Have a Dream" speech before an audience of over 200, 000 people.

Dr King's speech was a reflection of his belief in the words of the Constitution of the United States and the Declaration of Independence which he referred to as that "promissory note to which every American was to fall heir."

The figure of Dr King emerges from the granite Stone of Hope which stands 28 feet 6 inches, and is the work of Master sculptor Lei Yixin. The statue is a testament to Dr King's courageous leadership in the civil rights movement, as said "I was a drum major for justice peace and righteousness." The Mountain of Despair serves as the central entrance to the memorial, with water descending from fountains on either side representing vitality and life. The Stone of Hope with Dr King's resolute figure is past the Mountain of Despair and faces the Tidal Basin and symbolizing opportunities for advancement in the future. The selected quotations on the inscription walls speak of the four main messages of Dr King which are justice, democracy, hope, and love.

Many people visited and were moved by the memorial. I visited late in the afternoon yet was drawn back to the memorial to capture it again during sunset, and so these pictures show the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial during night and day. It seems to suggest the movement from darkness to the light. How fitting that one of my favorite quotations on the inscription walls says: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that."

View the photos larger individually or in a slide show at this gallery.

http://www.mlkmemorial.org/

Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk - Coming Up

It was announced on August 1st on Scott Kelby's blog about his Worldwide Photo Walk on October 1st and 2nd. This will be the fourth annual event, yet this time it's happening over two days and you get the convenience of picking one of the two days that best fit your schedule. It's with the input given over the years that Scott and his crew can make adjustments to this event. These photo walks have a great turnout are a lot of fun. It's a time of discovery and learning too.

To read up about the blog post that announced the worldwide photo walk and to see lots of resources about it, check out the entry here:
http://www.scottkelby.com/blog/2011/archives/20667

I thought I would share some of my favorite images from last year's worldwide photo walk at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. I had not seen the cemetery before, so it's something I definitely wanted to see and to photographing it was a very introspective and moving experience. As a veteran of the U.S. Army, seeing the cemetery brought back memories and made me even more appreciative of the service and sacrifices made for our country.

Hope you can get out for the worldwide photo walk, but if not, you can always get people together and go on one yourselves. Here's to getting out more and shooting.

Exercising Photography

It's only the third day of the new year and time is just flying by like last year. I'm not necessarily making resolutions this year, but I do want to continue learning more about photography and doing it. That's why I've invested a lot into it and I've also been able to share the joy of photography with others by taking people on what I call "Photo Jaunts." We did a photo jaunt in December to see the Richard Avedon exhibit Portraits of Power at the Corcoran in DC, and then went to see and photograph people ice skating in the outdoor rink of the Sculpture Garden.


Although I have a couple Canon cameras, I currently use Nikon DSLR's. I like and respect both of those brands, but for the DSLR's I prefer using Nikon. There are many factors for choosing a DSLR camera, but when it all came down to it, I went with Nikon as my personal choice.

I picked up this new DVD on New Years Day at the camera store called "Nikon School - A Hands-on Guide to Creative Lighting." It features pro photographers Bob Krist and Joe McNally and they break down the techniques for making light work for you and using Nikon's Creative Lighting System (CLS).

I went biking with a friend this morning even though it was only about 40 degrees outside. With the new year upon us, it sounded good to get back into exercise. It'll take some sacrifice, but it's worth it, especially if it's consistent exercise and healthy eating. I think it's important for photographers to maintain a healthy lifestyle which includes both physical and mental aspects. It's amazing what you can see when you're not going so fast (i.e. driving). I'm able to observe more things and see more details, and I feel more a part of the environment. Something about exercise helps to both clear my mind and get creative thoughts and ideas flowing. An appreciation for what we've been given is important too, and may we use what we have to the best of our ability. I hope you'll add physical exercise to your weekly regimen. After all, I don't want to sit behind a computer all day and night. I want to get out there and explore life!


This afternoon a talented photographer friend held an informal lesson on the basics of photography to help a lady who is traveling abroad soon. This lady just got a Nikon D90 to be able to document her travels with both photography and video. He invited me and a few others. After seeing his email, I called him about it and I emailed about 15 or so photographer enthusiasts, some of whom who just got their DSLRs. No matter what the skill level, it's important to go over the basics and the seasoned photographers can also contribute to instructing. It benefits everyone. We had twelve people present and we took close to three hours in going over photography basics. It was a good experience and we hope to have more lessons in the future.


Later in the evening I went to a birthday party and took some photos there with my compact camera. It was an enjoyable time of food, drinks, conversations and games. One of the best moments was in presenting the cake with the lit candle, the singing and the expressions in blowing the candle out. It's a reminder of the gift of relationships we've been given and wishing one another good things in life.