A Few Random DC Photos

Visiting Washington DC was so much fun. To be in a place rich in history is beyond amazing. Everywhere you go there is something to marvel over. :)

The Library of Congress is probably the most ornate library I've been in. I wish I'd had more time to wander around. But my sister and I had lunch reservations at a very upscale restaurant. :)

 I saw this on the wall and had to capture a photo. To often in life people don't realize that their actions really do speak louder than their words.

 The archives was one of my favorite stops. To stand in front of the Declaration of Independence created an emotion I cannot describe.

 Walking around DC my sister and I stumbled on a Navy ceremony.

                                                        Even in DC . . . .

                                  "There's no place like home"

 Abraham Lincoln's Top Hat at the Museum of American History

           Outside the Smithsonian's Museum of American History

There were 5 rows of gates in between us and the White House, plus the snipers on the roof!

Mount Vernon

I didn't really know what to expect at Mt. Vernon. However I know I did not expect the size of the place. There were so many buildings for Washington's employee's to work and live in the place resembled a small colonial town. The house inside was beautiful. And they had some of the original furnishings and possessions from the Washington family.

 After seeing the view, I can understand why George Washington loved this place

 Beth was unimpressed with the plantation. She did enjoy playing in the mud puddles :)

 I just had to show this view again . . . this time from George Washington's back porch

DC Memorials

The Capitol Mall is lined with Smithsonian museums and Memorials. On of my favorite to see was the WWII memorial. I knew there was a memorial, but I'd never seen any pictures. So it was fun to go somewhere and capture pictures without having to think how can I see this differently than everyone else. It was also fun to be there and see the Honor Flight veterans and thier sponsors. To see WWII veterans enjoying a memorial to what they did for this country was very cool.

        My neice Beth was mad we wouldn't let her play in the water

 I was so excited to see the Lincoln Memorial. However it was so crowded it was hard to really enjoy it. I will say this though . . . I wonder what Abraham Lincoln would have thought about this building erected in his honor?

 Even thought I've seen multitudes of pictures and video of the Vietnam Memorial, it still wasn't what I expected. Even with the massive crowds it's hard to get past the walls and walls of names.

Arlington National Cemetary & The Tomb of the Unknow Soldier

To visit someplace with so much history can be overwhelming. It's sad to see how many men and women have died for the freedom we all enjoy. But at the same time, it can bring a sense of pride that we live in a country where people are willing to lay down their lives for the safety of others.

I was fortunate enough to see a wreath laying ceremony instead of the regular changing of the guard. Every branch of the military was represented. And watching everything done with military precision was truly a sight to behold.

I found the discoloration on the sidewalk facinating. When the relief guard came I realized the discoloration is because that path has been walked several times a day for years . . . the exact same path. You can even tell where they stop and turn.

I find this tradition very cool. I wish I knew the history behind the placing of rocks on Jewish graves. :)

A Year in Review

When doing a yearly review like this it is so hard for me to narrow down photo's to just a few. I want to make sure to get a sampling of everything I did this year, but also show off my favorite photo's. Add that to my somewhat indecisive nature and you get . . . . . a very long blog post. :)

My first shoot of the year was this adorable little girl.

 The Reisner family were the first people to call me after my world fell apart. I can't thank them enough for getting me back into shooting portraits. To see more from their shoot click here.

After watching an online workshop a friend and I got together to play in her studio . . . . using her daughters as models. To view my friend Tori's work, check out her blog

 My niece Daisy at 7 months . . . I love the expression on her face. To see more photo's from our shoot together click here.
 This photo was actually take by my friend Angie, whom I enlist to help me shoot weddings. To see more from Eric and Sayda's wedding click here.
 I enjoyed meeting Lucas and his mom again for his senior photos. To see more from our shoot click here

 In June I had the amazing opportunity to attend a workshop with renowned photographer MeRa Koh. Some of my favorite photo's of the year came out of this workshop. To see more click here.

 On thing I love about this job is working with some of the best people you'll ever meet. The Silkey family were truly wonderful to work with. To see more of their adorable family check out my blog post here.

 Some shoots are just downright FUN!! These cousins kept this shoot so fun and lively that for a while I felt normal again. To see more from our adventurous shoot click here.

 This young lady traveled with an entourage. Her family kept her relaxed and keep us all laughing. To see more of this wonderful young lady click here.

 My niece's Daisy and Beth . . . both about 1 year old. Aren't they the cutest little girls.

 One thing about doing a review of your year . . . you see where you need to make improvements. This young man's shoot went well, but I forgot to blog about it. Oops!!

Sometime you get lucky and get to take photo's of people who mean a lot to you. To see the photo's of my best friend and her family click  here.

 I have to admit this shoot was my absolute favorite of the year. I got to work with a wonderful young lady. Plus when I got home and looked at the photos I had one of those "Wow, I took those" moments. :) To see more click here.

 Reconnecting with family is always great. My cousin Kevin wanted pictures of his son. But Sam wasn't in a picture taking mood. To see more click here.
 My college roommate called me up this year for family photos. To see more of her adorable kids and their family click here.
 Taking photo's of your family can be fun and interesting. To see more from our rainy Sunday click here.

You might recognize this young lady from the cousins post above.  I had the opportunity to take her senior photo's too. Click here to see more.

 I love reconnecting with old friends. Check out the Twogood family shoot here.
 My friend Marci asked me to take their family photo's. Some of my favorites from this shoot the people aren't facing the camera. :)  To see more click here.

 My last photo shoot of the year was just before Christmas. Dan and Sharon have known me for a good portion of my life. So it was fun to meet up with them at our church and see their first granddaughter. :)