This is not a true HDR photograph since this is from a single RAW file. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark II with 21-megapixels and if I shot HDR with multiple RAW exposures I would need to start clearing out my camera gear to make room for more hard drives.
The Yoshino Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC only bloom in the spring and the window of opportunity is very small. I photographed this on a Tuesday when the cherry blossoms were at their peak and by that Friday night strong winds blew most of them off the trees. As with any once-a-year photographic opportunity, it can be very crowded with people, especially at sunrise.
The most photogenic groups of cherry blossoms are located around the Tidal Basin which is a man-made inlet adjacent to the Potomac River. That morning hordes of photographers were jockeying for position to get their shot and in the process stepping into each other’s shots. Having spent some time at the Tidal Basin the day before I scouted out a great place to photograph the sunrise for the next day.
I stood on the bridge between The Jefferson Memorial and The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. I set up my tripod right against the bridge railing so if any photographer wanted to get in front of my shot, he or she would find themselves swimming in the Tidal Basin, a very dirty Tidal Basin.
The weird looking sky is compliments of airplane contrails. I think some lowly government bureaucrat ordered a fly by just to ruin my sunrise shot.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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Showing posts with label Jefferson Memorial. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jefferson Memorial. Show all posts
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Let’s Run into Spring with the Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC!
The best nonpartisan event in Washington, DC is the annual bloom of over 3,700 cherry blossom trees. The cherry trees were a gift from Japan in 1912 as a commemoration for the 1854 Treaty of Peace and Amity which officially established formal relations between the two countries.
The arrival of the cherry blossoms also marks the arrival of spring to the nation’s capitol. The most photogenic groups of cherry blossoms are located around the Tidal Basin which is a man-made inlet adjacent to the Potomac River. Here photographers can frame the vibrant pale pink and white flowers with iconic landmarks such as The Thomas Jefferson Memorial and The Washington Monument. With the recent addition of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, photographers have yet more opportunities for creative compositions.
Photographers are not the only ones who enjoy the cherry blossoms in the morning. Joggers have a scenic view as they circle around the Tidal Basin. I took this photograph the morning the National Park Service declared the official peak bloom for the cherry blossoms. I used my external flash for fill light on the passing jogger (you may see a hint of her shadow). I composed this composition with the joggers and the path of the Tidal Basin serving as leading lines to the beautiful Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
Spring was a little late in arriving into the nation’s capitol so I had to wait an extra week for the bloom. When it finally did arrive, what a grand entrance it made!
Goodbye winter and hello spring!
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
Facebook | Google + | Twitter | Pinterest | Photography Blog | Travel Photography Gallery
The arrival of the cherry blossoms also marks the arrival of spring to the nation’s capitol. The most photogenic groups of cherry blossoms are located around the Tidal Basin which is a man-made inlet adjacent to the Potomac River. Here photographers can frame the vibrant pale pink and white flowers with iconic landmarks such as The Thomas Jefferson Memorial and The Washington Monument. With the recent addition of The Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, photographers have yet more opportunities for creative compositions.
Photographers are not the only ones who enjoy the cherry blossoms in the morning. Joggers have a scenic view as they circle around the Tidal Basin. I took this photograph the morning the National Park Service declared the official peak bloom for the cherry blossoms. I used my external flash for fill light on the passing jogger (you may see a hint of her shadow). I composed this composition with the joggers and the path of the Tidal Basin serving as leading lines to the beautiful Thomas Jefferson Memorial.
Spring was a little late in arriving into the nation’s capitol so I had to wait an extra week for the bloom. When it finally did arrive, what a grand entrance it made!
Goodbye winter and hello spring!
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
Facebook | Google + | Twitter | Pinterest | Photography Blog | Travel Photography Gallery
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Photobombing Thomas Jefferson - Tidal Basin, Washington DC, USA
Photobombing Thomas Jefferson - Tidal Basin, Washington DC, USA, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.
For my friends and for those for some odd reason who follow me and my second rate photography, know I love to shoot in saturated colors. So what is this black and white photograph?
I love going out to the Jefferson Memorial because it is not swamped with tourists as other memorials and it has gorgeous views of the tidal basin since it sits on prime real estate. Besides, Thomas Jefferson is considered one of America’s most intellectual president, just showing up at his memorial makes me that much smarter.
I love this anecdote of President Jefferson. Reflecting on Jefferson’s broad-based knowledge, President Kennedy once welcomed a group of forty-nine Nobel laureates to the White House with these words:
“I think this is the most extraordinary collection of talent, of human knowledge, that has ever been gathered at the White House, with the possible exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.” (Address to Nobel Laureates, Dinner for Nobel Prize Winners of the Western Hemisphere, 29 April 1962.)
The inside of the memorial has very dull colors so I went with black and white to give it more of an artistic flair. I jumped into the frame of this long exposure shot at the last minute. I just love photobombing Tommy Jefferson!
I’m Sam Antonio and I approve this photograph.
Happy Travels!
Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography
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