by Scott Martin Photography | Sep 10, 2010 | Blog, Cityscapes, Landscapes
The Lincoln Memorial is at the western end of the National Mall in Washington DC (the Capitol Building marks the eastern end of the mall about two miles away). The Lincoln Memorial was completed in 1922 and is a type of Greek Doric Temple that houses a 19′ high marble statue of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th American President. The Memorial is one of the most recognized American icons, featured on both the five dollar bill and one cent coin. The temple has 36 columns representing the number of states in the union at the time of Lincoln’s assassination and the 48 states existing at the time of the Memorial’s completion in 1922 are carved around the attic of the structure (a plaque recognizing Alaska & Hawaii is embedded in the patio floor near the base of the steps leading into the Memorial). The words of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address are carved in the marble walls of the interior of the Memorial along with the text of his second inaugural address.
Early morning light is best for photographing the Memorial and is also a time when not too many people are around. Being one of the most photographed Memorials in the states it is impossible to be original but I’ve tried to post some less common views.
When shooting cityscapes & landscapes, I use a Kata backpack to hold the gear which includes three lenses (16-35, 24-105 & 70-200/2.8), flash, CPL, 4X6 ND grads, two cameras and other odds and ends. All three lenses, CPL & ND grads were used taking these shots of the Memorial. Although it was over 100°F carrying enough equipment is the only way to get the right shots…..or in my case try to get the right shots 🙂
by Scott Martin Photography | Sep 8, 2010 | Birds, Blog, Raptors
Deb & I visited Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Brighton, Ontario late Sunday afternoon and found this adult Red Tailed Hawk. We watched this large raptor for about twenty minutes and as he’d just captured a meal he let us get quite close. Although we took a lot of shots, these two show completely different looks of the same bird, because of the poses and the lighting. The first is taken in ‘open shade’ meaning bright enough to take a shot however no direct sunlight. Open shade allows for the feather detail to be well illustrated and also allows for subtle colour hues to be seen. The second is taken in direct sunlight, which in this case is OK as it was just before sunset so there are no harsh shadows and the evening light has a ‘warmth’ or reddish cast which is generally appealing. The sunlight also adds a nice catch light in the eyes. When shooting in direct sunlight it is always best to work in the first two hours after sunrise and then again in the last two hours before sunset.
by Scott Martin Photography | Sep 6, 2010 | Blog, Cityscapes, Landscapes
The Air Force Memorial is located just north of the Pentagon in Arlington Virginia and is one of the newest memorials in the Washington DC area, dedicated by George Bush on October 14, 2006.
The Memorial is 270 feet high and consists of three soaring arcs that evoke an image of jet flighters. The arcs also represent the USAF’s three core values: “Integrity first, Service before self, and Excellence in all we do”. The spires are asymmetrical, and each is a different height so that the view of the Memorial changes from every angle.
by Scott Martin Photography | Sep 2, 2010 | Blog, Cityscapes, Landscapes
At the end of July Deb & I spent some time in Washington DC and Arlington Virginia checking out the many historical sites and trying to take some photographs of them. This was a challenge arranging travel plans to spend the golden hours (the two hours after sunrise and two hours before sunset) at the right places to get the best shots possible. It was nice not lugging the longer lenses around for a change! While in the DC area I used a three lens kit (16-35/2.8, 24-105/4 and 70-200/2.8) with the 16-35 being the lens of choice most of the time. A circular polarizing filter was used for every outside shot and 4X6 ND grad filters were used extensively as well.
The first monument we visited was the U.S. Marine War Memorial in Arlington Virginia and a few images are posted below.
This memorial was dedicated by Dwight Eisenhower in 1954 and is the largest cast bronze statue in the world. The six figures in the statue are 32′ high and the flag pole is 60′. The memorial honours U.S. Marines who have perished in battle since 1775. The statue is a reproduction of the famous photo taken by Joe Rosenthal of five Marines & a Navy Corpsman raising the American Flag at Iwo Jima. The battle at Iwo Jima cost 6,821 Americans their lives and 5,931 of the casualties were Marines (this accounted for almost one third of all the Marine casualties during WWII).
The memorial is located immediately north of Arlington National Cemetary in Arlington VA.
And this last image is my favourite because of the lone veteran saluting in front of the memorial. Compositionally not the best shot but the human element makes a powerful statement.
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