2010 PAW (Picture a Week)
My 2008 PAW is here
My 2009 PAW is here
And here on this page is the third year of this little exercise...
I woke up at 4am this Sunday morning. Glancing at the outside thermometer, it was 17 degrees (Fahrenheit). The wind was howling - it must have been 30mph. That's a windchill of just under zero. I stoked the fire in the woodstove and went on back to sleep. Fifty miles east, though, the honor guard at Arlington Cemetery continued their vigil at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as they do 24 hours of everyday. Regardless of the weather.
This was taken a couple days earlier, as dusk descended. (Leica M9, Summicron 75/2.0 ASPH, iso 160, 1/710 at f2)
I attended a wedding this week (of which a gallery will be posted under 'Family & Friends' in a few days). There was a strong veil of blue light coming from the stained glass just to the left of this image which draped the hair and left shoulder of the woman sitting, and made the whole picture problematic in color. Converting to black and white fixed the color problem, but still left a bit of flare in her hair. Adding the strong vignette - which I tend to like as an artistic touch anyway - took care of that. (Leica M9, Summicron 75/2.0 ASPH, iso 640, 1/125 at f2)
I spent a couple hours walking around the Chinatown area of DC with my Leica, following the DC Motorcycle Show. This was one of a handful of images I took. I like the juxtaposition of the lettering on the building and the two people in the background.
More images from the afternoon can be seen at 2010 DC Motorcycle Show. (Leica M9, Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/2800 at f1.4)
Finding good light is often just a bit of serendipity. Here, I stopped at a corner Starbucks for a hot cup of joe after spending an hour wandering the streets of Old Town Alexandria. I liked how the light was so low in this back room of the cafe, with most of what was there highlighting the woman and boy. (Leica M9, Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/90 at f1.4)
My favorite landmark in old town Warrenton is easily the courthouse. I've photographed it often. This week, wandering down Main Street, I came upon an artist who clearly shares my fondness for that old building. Braving the chilly afternoon, he produced a very realistic likeness. "Very nice" I told him as I walked by, after having paused to grab a couple of shots. (Leica M9, Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/125 at f1.4)
I posted a blog entry (http://jeffreyhughes.net/wordpress/2010/02/07/the-weekend-from-hell/) relating to this week's PAW entry. The long and the short is that we had a snowstorm I'd just as soon never see repeated again. This is a quick shot of the front of my house shortly before midnight, several hours after the storm had ended. (Leica M9, Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/20 at f1.4)
After a crazy week of snow (see my blog entries), we're still not back to normal. Lots of roads still have sections of snow on them and lots of lanes are still entirely blocked. But after spending nearly a week stuck inside, I decided to venture down to Arlington Cemetery. The snow cover would give a very different look. Alas, it was still closed. I consoled myself with a couple frames of the Iwo Jima Memorial. (Leica M9, Summicron 75/2.0 ASPH, iso 160, 1/2800 at f5.6)
Old Town Warrenton has, among its historical landmarks, its old jail. Completed in 1808 and then used for nigh on 150 years, the stone building gives a bit of insight into the rather harsh conditions inmates were subjected to back in the day.
I stopped by there once, seven years or so ago. Right after I bought the 35 Summilux ASPH for my M6/M7. I took a handful of shots that day - all on Tri-X. Today was a reprise, albeit I carried my M9 and 50 Lux ASPH this time. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 2500, 1/30 at f1.4)
The historic snows of this month are taking their own sweet time in melting away. Here's a shot I liked, helped along by just a bit of post-processing assistance to bump up the contrast. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/1400 at f4)
This week's selection is a couple days late being posted because I was in New York for several days. Wonderful trip. More of my images can be found here. This one was my favorite. I got up early to take advantage of the strong side lighting from the rising sun. That's the Empire State building in the middle, with the East River on the left and the Hudson River on the right. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/710 at f5.6)
My visit to New York straddled two calendar weeks. This was taken on my next-to-last-day there. With only a handful of hours left to wander the city, I headed down to Union Square. What a place! It was full of people playing, reading, relaxing, and just generally having a good time. There were several young people working on a film vignette (the NY Film Academy is just across the street). And there were also a bunch of tables set up with people selling artwork of every kind. Very cool place! (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/2800 at f2)
I've ridden my motorcycles past the intersection with this old wagon a million times. This week, while out for a ride on my Harley, I finally decided to stop. I've always liked the contrast of the colorful paint against the backdrop of the rusted old wagon, and the signs pointing in opposite directions. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/2000 at f5.6)
I've always wished I could draw. There's something amazing about being able to sketch a likeness with nothing more than a stub of charcoal. I came across this scene while wandering around Old Town Alexandria. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/750 at f2)
It's funny how sometimes you'll go back into your negatives or slides or files from years ago and find images that you rejected when you first took them, but upon later reflection see something you like. Sometimes it doesn't take years. This was one of the shots I took during my "Cherry Blossom" visit to The Mall and The Tidal Basin (gallery here) this week. At first I didn't much care for the image, not even intending to include it in the gallery. But the more I looked at it the more I liked it. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH iso 800, 1/125 @ f5.6)
Two or three years ago a teenage girl was killed in a car crash along one of the remote mountain roads I ride. I remember riding past a day or so after the incident and seeing the multitude of flowers and signs that the girl's high school friends had placed there. The broken fence gave mute testimony to the tragedy.
The fence remains unrepaired to this day. Instead, a simple cross was fashioned out of the broken planks. I don't know if the girl was the daughter of the farmer whose field that fence belongs to, or if he just left it that way out of respect. Either way, it's been left as a permanent memorial. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH iso 160, 1/1000 @ f5.6)
This week was the 32nd annual running of the Fodderstack 10k roadrace. I ran it for years, until my DC commute put the kibosh on my running career. But I usually still head over there on race day to support Ginny and the rest of the runners. And I almost always try and get some pictures. This shot was taken at the beginning of the ascent of the murderous hill at the 4-mile mark. The young lady here was being pushed up that hill by her mom - who should get a medal! More images from this year can be seen in the gallery on my Fodderstack page, under 'Miscellany' - http://www.jeffreyhughes.net/miscellany/fodderstack/2010/web_gallery_2010_fodderstack_10k/index.html
(Nikon D3, Nikkor 200/f2 AFS, iso 200, 1/500 @ f4)
I got this image while wandering around one of my favorite places - a small cemetery off one of my favored motorcycle roads. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/750 at f5.6)
At our local HOG ride this week these three ladies got together to talk about the one gals' ride partner. The little fellow seemed to do very well! (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/3000 at f4.5)
Sometimes on my lunch hour I'll walk the handful of blocks from my office down to Dupont Circle. I enjoy the walk. And I enjoy the sights. It has the tiniest little hint of New York to it.
This was just a little something I picked up in passing. One of those you're walking along and see something in a store front and you stop, wondering how you might make a picture of it. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/2000 at f2.8)
With Sunday afternoon waning, and zero pictures for the week, I headed down to Old Town Warrenton, my old standby. An hour later I had both a slight reprieve from the issues du jour - some health issues in the family - and a few images I liked. This is a painting by Mort Kunstler (http://www.mortkunstler.com/), probably my favorite Civil War artist. Found in a storefront. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/2000 at f2)
Prompted by the most-excellent, just-concluded, HBO miniseries "The Pacific," I'm currently reading Eugene Sledge's also most-excellent With the Old Breed, at Peleliu and Okinawa. And so an image of the Iwo Jima Marine Corps memorial seemed appropriate. (Leica M9, Summicron 75/2 ASPH, iso 160, 1/2000 at f4)
This is a portrait of my long-time riding buddy, John Holt. Taken during our Memorial Day Chicken Run (more images from that trip can be found here). (Leica M9, Summicron 75/2 ASPH, iso 160, 1/180 at f2.8)
An image found in a shop window, while strolling down Main Street in Warrenton. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/125 at f2.8)
This weekend was the 13th annual Clarendon Cup (hosted by the Air Force this year - hence the addendum of "Air Force Cycling Classic"). They were running a criterium (basically, a mini road race over a short course) around several blocks they had blocked off around the Clarendon Metro station. I stopped by for a little while, Leica in hand. A few other shots can be found here.
It was a very hot and humid day. A testament to the extraordinary fitness of these guys, performing in what I honestly believe is the hardest sport in the world. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/4000 at f4)
Something of a reprise of week 20 - like my shot that week, this one is of a painting in a storefront. Unlike that one, though, which was taken during the afternoon, this was taken after dark. I like the lighting of the window display that painted the center of the painting. The painting itself was of Mosby's Rangers, in the dark and in the rain. I really like the print - I might end up having to buy a copy. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 800, 1/60 at f1.4)
This shot was most emblematic of the pictures I took this week - all part of a 2-day bike trip I took down the Blue Ridge Parkway. A photo essay describing that ride can be found here. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4 ASPH, iso 320, 1/350 at f2.8)
This week included the July 4th weekend, so I originally figured my PAW image would be something that reflected that. And, indeed, I did wander around old town Warrenton on the evening of the 3rd and captured, among other things, images of flags, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and a fireworks stand at dusk. Along with other simple images which reflect summer evenings in a small town. But it was this image, taken the evening before at the Manassas Borders, which I like the most, and so gets the call.
I have run my 50 Summilux ASPH almost exclusively since January. Wanting to mix it up a little, I mounted my 35 Summilux ASPH before Ginny and I headed out to eat. This shot turned out very much like I envisioned it - with the bottom portion falling rapidly out of focus. As for the magazine, I glanced at it briefly. Not really sure of the genre, just that it was some sort of alternative-focus fem rag. Dunno about the chicks rule part. But I do like chicks on bikes. And if it's a pretty blonde on a Harley, all the better! (Leica M9, Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH, iso 160, 1/90 at f1.4)
Here's a shot I snuck looking out our kitchen window. Ginny was enjoying the pleasant summer morning on our back deck - and Jasiri was right there to give her a hand! Just out of the frame on the bottom is Charlie (our cat), sitting on the table just outside the window and watching the show. (Leica M9, Summilux 35/1.4 ASPH, iso 320, 1/500 at f2)
A shot of my new fly rod and reel. That's a small popper - not a dry fly - in the background. I swung by a local warm-water lake (i.e. bass and bream, as opposed to trout) to see how it casts. (Leica M9, Summicron 75/2, iso 160, 1/500 at f4)
This is a shot of my 10-month-old Rhodesian Ridgeback, Jasiri. Getting him in a pose like this is hard, given his propensity to keep moving whenever he's not sleeping. He and I were wandering around the yard on Sunday evening and I got lucky. (Leica M9, Summilux 50/1.4, iso 640, 1/180 at f2)