A Day In Washington, DC and a Glimpse of History.

I enjoy living in Philadelphia because it is an easy commute to the mountains and the ocean, to New York and D.C. I recently was a day tripper to our nation's capital to take in National Geographic's exhibit featuring the Terracotta Warriors of China. This discovery in 1974 of approximately 8,000 figures of men and horses to accompany Emperor Qin Shi Huang into the afterlife became one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. It was truly awe inspiring to be so close to this group of unique, hand made soldiers more than 2,000 years old. The exhibit has been extended for another week. A three hour drive to go back thousands of years is truly worth it! http://www.nationalgeographic.com/terracottawarriors/

This walk through time continued with a visit to the Newseum. It features 7 levels of galleries and theaters. One can see a bronze death mask of Lincoln and actual pieces of the Berlin Wall and the Twin Towers. The Newseum houses the most comprehensive collection of Pulitzer Prize winning photographs ever assembled and a collection of the entire history of printed news from the 1400's to the present. I spent 4 hours here and could have stayed so much longer...what an enriching day trip!

"Gotta Have A Sense of Humor"

Yesterday on a local television station, a photograph was shown of a small church with a sign saying, "If you are the one praying for snow, please stop!" I thought that was great...with all the foreboding news, someone still had a sense of humor!
So I continue to go out (I am trading in my mini cooper for an all wheel drive though!), have fun and look for the beauty in the muted colors within a backdrop of white and gray. Picturesque scenes with a true quiet elegance.

Winter Wonderland

Here in Philadelphia, everywhere I look there are still mounds of snow with a bit of ice thrown in...I can't wait to photograph the Flower Show at this point!

Canon 5D/Lensbaby at Longwood Gardens

After shoveling for hours on end, I decided I needed a change of thought from the cold winds of winter to processing images I had taken during the week of lush gardens. Longwood Gardens is hosting an orchid extravaganza through February and March and I experimented for the first time with the video capabilities of the Canon 5D Mark II combined with the lensbaby composer in an attempt to create an entirely different mood/feel.

Since this was my virgin experience of dealing with the video capabilities of the 5D, the learning curve was great. IPhoto accepted both photos and video seamlessly. However, working in Final Cut Pro, I had to convert the video footage using Compressor before it could be processed. So being house bound was not a bad thing, giving me the time I needed for this. Practice makes perfect, so the next experiment combining camera and lens will be the sights and sounds of underground Philadelphia in the subway system for an entirely different experience. See what develops!

Photojournalist Vest/Technology enabled clothing

It has been written up in CNN Travel, Fortune, Time, Newsweek and Mac World. USA Today has called the Scotievest, "One of the season's top tech gifts."...and I just want to add my vote to the masses.

I booked a trip to India and was informed that I was only allowed one suitcase that had to weigh under 41 lbs. and one very small carry-on. My photo equipment weighs 33lbs.!!!! So I am thrilled because I just found the perfect photo vest and have nothing but sheer praise for the Scotievest! I am recommending it to everyone who travels.

This vest has 22 hidden pockets, wire management for all the electronic devices and is perfect for travel!! This doubles as another carry on bag! The vest has been engineered for weight management, nothing is able to fall out and no one could ever guess all that this amazing vest carries. They are visionaries...they even have a spot for the new "IPad"!!!

I have also been told that they are now working on adding an entire line of travel clothes for women - due out in the fall! Just click below to find out more!

http://www.scottevest.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=sev&AFFIL=IwDhO738

Senior Portraits/Senior Models

When I graduated, we had all of two types of senior portraits
- the perennial cap and gown (This actually began in the 12th century in order for the graduate to stay warm in unheated churches where the ceremony was often held. While, the origin of the cap actually stems from Celtic times when the Druid priests wore caps symbolizing great intelligence.)
- the black v-neck dress with a possible red rose. It must have been great for the photographer because it was "batch processing"! Now, it is so different and very dynamic - how far we have come! Senior portraits now showcase the senior in various settings, placing them in the role of model to convey fun, fashion, hopes and dreams.

Wrapped in Winter