west wing

Before Christmas, we were treated to a tour of the West Wing of the 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by a climber friend. It was pretty awesome seeing parts of the working White House that few see in person. Too bad my camera wasn't allowed to capture too many of them!
 (ISO 1600, f/1.8, 1/80s)

hydrangea

Wow. It's been a while since I've posted regularly. Last summer, I focused primarily on doing so. This summer, my focus has been on getting our kitchen functional again. That includes carefully snaking the extension cords around her lovely hydrangeas. The joys of home ownership!
(ISO 100, f/4.0, 1/80s)

rosebud

We went to Longwood Gardens in search of orchids. None of my shots were too great. The light on this rose in the greenhouse turned out pretty fantastic though.
(ISO 100, f/4.0, 1/800s)

shambles

As the prison expanded, each new cell block held more prisoners that the original ones. Over the years, Eastern has fallen into disrepair. Tourists support restoration efforts with the admission fee. Despite the negative effect it had on prisoners, it is an important piece of American history and a landmark to what detention facilities should not be.
(ISO 800, f/8.0, 1/50s)

penitent

The original cells at Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia were designed for prisoners to be penitent and come out of their prison sentence better men. (It didn't work.) Here's one stark, restored cell. The only source of light for them was one slit of a skylight that directed their gazes towards God.
(ISO 100, f/6.3, 30s)

thinker

Texture is important. Without it here, this photo would be otherwise flat and dark. The light worked out nicely.

(ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/20s)

skyward skyscraper

Early in my photography hobbyhood, I admired the work of professionals who had great skill in capturing architecture. I thought that a lot of it was gear, but as it turns out, mine was good enough. I just needed some practice and a better hand on post-processing.
(ISO 400, f/3.5, 1/640s)

structured

Columns were first used by the ancient Greeks as an architectural element. In case you haven't noticed, they're all over D.C.
(ISO 800, f/5.6, 4/5s)

buona pascua

"He has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28:6
(ISO 800, f/5.6, 1/50s)

new river gorge bridge

According to the sign on the bridge, this is the longest arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. According to Wikipedia, it was once the longest in the world. I'd really like to visit Fayetteville on Bridge Day. It sounds like a rollicking good time.
(ISO 100, f/9.0, 1/100s)