Russia at Peace...

... and here are the rest of the photos from my Moscow excursion. It was the architecture that caught my eye most. The ladies all wear high heels (i know not why) but it was the architecture that intrigued me the most. I would go back in the winter... if i could afford it.

Click on the title of the post for the full Moscow Flickr set.

Russia at War...

... much of my free time in Moscow was spent touring two large Russian Military Museums and visiting their equivalent "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier". The military art and life-sized dioramas in the museums were intriguing but capturing their antiquated/historic missiles pointing up into the sky were most intriguing. They rightfully take very much pride in their WWII successes and the defeat of Nazi Germany.

Moscow at night...

... a few weeks ago i was lucky enough to spend some time in Moscow during Russia Day!
This was all from wandering around the Red Square area.

These were done with the 40D on a borrowed tripod (thank you Embassy!) except for the fireworks shots which were hand held and pure luck. I forgot my cable release so had to use the self timer. I wanted to bring the 5DmkII but was afraid it would get stolen given where i was staying.

My nephews rule...

... roasting marsh mellows, swinging from a tire and playing in the tree house.

Cold Shot (band)

... Photos i grabbed of a band called "Cold Shot" at Crystal Tavern in Crystal City, MO.

When I am in town (my home town) I am always drawn to this bar.  This band was unusual (and thus intriguing) because they had a fog machine and some cool portable stage lights.  Very unusual to see a laser light show at Crystal Tavern.  They rocked... and i enjoyed the show.

I did not get any usable shots highlighting the lights they set up and the fog machine... need more practice with AE lock... and I did not chose wisely with my exposure mode.

Jane Eyre (play)

... Theatre Lab's production of Jane Eyre, a musical drama.  This was a great show to shoot... and I usually don't care for musicals (grin).  The costumes were visually cool - which surprised me since I assumed victorian "Charlotte Bronte" era garb would be quite dull but on stage it looked great.

This was the first show I shot using the new Flex/MiniTTL Pocket Wizards.  I did not have the TTL ratios set properly but they worked - when I was not blazing away and did not allow the flash batteries to charge in time.

Stand mounted 580EXII strobe with stofen at 10 feet camera left and 10 feet camera right respectively.  High enough for me to roam left and right wirelessly beneath them.  This is going to be a great way to shoot and allow low ISO with bright picture!  All done using the 70-200 2.8L IS.  I am very happy with the results.

Click on the title of the post to get to the Flickr set.  There is the entire show on there!

Theatre Lab May Showcase

... Photos from the 2009 Honors Conservatory May Showcase at the Theatre Lab.   These pictures do not do the performances much justice.  The dress rehearsal was held in a basement room due to a last minute change and I only had an on-camera flash with me.

To get rid of the drab walls, metal chairs and other detritus I shot as high-key as possible.  This artistic license was the only thing i could think of that would punch them up.   These are the ones that I found salvageable.  Where o' where is a black curtain or wood floor when you need one.

... Took forever to edit these.  Between Artomatic and a work trip to Moscow, it was hard to find time to edit.  Click on the title of the post to get to the Flickr set for download.

Artomatic Zombie Pictures...

If you are in any of the pictures above, then your photo is displayed on my wall at Artomatic.  The show lasts five weeks so be sure to stop by and see yourself - tell your friends - leave a comment for me... and after the show, you can purchase the print and frame at reasonable cost.

A big thank-you to the make-up artists, Zombies and crew at the Deadlands 2: Trapped movie set and Gary Ugarek for his amazing zombie film.  Thanks for the access!!!

Also a big thank you to 2008 the DC Zombie Lurch participants and the Silver Spring Zombie Lurch participants.. some of you are on the wall as well.

Artomatic 2009

Artomatic 2009 opens Friday, 29 May 09.  My wall is on the 4th floor - please stop by and take in the art, the show... the party!

WHAT: Artomatic, a free arts extravaganza featuring hundreds of local artists — visual artists, musicians, dancers, filmmakers, and many more. Nine floors of creativity!

WHEN: May 29 to July 5. Fridays and Saturdays, 12 noon – 1 a.m.; Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays 12 noon – 10 p.m; closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

WHERE: 55 M St, SE (at Half Street) in D.C.’s Capitol Riverfront neighborhood. Right above the Navy Yard Metro ballpark exit (green line), a block from Nationals Stadium.

WHY: This tradition of transforming raw space into an explosion of art started right here in D.C., and no one does it up quite like us! http://bit.ly/Rgan4

Send a Kid to Theatre Camp Benefit...

What more could you want in a charity benefit?  There was theatre on a stage, composing of music, champagne and strawberries, great food and supporters of the arts opening their checkbooks.  This event raised a record amount of scholarship money to send kids to the Theatre Camp this summer at the Theatre Lab School of Dramatic Arts.

Click on the title of the post to get to the Flickr set. 

DC Shutterbugs...

CommentsPosts

I have been looking for a local DC photography website for some time now.  Passively looking... and i cannot imagine how this escaped my notice.  This is a site i will be checking daily.  Click on the post title to get to the site. 

The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle... (play)

... while these photos do not tell the story of the play put on by MVCCT, it does show why i love to shoot theatre.

Play shows tonight at 1930 and Sunday, 26 Apr 09 at 1500.  Google MVCCT to get directions/details.

Click on the title of the post to get to the Flickr Set. 

Characters of Dr. Dolittle...

...Strobist really does work.  580EXII shot through umbrella at camera left.  A Tri-grip white reflector held camera right by a lovely assistant.  Hair/Rim light provided by 580EXII Justin-clamped to a really dark blue bi-fold backdrop frame at camera right.  I should have paid more attention to the hair light.  I was moving too fast for comfort and paid it little attention on some of the shots.

Click the title of the post to go to MVCCT and purchase tickets to the show.

The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle...

... the wonderful colourful cast.  Show runs 17, 18 and 25 Apr 09 at 1930 hours and on 19 and 26 April at 1500 hours.  Click on the title of the post to visit the MVCCT website for ticket sales and directions.

Artomatic anticipation...

... i decided to do Artomatic again this year.  It appears it will be held in another amazing space and now that i know what to expect, i will get more out of it this time.  In less than two weeks, we chose wall space and then the fun begins.

Last year, i had no defining theme and my pictures... while accomplishing my goal of being colourful and fun... were a bit small.  This year will be different.

This year's unifying theme for my display will be... ZOMBIES!!!

The Good Woman of Setzuan (play)...

... performed by the Theatre Lab "Creating A Role" class directed by Michael Russoto.  The lighting and set i found particularly intriguing.  It was an amazing play!

Hard to cut through the unique lighting without a flash.  I was on a balcony and the low (but cool) light pumped up my ISO a bit high for comfort.  Not a lot of frame filling character shots here but I caught all the cast doing what they do best.

Click on the title of the post to view the entire set on Flickr.

A Clown...

...a solitary clown walking in DC irks me!    I know not why.

DC Pillow Fight 2009

... International Pillow Fight Day on the National Mall and at Dupont Circle.  A mosh pit of pillow mauling and feather flying.

It was my intent to get frame filling colour so i brought the 70-200 f4L IS but i wish i had brought something wide.  Lots of fun wading into the carnage while protecting the lens (grin).

Click on the title of the event to get to the Flickr Site.

Niagara Falls...

... a weekend in Buffalo included a night-time excursion to Niagara Falls.  The lights and company were fun but the American side of the falls is kind of depressing.

Lake Erie with ice...

... Creativity is the sudden cessation of stupidity - edwin land

The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle...

... the upcoming production of "The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle" by the Mount Vernon Community Children's Theatre in Alexandria, VA.   The show opens April 17.   I have very high hopes this show will be extremely colourful and will post more details and some teaser photos as it gets closer.

March Theatre Lab Showcase...

... The students of the Theatre Lab 2009 Honors Conservatory performed their first Showcase on March 16th.   There was no dress rehearsal so i had to shoot from a tripod on the balcony which made these images pretty static.  The performances were amazing but only the one's that had arms moving and the actors close together really translated well into the camera.

Click on the post title to go to the Flickr set to see all 115 images.

St. Paddy's Day Parade...

... in Old Town Alexandria.   I punched up the vibrancy and contrast and added some vignetting.   Aperture rocks.   I am consistently amazed at the difference between a full frame (5D) and cropped (40D) sensor.   All this was shot with the Canon 5DmkII and the 24-105mm f4L IS kit lens.

Click on the title of the post to view the flickr set.   

Arlington Cemetery in Snow...

... this is why some of us fight and some of us believe in and support those who fight.   As one who has done both, all I ask is that you do something for your country.

Sadness and beauty in the snow.  

The Canon 5DmkII handled great in the snow.   All images caught using the 70-200 f4L IS.   Click on the title of the post for the flickr set.

Snow in DC...

... means skip work and take a walk in the snow to see how well the 5DmkII holds up in the cold.  Shot with the 70-200 f4 L IS.  Happy with the white balance out of the camera when in RAW.

Mardi Gras Parade...

... in Clarendon.   Arlington's annual Mardi Gras march up Wilson Boulevard.   Great colour as per usual but it was shorter this year than the previous ones.  Here are some dark vignettes (mostly) with splashes of colour.

Gonzo's Nose (Band)

... Gonzo's Nose... one of the biggest and most popular bands that regularly play in Arlington... played over Valentines at the Clarendon Grill.

I was trying something new in colour with off-camera flash that did not quite work well so i flipped a few into B&W and played with the mid-contrast in Aperture.  It is not photoshop but it is something.

Click on the title of the post to view the set. 

"Get Smart" teen production by MVCCT

... a fun and colourful show... made me a bit nostalgic for the old TV series.

Click the title of the post for the Flickr set.

Backstage at "Get Smart" by MVCCT

... backstage, rehearsal and select character shots for the MVCCT production of "Get Smart".

The character shots were fun, done attempted strobist-style (grin).  A shoot-through umbrella camera right with a 580EXII flash and a 580EXII in back as rim light, both triggered by pocket wizards, with a black foam board behind.  A 580 was also on-camera bounced to the left to fill in the right side of the faces off of a beige wall for colour.  I should have slowed down some to get the most out of the fall-off and rim light.

The Canon 5DmkII was great - it was I that need to wield it a tab more effectively.

Click the title of the post to go to the Flickr set.

Get Smart production at MVCCT

... The next couple weeks will be devoted to shooting the Teen cast for the production of 

"Get Smart" 

for MVCCT.  Show opens on Valentines so Google MVCCT for more info.