Reflection Photo Trending on 52Frames

I have been participating in the 52Frames weekly photo challenge for the last three years. And with each year I think my photography has improved. I was never a photographer but someone who always loved to take pictures. So I have learned a lot about new techniques and general principles. My camera is my iPhone so there are some limitations. I really love creating composite images which sort of combines photos with digital art using the procreate app. But in spite of only using an iPhone I have had five of my images selected as the best 52 of the week. Additionally I’ve had two selected on the instagram website. Recently one of my fellow framers told me that my photo was trending on the 52Frames website. I didn’t know what that meant. Apparently the website highlights images submitted for that week - but the criteria for selection aren’t known - number of likes? Number of comments? Anyway, since she told me about that I keep the website open and check it every day to see if any of my photos are showing. Since she told me there have been three in three weeks! The latest was of the image submitted this week about reflections. It seems the photos turnover about once a day so the three trending photos are refreshed. It’s just another way to have something showcased and I am really thrilled whenever it happens - especially when there are typically 2500-3000 entries. Lately I have been notifying fellow framers when their photo is trending as tbey may not know that happens either. Anyway, it’s a fun hobby and I have met people from all over the world. 

52Frames Redo Weekly Photo Challenge

The theme for the 52Frames weekly photo challenge this week was “redo.” That meant we could basically recreate any subject from last year, or take an image of something completely different using one of the 52 subjects. Since we were in central Virginia visiting family for the holidays it gave me a lot of opportunities to find something. Since we don’t get to see our grandson as much now, I thought it would be nice to use him in the photo. And he is always willing to play along. He’s twenty years old now but to us he still seems like the four year old little boy we grew up with on Capitol Hill. So I added transparent images of that little boy in to the vibrant sunglasses he was wearing, making a composite portrait image. So the subject “reflection” was used to highlight two different definitions - an actual reflection in the glasses and reflecting on our grandson and how he has grown in to a remarkable young man. I also took a few other photos that could have worked - chair, religion, in the center, water, choose a color, black and white, use a tripod, and leading lines - but preferred this one. I also high keyed the final image that made it look sort of retro. Now the new year will begin with the next 52 weeks ahead. I wonder where the subjects will take us? 

52Frames Reflections

When I think of the term reflections I think “mirror,” “water,” or glass of some sort. That was the photo challenge topic this week. We have been spending a lot of time around the Lincoln memorial lately. We found that if we get there before 9:30 AM, we can find parking along the Potomac River in Potomac park west and then walk a couple of blocks over. I was thinking about the reflecting pond, or the pond in constitution gardens as possibilities. But then I thought about the Albert Einstein memorial that we had considered for last week’s challenge and didn’t use. It was another take on the word “reflection,” and ended up being the submission this week. The lighting was perfect and the sun shined on the e=mc2 document in his hand; and the look on his face met the definition. Can you imagine what was going on in his head? After spending some time there, we headed down constitution avenue and found a couple of food trucks that made for interesting images. Rather than turn right towards the garden, we turned left toward the White House. Along the way there was a great image of the Eisenhower executive office building reflected in an office glass. After a very long walk around the downtown area we stopped at the African american museum to take some photos of the commerce building reflection in the glass window of the museum. Then on the way to the car my husband took out his rice and sprinkled a bit on the bench for the birds. If only my iPhone 8Plus took better photos and had a telephoto lens! This whole process is really just an opportunity to get away from the house. This was a good week! 

Chasing Rainbows

It’s been almost five weeks since we have been hibernating. We no longer take walks, have groceries delivered, and make midnight runs to pick up our mail in the lobby of our building. This blog usually has topics that run the gamut of trips to the city, programs at the Library of Congress, gardens in and around DC, our morning walks, etc. It’s been a bit more difficult to get creative. But if you look hard enough, something invariably will pop up. And it did last week and several days since. When the season is right and the sun is out, the rays reflect off the large mirror in the dining room to create a fairyland of rainbows. The bright light also brings the plants on the console table to life. I first noticed it this year when we were sitting at the counter for dinner. The light was hitting my dinner plate, placemat, and salad bowl. So I followed it around the house over the course of the next hour or so. The back of the couch, the entryway, the kitchen countertop, on the rug underneath the chair, sparkling on the refrigerator and cabinets, the Kleenex box and everywhere else. It’s really magical - especially now. I’m so glad we moved to northern Virginia last year, away from our tiny condo in an 1890’s building on Capitol Hill. But I do miss our trips in to the city to break up the day. Wonder when we will be able to do that again? 

Seeing Double at the Reflecting Pond

Every morning we walk to the National Mall and there is usually something to see. This week the Capitol Christmas Tree and its' giant tree top star arrived from Montana and is being decorated this week; the botanical garden Christmas Trains and Roadside Adventures beckons to visitors and locals alike; and yesterday teleflora was giving away bouquets of flowers for the #loveoutloud campaign. Sometimes the beauty is in the scenes that we see all year, and stand out even more depending on the season and the time of day. The sun was brilliant and the recently cleaned out reflecting pond was still. It was an unusual windless day! So whatever surrounds the pond looks stunning in the mirror image that is created. It's not quite winter and feels like fall, and the golden leaves remaining on the trees cast a warm glow on every corner. The Capitol building is always striking. The office buildings across the way dot the landscape. The recently restored Ulysses S Grant statue stands tall above the crowd. The National Gallery of Art was also recently renovated and shows the sleek modern lines in the reflection. The Smithsonian American Indian Museum blends in to the blue sky and water. We always wonder what it would feel like to live somewhere else. I think we would miss a week like this. 

Blue and White Sunday Afternoon Walk in DC - What a Difference a Day Makes

After being cooped up for the last two days, it was so wonderful to finally see the sun after the dreary rain and cold. So we got on our coats and gloves and made our way down the street to the Mall. The first stop was the Capitol Building and the reflecting pond. It is always crowded with in and out of towners. The shrieking white seagulls against the brilliant blue sky reminded me of the warm gulf waters in Florida, where I grew up. Sometimes I pretend the snow is really sand and it warms the insides. The old and modern structures of the art museums stand out crisply against the backdrop. The sun is bright enough to catch a shadow, but it is not as clear or intense as in the summer heat. The water works always catch the attention of any child, and Dad is right there to capture the moment. Along Pennsylvania Avenue, the buildings are reflected in the mirror like windows. It doesn't matter to me what the temperature is as long as the sun is out. Things look so much better in the bright light of day.