Washington DC: Day 2

Alright, now for day two of the trip which started out even hotter than the day before. My shirt ended up having sweat stains that outlined my camera bag when I got home. I hope none of the many attractive women DC harbors noticed! Probably did, oh well. I think that was my only gripe about Washington DC, everything else was pretty great. You always hear about how dangerous DC is but I didn't get the sense that I'd get mugged when I was there, but then again we weren't walking around late at night. I also thought there would be a lot more homeless people, but I think I see more homeless in downtown Denver. There are a lot of professional looking people there too but that is to be expected considering the types of employment in the area. If I ever moved here I'd definitely need to upgrade my wardrobe.

We rode the Metro again to Union Station where we took a tour on a land/water capable vehicle. Sorry for no pictures of it I was slacking, probably distracted by the heat. But we were able to ride it through DC as well as along the Patomac River. I was really glad we took the tour though, I was able to learn about the symbolism of a lot of the monuments and locations around DC. It put things into perspective and you get a real sense of patriotism.

We later went to the National Gallery of Art and I was able to get a lot of great photos of some priceless works of art. It was difficult at times to get a picture of some pieces just because of all the people but I was able to manage for the most part. It was good experience though for one day when I can visit Europe and capture all of the great art work there.

Later that evening we went and ate at Texas De Brazil, my new favorite restaurant!! Everything was so tasty it was awesome. I was told there is one in Colorado as well, so I plan on making a trip there soon. I can't wait to have more of that lobster bisk and get served meat on skewers.

We finished up there and my sister's husband was gracious enough to take us to see the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorial. It is really amazing to see things in person that you've only heard and seen about in books since you were a kid. Taking these photos at night created some really dramatic lighting. It actually started raining too and it would have been cool to get some lighting shots but I wasn't that lucky. On our way heading back to the car from the Jefferson Memorial I was able to spot someone who was getting lucky behind a kiosk, they could use some ninja training so they won't get caught next time.

Washington DC: Day 1

My trip to DC was was a great experience and I wish I could have stayed longer. We arrived late night at the Ronald Reagan National Airport on Tuesday 5/25 so there wasn't much to do but head to my sister's home in Springfield, Virginia get settled into our rooms and get rested for the busy day we had coming.

Our main mode of transportation besides all the walking was the train. One of the stops was the Union Station which is one of the most visited destinations in DC with over 25 million visitors a year.

One of the first things we did once we arrived in DC from the Metro was go along on a photo tour where they had a guide take us to notable locations after giving us a coarse in photography. Fortunately I learned a few tips about photography that I've never knew about before so it was helpful. One of our stops on the tour was the Korean War Memorial.

We finished up the photo tour to get something to eat and made our way through the city. We made a stop at the Spy Museum to check out artifacts, history, and learn the life style a spy must lead. We also stopped by Chinatown where I was expecting to see more Asians but all I saw were mostly tourists, maybe they were all just using their ninja skills.

It was finally turning dusk and our opportunity for some interesting light was upon us. We made our way to the US Capital and were able to get some great shots. Here's an example of one that I took. It probably would have been better to use a tripod but unfortunately I don't have one of professional quality just yet, plus I hate carrying them around. Once the photo session was over we went home and had a barbecue for dinner. I was glad my sister had a charcoal grill, those always seem to taste better. We spent four days visiting DC, so look forward to the remaining three!

Washington DC

I just got back from my trip to Washington DC! I would highly recommend a visit to anyone as there are tons of things to see and do. My sister lives in Virginia so her and her husband were able to take us around and tour the sites. I came back with a lot of great pictures that I'll be including in a lot of the posts to come. Stay tuned!

Weapon of Choice

There is no substitute for skill, but better equipment can go a long way. My Canon 7D is by no means the Hattori Hanzo of cameras but the 8 fps shooting speed, low light noise reduction, weather sealing, hd video and built in wireless flash control are useful tools for any mission. My lenses include the Sigma 18-50 mm f/2.8 Macro, Tokina 11-16 mm f/2.8, Canon 70-200 mm f/4 L, and Canon 50 mm f/1.8. Plans for the future are to upgrade the Sigma, 50 prime and add a Canon 430EX for an off camera flash.

Any good ninja has a back up weapon. This shot was taken with a FujiFilm FinePix J10.

Ninja Rule #86

"Never be fooled by obvious traps of deception."

As you can see here in this example, this is an obvious ploy to get attention and bring you to the inner sanctum of the clan who refer to themselves as "Jimmy John's". They even have their own deliverers to spread their effect on the world who ride around on fixies, wear tight cuffed pants, and deliver what I heard referred by a local woman as a "sammich". The smells may be free but once you're in, the smell of tastiness will compel you to buy!

This photo was taken in Downtown Denver, CO.

Business Card

New business cards arrived! I may be getting a little ahead of myself but who knows, may lead to good things...

This shot was improvised on the kitchen stove top.

Miniature Model

Look I made a miniature model of the Denver Pavilions!...Well not really, just a little Photoshop magic. Taking the photo required some ninja quickness to avoid getting hassled by security guards atop a parking garage. The brown building above the "NS" in the spelling of pavilions is the building I work in.

You're Doing it Wrong

This girl ninja here needs more training obviously. Her helmet exposes her right away, I can see her face and identify her, and a long board is not a stealthy way to sneak up on your target.

Photo was taken at Lookout Mountain, Golden, CO.

Tribute to the Cheetah

This here is an amazing animal who possesses great skills very similar to the ninja. They can blend into their surroundings while stalking their target and strike with impressive speed. They are the fastest animal on land, reaching speeds up to 70 mph and for this lets pay tribute to the cheetah!

Photo was taken at the Denver Zoo. Special shout out to my brother Allen for letting me borrow his Canon 24-105mm L lens to take this.

Find the Ninja

There are a total of three ninjas in this photo taken at Lair of the Bear, Evergreen, CO.

Hello My Name is...

I have a blog!! Wow, just had to get that out of my system... Anyways here's my first pic posting ever. This will be my new logo for myself, hope y'all like it. I'm mostly planning on uploading pictures from my camera but I hopefully would like to post some artwork as well some time in the future. Visiting this page you will be able to check out happenings in my life as well as being able to check out some cool pics I hope, and maybe just maybe I'll find a ninja...