Blue Angels at 2012 Andrews Air Force Base Air Show

This past weekend I was a very proud father as I watched my son Ryan's commissioning as a 2nd LT in the U.S. Air Force.  Conveniently, the commissioning ceremony was held in hangar 4 at Andrews Air Force Base coincident with the 2012 Joint Services Open House and Air Show.  I have several sets of photos to share, and today we focus on black and white shots of the performance by the Navy's Blue Angels.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Chicago

This past weekend was spent in Chicago attending the wedding of good friends Nora and Michael.  While there, we did plenty of hiking around the city searching out some of the great food the city has to offer.  Of course I could not pass up the opportunity to haul around my camera and take some shots of opportunity.

Chicago is a city proud of many things, not the least of which is its architecture which provides great targets of opportunity for anyone walking about.  On our second day in Chicago we ventured out to Oak Park to visit the home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright and the birth place of Ernest Hemingway.  I will focus on the visit to Oak Park in future posts, but for now, here are a few of my photographs from our walk around Chicago.

Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Piney Point Lighthouse Maryland

Piney Point Lighthouse was built in 1836 on a beautiful point of land on the Potomac just 14 miles up river from the Chesapeake Bay.  Located within walking distance from our secret lair, it is a frequent stop on my walk around photo shoots.

The lighthouse, keepers house, and grounds are now part of the Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Park which includes displays of workboats and local maritime history.  The lighthouse is one of 11 built along the Potomac River and one of only three remaining.

The museum also tells the story of the German submarine U-1105.  The submarine surrendered to a Royal Navy escort group after receiving an order the war was over on 4 May 1945.  The British held the submarine for several months before turning it over to the United States as a war prize and object of unique interest and study for its advanced synthetic rubber skin.

With the research complete, U-1105 was towed to Solomons Island Maryland for explosive testing.  During this testing, U-1105 was sunk and salvaged several times before it was finally anchored near Piney Point in preparation for final demolition.  On 19 September 1949, U-ll05 was sunk for the last time with a depth charge in 91 feet of water off Piney Point where it was left without recognition until rediscovered by sport divers in 1985.

With normal flow and silting, the wreck appears and disappears based on local conditions.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Cape May New Jersey Beach

My life is pretty hectic these days leaving less time for photography and posting.  I am adjusting and will be back on schedule soon.  In the mean time, here are a couple of shots from Cape May New Jersey.  I visited friends Don and Beth on New Year’s day and took a tour of Cape May (and a couple of nice wineries).

The starkness of a beach during winter matches well with black and white photography.  The desolate beach seems even more so when seen through the perspective of black and white.

See you soon.  Have fun and go make some great photography.

Craig

Occupy DC Eviction Showdown Wrap Up

In my last two posts (Occupy DC Eviction Showdown–or Not, and The Face(s) of Occupy DC) I documented the events of the Occupy DC eviction showdown that wasn’t.  Today I am wrapping up this short series with some additional photography that tells another part of the story from that day.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

The Face(s) of Occupy DC

Yesterday I posted a series of photos from the anticipated eviction showdown between Occupy DC and the U.S. Park Police (Occupy DC Eviction Showdown–or Not).  Today we are taking a look at the face of Occupy DC.  With all the hours I have wandered around the Occupy DC encampment talking with the protestors I have found their views are as diverse as their photographs.  The only consistent them that runs through all these conversations is a distrust in government they believe has created and perpetuated a system of wealth inequality.

I also found that the dynamics of the Occupy DC protestors are a bit more complicated than they may appear on face value.  In addition to the varied views held by individuals, there are groups within the encampment with similarly diverse concerns – and they don’t necessarily agree.  There is an anarchist group, there is a group focused on homelessness, another that believes the income inequality has led to unbalanced representation in government, others that support any number of conspiracy theories, some that believe in governments ability to do more for the “99%,”and yet others who have difficulty presenting a coherent argument.  And the list goes on.

I also found that within the Occupy DC factions, there exists a power struggle.  Several times I heard complaints that one group was getting more air time with the press and was therefore driving the message.  Plotting and scheming sessions are common.  And lets not forget one of the most prominent divides – those who favor an aggressive approach and those who support a more passive approach to the protest.  This divergence in philosophy was quite evident in views of how to handle visits by the U.S. Park Police.

The remainder of this post is devoted to the many faces of Occupy DC.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig

Occupy DC Eviction Showdown–or Not

Over the weekend, the Occupy DC encampment received notification that enforcement action for their residence in McPherson Square would begin at noon today – 30 January.  I arrived at McPherson Square at about 10:15am to document the day’s events.  Upon my arrival, the protestors were outnumbered 3 to 1 by the media.  The police were conspicuously absent.

At about 11:30 am, a small group of police took a tour of the park, surrounded by protestors and media, but no enforcement actions were taken.  I remained at McPherson square until 2 pm during which little more than dancing, singing, chanting, tenting of the monument, extensive media interviews, a press conference by a police representative, and a lot of mucking about occurred. 

I will let the photography tell the rest of the story, but a couple things caught my attention.  First, it was clear that the protestors are not of one mind.  When the police visited, there were equal numbers antagonizing the police and others demanding that no attention be given their visit.  Second, as I stood in the mass of reporters, cameras, and video jocks, it was clear to me that nothing would happen when the witching hour of noon approached.  With complete media saturation, it would have been unproductive to highlight protesters being herded off in restraints or use of force against the more aggressive faction of the protestors.

Here is the rest of the story in photos.

Have fun, and go make some great photography.

Craig