Walking Tour Itinerary and Plan - LHSA Annual Meeting - Georgetown, Washington DC, Thursday October 15, 2015

On Thursday, October 15, 2015, I will lead a walking tour as part of the program for the International Leica Society (LHSA)'s annual meeting. This year, the meeting will be held in Washington, DC. My tour will be a nice walk through Georgetown, and will last from 8:30AM to noon.

 

Here's the itinerary (total 2.8 miles walking), with likely photographic interests listed below each location:

 

8:30 AM: I will meet the group in the Marriott Lobby; we need to leave promptly at 8:30AM to catch an 8:45AM train at Crystal City Metro Station (8 minutes transport time). Fare is $3.20 (cash/fare card). For those who can, it will be very helpful if you can purchase Metro fare cards before the tour. A total of $6.40 per person should cover the Metro ride both ways.

9:00-9:20 AM: Begin walk from Rosslyn Metro Station across Key Bridge to Georgetown.

- nice views of the Potomac River, Roosevelt Island, Georgetown Waterfront from above

9:20-9:50 AM: Georgetown University (37th Ave NW from Prospect St North to O St NW).

- campus architecture, students

9:50-10:15 AM: Walk East on O St NW to Wisconsin Ave NW

- Cobblestone street, neighborhood architecture

10:15-10:45 AM: Walk South on Wisconsin Ave NW to Georgetown Waterfront

- people, street scenes, cross C&O canal

10:45-11:15 AM: Walk along Waterfront, up 33rd St NW to M St

- Potomac River, park

11:15-11:45 AM: Walk M St NW back to Key Bridge, back across bridge to Rosslyn Metro Station. Trains returning to Crystal City leave at 11:35AM and 11:47 AM (8 mins. transport time). Fare is $3.20 (cash/fare card).

- Street scenes

 

Here's a map of the walking portion of the tour:

 

 

The red dot in the image above is Rosslyn Station.

 

Here are some teaser images from my practice walk, to give you some ideas of what you may see on the tour:

 

Key Bridge:

 

Wisconsin Avenue:

 

 

Georgetown Waterfront:

 

 

Looking forward to seeing everyone in Washington, DC!

 

Reed

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French Quarter Photo Tour

 

French Quarter, by Reed A. George

 

I'm honored to have been asked to lead a morning photo tour of the French Quarter in New Orleans as part of the LHSA's Spring Shoot, April 15-19. I will be leading the Saturday morning group.

 

The Quarter's not exactly an early morning kind of place, but that's okay.

 

Now I have to put my mind to planning a route that will give my fellow photographers the best chances of capturing a Leica moment!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

Whole Lotta Leica - Summicron 50mm f2 at the LHSA Meeting - Shooting in The Mission (San Francisco)

 

Toru, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

 

As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm really busy on my vacation to the San Francisco Bay area, where I'm attending the annual LHSA meeting. Yesterday, we took a walking tour of The Mission District. Above, you see my new friend and veteran LHSA member, Toru. Toru lives in Portland, Oregon, so this wasn't too much travel for him.

 

In the background, you can see the street murals, one of the cool features of this neighborhood.

 

Sorry for the quick post. Much more to come!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Courage! Civil War Tour of Washington, DC

As part of our LHSA meetup in Washington, DC on September 21, a couple of us took part in a Civil War walking tour.

 

Led by character Demetria Parish, a Pennsylvania girl who married and moved to DC (along with her sister), we walked through the modern streets of DC together, hearing the stories of 150 years past. Dressed in hoop skirt and all, Demetria shared plenty of period gossip with us.

 

(Click Here) to read about the Courage! tour on historicstrolls.com

 

Demetria Parish, in Front of Clara Barton's Offices, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4.8, 1/125 sec.

 

We met a few other characters on our walk, including this lovely catholic nun, who passed Demetria a secret letter. It seems that letter never made if further, being stuffed into Demetria's bag, and likely forgotten.

 

Nun With A Secret, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4, 1/500 sec.

 

From a photographer's perspective, seeing Matthew Brady's studio building was a treat. Mr. Brady was a driving force in photography during the Civil War, the first war to be significantly captured on film (or at least the bodies of dead soldiers, which allowed capture with extremely slow films). We also heard a story about how his assistant, on the roof to adjust light-diffusing curtains to improve the lighting for General Grant's portrait, stepped through the slanted glass, showering the General in shards.

 

 

Matthew Brady's Studio, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4.8, 1/3000 sec.

 

We spent some time around the old patent office (now the National Portrait Gallery) and post office (Monaco Hotel). Ms. Parish worked in the Dead Letters office.

 

The tour ended up outside Ford's Theatre, where the news of Mr. Lincoln's death, at the hands of actor John Wilkes, was just coming out. It seems Ms. Parish had something of a thing for Wilkes, and she's shocked to learn of his true character.

 

Demetria Parish and Mary Lincoln in Front of Ford's Theatre, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 LTM Lens

iso 400, f4, 1/2000 sec.

 

The tour was really informative and enjoyable, drawing plenty of looks from passers by. Demetria consistently told us to watch out for carriages (cars) and to walk carefully around the horses (once a dog, in another case a set of seqways on tour).

 

As you can see, I shot with my WLL lens for this month, the Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8. I'm overall pleased with the result. The first image above is extremely sharp, showing what the lens can do when used carefully.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Second LHSA (International Leica Society) Local Meetup in DC

On Saturday, September 21, we held the second DC area local meetup of the LHSA, the International Leica Society.

(Click Here) to read about and join the LHSA.

A couple of us met for a civil war era walking tour of DC, rounding out our group of five at lunch and conversation at the National Portrait Gallery. Unfortunately, a couple of members had to cancel last-minute, so participation was about the same as our first meeting. I'm sure the near 100% chance of rain didn't help, either.

 

Kevin, Jerry, Bill, and Charlie, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 Lens

iso 640, f6.4, 1/45 sec.

 

As agreed at our first meeting, most of us brought Leica prints to discuss, which is always useful. I like to get critical feedback, and hear how others would have made the shot.

Here's what was going on beside our table at the Portrait Gallery:

 

Gymnastics, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 Lens

iso 640, f3.4, 1/180 sec.

 

 

This time, I tried to diversify the meeting a little by adding the civil war walking tour. I'll post a few pictures from that experience in a later post. Led by a period actress, complete with hoop skirt, I found it quite interesting. Some of the members missed the tour because of a Metro train delay, which was unfortunate.

 

(Click Here) to see a description of the tour "Courage," presented by Natalie Zanin's historic tour company.

 

Here are a couple of other shots I grabbed throughout the day with my M9 and Whole Lotta Leica lens for September, the Rokkor 45mm f2.8.

 

Lift, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 Lens

iso 400, f11, 1/350 sec.

 

Style, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Minolta Rokkor 45mm f2.8 Lens

iso 640, f5.7, 1/1000 sec.

 

While the participation didn't increase from the first meeting, I do feel like we're forming a good core of members for these events. I will continue to think about ways to increase participation, and draw new members to the meetups. The quality of conversation was great, and made for an enjoyable afternoon.

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Live Music Coverage - Donna The Buffalo and Floodwood at the State Theater

On May 11, 2013, I got the opportunity to shoot photos of the band Donna The Buffalo for a local live music blog, Cosmic Vibes Live.

 

Donna The Buffalo, by Reed A. George

Nikon D300, Nikkor AF-D 50mm f1.4 Lens

iso 3200, f2.4, 1/90 sec

 

The show was at the State Theater in Falls Church, Virginia. This was the first coverage I've done for Cosmic Vibes Live where I didn't have to do the writing. While I enjoy writing, I found it really nice to be able to focus on the photography. The writing was done by Jim McWalters. Jim and I met at the State before the show so that Jim could interview bandmembers Tara Nevins and Jeb Puryear on their tour bus.

 

Interview With Tara Nevins, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor AF-D 50mm f1.4 Lens

iso 2200, f2.4, 1/45 sec

 

(Click Here) to read Jim's show review on Cosmic Vibes Live. The interview will be covered in an upcoming piece.

 

The show opened with a brand new band, Floodwood. Including two members of the band Moe. (Al Schnier and Vinnie Amico), Floodwood has a distinctly different sound from Moe. This band has a lot of energy on stage, and the new sound is great.

 

Floodwood, by Reed A. George

Nikon D300, Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D Lens

iso 3200, f2, 1/180 sec.

Floodwood, by Reed A. George

Nikon D300, Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D Lens

iso 3200, f2, 1/125 sec.

Floodwood, by Reed A. George

Nikon D300, Nikkor 85mm f1.8 AF-D Lens

iso 3200, f2, 1/125 sec.

 

Here are a few more shots of Donna The Buffalo:

 

 

Donna The Buffalo, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor AF 180mm f2.8 Lens

iso 6400, f2.8, 1/125 sec

 

Tara Nevins, by Reed A. George

Nikon D300, Nikkor AF 180mm f2.8 Lens

iso 3200, f2.8, 1/125 sec

Tara Nevins, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor AF 180mm f2.8 Lens

iso 6400, f2.8, 1/125 sec

 

Donna The Buffalo has been around almost 25 years, starting up in 1989. They have a very rich, positive sound. In fact, they have a new album out, "Tonight, Tomorrow, and Yesterday." It's their tenth studio album, the first in five years. I got a copy before the release on the night of the show - it's really worth listening to! Give it a try.

A little on my photographic approach - I used Nikon DSLRs for this show. It was my first time at the State, and I was happy to have the high iso capability of the Nikons with me. The lighting there was a little low for such a large venue, and a little muddy. As you can see, I did need up to iso 6400 to make the shots. I've just started using a Nikon D300 as a second body; the D700 is my primary. While the D300 does a nice job, the high iso performance is noticeably more noisy than the full-frame D700. No surprise there. Also, while most concert photographers use the 70-200 f2.8 zoom, I have recently gotten a used 180mm f2.8 Nikkor AF lens. I LOVE IT! The 180 is half the weight of the 70-200, and yields excellent images in my opinion. I won't be going back to a zoom for the long end of my concert shooting anytime soon.

 

Overall, it was a great experience shooting this show. Thanks to Jeff and Jim at Cosmic Vibes Live for the opportunity!

 

DMC-365.blogspot.com

 

 

Sequence of Thoughts - In Pictures - Small Town Saturday Morning

Small Town Saturday Morning
 
It's Saturday, Labor Day Weekend, in Charlestown, West Virginia, USA. What's going on this morning?
 

Car Show, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f8, 1/1000 sec

Roadkill, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f4.8, 1/750 sec

 
Oh, and the weekly farmer's market is also happening.
 

Farmer's Market, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f9.5, 1/250 sec

 
Do you hear that music? Where's that coming from?
 

Market Music, Acoustic Burgoo, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f13, 1/60 sec

 

Local Music 10AM-Noon, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso640, f6.7, 1/350 sec

 
The music and market wrap up at noon, and things in Charles Town go back to normal. Could be a sleepy afternoon.
 

Back to Normal, by Reed A. George

Leica M9, Leica Summicron 50mm f2

iso400, f9.5, 1/250 sec

 
 
I hope you enjoyed this little series.
 
DMC-365.blogspot.com
 
 

Digital Photo Academy (DPA) Instructor Rick Gerrity Gives Tips on Photographing Strangers

 

Photo by Rick Gerrity

Image Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150854451756479&set=a.470294361478.257978.102171381478&type=1

 
DPA instructor Rick Gerrity recently shared a brief narrative on how to photograph strangers.
 
(Click Here) to read it.
 
If you don't know DPA, you owe it to yourself to check it out. I have attended DPA workshops in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, and New York City. In fact, when I'm traveling to a new city in the US, or don't already have a photographic plan, I always look to see what DPA workshops are available.
 
In fact, I met Mr. Gerrity when I attended one of his workshops in Hoboken, NJ. He led us on a tour around Hoboken, centered on the old train station, and the awesome view across the river to the New York City skyline. Rick is a Panasonic Lumix enthusiast, just like me.
 

That's Rick, Second from Left

Photo by Reed A. George

Waiting by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-85mm f2.8-4 at 85mm

iso400, f5.6, 1/500 sec

 

Waiting, 2, by Reed A. George

Nikon D700, Nikkor 24-85mm f2.8-4 at 70mm

iso 1600, f5, 1/60 sec

 
By the way, DPA is run by Mr. Richard Rabinowitz, another really great guy. We've met via telephone only, but I hope to rectify that one day. He's in the NYC area, as well.
 
So, if you ever want to get out with a professional photographer in an unfamiliar city (or even a familiar one), look up DPA and see what they've got going.
 
(Click Here) to go to DPA's website.
 
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